A recipe for the easiest roasted poblano cream sauce, using only 4 ingredients, with big roasted poblano flavor. Perfect for tacos or any Mexican dish, and even as a dip.
I grew a number of poblano peppers in my garden this year and WOW did those plants explode. The most productive was a Tiburon Hybrid that offers greater yields and larger poblanos.
It did not disappoint!
When you have such a tremendous yield of poblano peppers coming out of your garden, count yourself lucky because poblanos are wonderful to cook with and they offer a flavor unlike any other pepper. To me, poblano peppers are earthier and they lend themselves to all sorts of recipes and cooking methods.
Learn more about Poblano Peppers here.
This recipe in particular is a simple one, using only 4 ingredients, but because we're cooking with poblano peppers, it is MASSIVE on the flavor scale. We're talking Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce, and it's super creamy and super tasty.
Just look at it. SO GOOD, right? I want to dive right in there!
Let's talk about how we make the recipe, shall we?
How to Make Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce - the Recipe Method
First, roast your awesome poblano peppers over your stove top flame until, rotating often, until the skins char and blister up, about 10 minutes.
Alternatively, you can bake them in the oven until the skins blacken and blister, about 15 minutes. See the information below on how to roast poblano peppers.
Cool and set the peppers into a plastic bag to steam. This will help loosen the skins. Most times I can just peel the skin right off without steaming.
Next, toss the roasted peppers into a food processor with some garlic cloves, Mexican crema or sour cream, and a bit of salt. Process the mix until nice and smooth.
BOOM! DONE!
Super easy, right? And SUPER flavorful.
Scoop it into a bowl and use it as needed. It makes about a cup or so. You can keep it in the fridge in a sealed container for about a week or so.
Recipe Variations
This recipe is outstanding on its own, but consider it a base recipe. You can add in other ingredients as desired. Consider adding cilantro for an herbal flair. Try roasting the garlic along with the poblanos.
Add chili powders and/or spicy chili flakes for flavor and heat variations.
Add in some fresh ripe avocado for a variation on guacamole. So delicious!
Try it with other peppers, either in addition to, or replacing the poblano peppers. It would be super interesting with ghost peppers! Hot! Spicy!
Serving Suggestions
This roasted poblano cream sauce goes great alongside tacos or burritos, of course, but consider it for spooning over grilled meats, like chicken or pork.
Drizzle it over pulled pork sandwiches or over a steak.
Consider it as a replacement for guacamole! Use it anywhere you'd use your favorite guacamole recipe. It's so good.
Try Some of My Other Popular Mexican Recipes
- Mexican Picadillo
- Mexican Rice with Chorizo and Black Beans
- Classic Mexican Chicken Posole
- Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
- Chicken Enchiladas Verdes with Cheese
- Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
Try Some of My Stuffed Poblano Pepper Recipes
- Picadillo (Beef) Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Cream Cheese Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Classic Chiles Rellenos
- Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H
4-Ingredient Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce - Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound poblano peppers
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides. Remove the stems. Set them onto a baking sheet and bake them at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes, or until the skins char and bubble. You can also broil them about 12-15 minutes to the same effect.
- Remove from heat and place them into a paper bag or plastic baggie. The heat will steam them and loosen the skins.
- Peel away the skins and place the roasted peppers into a food processor with the remaining ingredients.
- Process until nice and smooth.
- Adjust for salt and serve as desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Mike Klima says
hey Mike LOVE your site and recipes! However, on this recipe you say to roast poblanos at 350, and other recipes 400. Definitely higher heat if you need them to char and peel better. I think it was just an oversight. I say this as I am referring people to your site...my sister was having trouble getting the poblanos to char. I suggested broiling is faster and easier.
Keep up the awesome work! i've made so many things so far that are exceptional.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Mike! I appreciate it! You can roast the peppers at 350 F, it will just take longer. 400 F is good. I usually DO roast them, or really just do them on the stove top over an open flame, which is my preference. But I hear you, man! Thanks for sharing!
Elaina says
has anyone tried freezing this?
Mike Hultquist says
Elaina, this will not freeze well due to the sour cream/crema content. It's best used within the week.
