Name: Mexican Crema Recipe
Prep time: 48 h
Total time: 48 h
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 cup heavy whipping cream; 1 tablespoon plain yogurt; 2 teaspoons lime juice; 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

This post may include affiliate links; for details, see our disclosure policy.

Mexican crema is a thickened cream for dolloping over tacos and soups! Creamy and slightly tangy, it’s easy to make at home!

When it comes to dolloping, Mexican crema is where it’s at! This sumptuous thickened cream is at home over tacos and in burrito bowls: basically any Mexican-inspired cuisine benefits from a little crema! Alex and I love dolloping it on all sorts of recipes to add a little richness. Mexican crema can be purchased in stores, but it can also be made at home. It’s truly easy, but involves a little wait time: almost like a science project! Keep reading for the recipe.’

Want a plant based option? Try Vegan Sour Cream.

What is Mexican crema?

Mexican crema is a thickened cream often used to dollop over soups, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and anything that needs a touch of richness. It’s creamy and slightly tangy, and falls between American sour cream and French crème fraîche.

What’s the difference between sour cream and Mexican crema? Sour cream has about 20% butterfat and an acidic flavor. It’s less stable under heat and tends to curdle easily (so it’s best in cold preparations or added as a dollop at the end).

Crème fraîche is richer and has a higher fat content, about 30%, which gives it body and thickness. It works in soups and sauces; it melts easily and won’t curdle. Mexican crema is similar to crème fraîche: it’s a littler runnier and tastes even more tangy. It’s essentially crème fraîche with lime and salt added!

How to make Mexican crema

Mexican crema is very easy to make, but it does involve some waiting time. Up to 2 days, in fact! The base recipe for a crema is making crème fraîche: then it’s mixed with lime and salt.

To start, stir together heavy cream and a bit of yogurt. Then cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 36 to 48 hours, until it becomes very thick! Sound a little odd to leave out dairy on the counter? The mixture won’t spoil on the counter, since the acid in the mix prevents bacteria associated with dairy products.

Note: If it’s winter and the bowl is by a cold window, the thickening won’t happen as quickly. Make sure the bowl is in a room temperature location, not by a cold window.

Once the Mexican crema is thickened, stir in the lime juice and salt. It’s that easy! You can use the Mexican crema for up to 2 weeks.

Mix it up: lime, avocdo or cilantro crema!

Want to step up your crema? Here are a few citrusy spins that perfect for dolloping on tacos, burritos and quesadillas.

Cilantro Lime Crema: It’s full of tangy, fresh flavor! Go to Cilantro Lime Crema.
Lime Crema: Even simpler, no blender required. Go to Lime Crema.
Avocado Crema: Rich, tangy and luxuriously creamy. Go to Easy Avocado Crema.
Chipotle Crema: Smoky and spicy. Go to Chipotle Crema.

Recipes to serve with Mexican crema

Mexican crema is at home on so many different Mexican inspired recipes! Here are a few of our favorite recipes that would love a dollop of creamy goodness:

This recipe is…

This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.