Mexican crema is a creamy, slightly tangy ingredient, similar to sour cream but with a higher fat content that offers richness and creaminess to many different dishes. Learn all about it.
In the world of cooking, there are plenty of sauces and dips to choose from. It’s the easiest way to alter the taste of any dish, solid or liquid. When it comes to Mexican cuisine, it’s simple, quick, and super delicious!
Other than the dish itself, Mexican cooks are known for their excellent, mouth-watering choice and taste when selecting the toppings and dressings of their food.
Although Mexican cuisine is often very spicy in itself, using a variety of additional toppings alters the tingling sensation of spices. Among these toppings, stands out the rich and sour Mexican Crema.
What is Mexican Crema?
Mexican Crema has a slightly sour taste, just like plain American sour cream. It has a cutting edge over the American sour cream and French crème fraîche as it combines the tastes of both.
Not only does it add spectacular flavor, but it also lowers the hotness of chilies, an inherent ingredient to Mexican food. However, it can be used with any dish to make it tangier and more flavorful.
Is it Any Different Than Sour Cream?
Thick creams can be tricky to use in cooking as they are bound to curdle easily. Using Mexican Crema is more beneficial compared to sour cream due to less curdling tendencies. The curdling is lesser because it is thinner compared to sour cream.
It has 10% greater fat nutrients as compared to sour cream. Sour cream has 20% fat nutrients, whereas Mexican Crema has 30% fat nutrients. It is also less acidic than sour cream.
When deciding on cream for boiling dishes, it is your best bet. Sour cream is a more relevant choice if you want a topping for cooked food.
What is Mexican Crema Made Of?
If you’re familiar with French sour cream, the contents of Mexican Crema will not be new to you. The only difference is that it’s thinner due to more lime juice and salt, and hence, it is very easy to use while cooking.
It also has some salt, which French sour cream doesn’t. The butterfat comes from buttermilk, and the sour taste is created by adding a tinge of lime juice, along with a bit of salt as a taste enhancer.
What is a Good Substitute for Mexican Crema?
The best substitute for it is crème fraîche. Although this cream is thicker than Mexican crema, you can make it thinner.
Add a bit of lime juice to thin creème fraîche and add savory to the overall flavor. You can add Crème Fraîche to all sorts of dishes as a topping.
Another good substitute is plain yogurt, which can be less sour but offers the same sensation when eaten. Again, you can add some drops of lime juice to plain yogurt to get the same taste as Mexican Crema.
For salt, kosher salt is the best choice.
Ways to use Mexican Crema
Mexican Crema is a very frequent topping choice for home cooked meals. It’s a versatile and flexible type of cream, that can go along with a variety of Mexican recipes.
You can use it with Mexican dishes like tacos, enchiladas and nachos, or you can top non-Mexican dishes with it too. Even soups can be topped with it.
Its thickness makes it perfect with hot dishes that are heavy or super crunchy. Tacos and tortillas are just two of the most famous examples of Mexican cuisine. You can also use it as a stand-alone sauce with tortilla chips and nachos.
You can definitely use it for non-Mexican dishes, so use it whenever you want to make the dish spicy and creamier. It is best for use in both garnishing and cooking.
I use it all the time, and always reach for it over sour cream in our kitchen.
Becky says
when making enchiladas, do you put it on before they go in oven or after?
Mike H. says
I like adding crema after baking because it helps preserve its creamy texture and also flavor.
Alice Tisbert says
Question,
What is the Nestle brand Mexicana creme in a can, I want to make a Mexican pasta salad and not sure whether to buy in container, use the nestle brand....or just make it myself.
Thank you.
Mike Hultquist says
Alice, I'm not familiar with that brand, but there are many good brands of Mexican crema out there. If you can't find any, sour cream is a good substitute. Enjoy.
Beckey says
Very helpful description and examples for using Crema.
Mike Hultquist says
Thank you, Beckey.
Andrew says
Rick Bayless has a recipe for crema using 1 cup whipping cream and 2 teaspoons buttermilk. Warm the whipping cream until lukewarm (don't hit 100 degrees), then stir in buttermilk. cover loosely and let it culture 12-24 hours in a warm spot. Once it has thickened stir it, seal it, and let it cool in the fridge (4 hours). I've made it and it is really good, much better than sour cream. Downside is no one else wanted to try it because they thought it would make them sick from sitting out of the fridge but I had no problems since dairy in the grocery store is pasteurized.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice! I love it. Thanks for sharing.
Elizabeth says
Similar to how yogurt is made! Cool.
Mike H. says
There are some differences, but yeah - if you like yogurt, you would love Mexican crema!
Mike says
Hi Mike - Do you have a formula for your home made creme? ALso, what gives it that reddish tint?
Thank you for your post.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Mike, no. I buy Mexican crema, and there are many different brands out there, like sour cream. That pinkish tint is probably just from my lighting. It's really more cream colored, sometimes a little darker, depending on the brand. Some are thicker and some are creamier/runnier. So many different ones.
Jérémie says
Thanks for the article, Mike! And and well done for respecting the french accents of the word "crème fraîche"!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Yes sir! Thanks! =)