Judy says
How best to store? Will it turn black or should we add some lemon juice or something to prevent that from happening?
Mike Hultquist says
Judy, this is best consumed right away, but you can add a bit of citrus juice to brighten it up if you want to store it a day or 2. Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Jess says
Made as per recipe except roasted
5 large garlic cloves. Excellent sauce, it is now in the lineup. Good with enchiladas, tacos, or just a tortilla chip. Im sure other things as well.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Jess!
Stephanie Ruhland says
Very simple and delicious. I used plain Greek yogurt instead. Everyone loved it!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie!
Leslie says
What a great sauce! And so simple! I will be making this again and again! Thank you
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Thanks, Leslie!
Mari says
Can you use this as an enchilada sauce?
Mike Hultquist says
Certainly, Mari! Enjoy!
Jeff says
Would this be good to freeze
Mike H. says
You can freeze it, Jeff, but not sure how the consistency will be after it thaws, as it has crema/sour cream.
Dorothy says
Wow, so simple and so delicious! Mine ended up a bit spicy..I think our farmers market poblanos were spicy and I did ad one lonely roasted, seeded habanero. I doubled the cream to cool it off and was still delicious and spicy!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent!
Denise White says
Can this recipe be frozen or canned?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Denise, I wouldn't can this. You can freeze it, but not sure how the consistency will be after it thaws, as it has crema/sour cream.
Jim Bruns says
I've been making problemo cream for years now. Slightly different, but both are good. Try it in place of hollandaise on on your eggs Benedict.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds wonderful.
Laurie says
I made this last summer and loved it and kind of forgot about it until it was time to pick a bunch of poblanos! It is so delicious! Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Laurie! Definitely a good one!
Lonnie Hartstack says
First year for poblanos and I love this sauce. How do I know how many peppers are one pound? I just guessed last time I made it but would like your actual. Do I need to wear gloves while cleaning? I did last time but don't notice they're like a hot pepper. Please send the answer to my email if possible.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Lonnie, you'll usually get 2 per pound, though this can vary by pepper size. I don't use gloves, but some people need them. They're not very hot at all, but do have a TINY bit of heat for some.
Sarahp says
Yum! Charred my poblano and used whole milk yogurt, garlic, salt, a little lemon and ground caraway. Serving with broiled sirloin.
Check out Harous (chipotle and ancho) recipe by Abderrazak Haouari on Food&Wine.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks so much Sarah! I love it!
Lauren says
I had over 20 poblano peppers wasting away on the bush in the garden. I was looking for a way to use them and/or preserve them properly. This recipe is delicious! And it was so easy. I roasted them using the broiler method. I put the sauce on a green chili tonight, and it's a game changer. It's also a great on chips. And I did put some in the freezer for later.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great! Glad you enjoyed it, Lauren!
Mike M says
I love this recipe for all sorts of things. A great alternative to poblanos if you're in the SW USA, are fire roasted hatch chiles. Substitute a couple for a poblano since they're smaller, or substitute all for that hatch flavor and fiery heat.
But this is a tangy, rich sauce. Keep it on hand for all sorts of things.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Mike! Glad you enjoyed it! And YES, Hatch peppers are outstanding for this! I love them.
Cheryl says
I just made this recipe from poblano peppers that I had in the freezer. It is delicious! Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent! Thanks, Cheryl! Glad you enjoyed it. I love this sauce.
Bonnie Thomas says
I just received a lot of peppers from a fresh veggie delivery service. Even after giving away half, it's more than i can use. I am making this recipe. My question is can I freeze some of it? I also want to know is it eaten hot or cold? I was thinking cold would be good on tortilla chips.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Bonnie, you CAN freeze it, but cream sauces don't do so well frozen, so I would probably just freeze the roasted peppers. When ready to make sauce, just thaw them and process them with the other ingredients. It will be much fresher that way. Let me know how it goes.
Kate says
Hello! I just found this website, and am pretty excited to try some new things! I recently discovered ancho chili powder from a spice company that I use exclusively, and was surprised to learn ancho/poblano are the same thing, yes? I'm not too brave with spicy, but that chili powder has a perfect amount of a "kick" towards the end...yup, I'm addicted!
I have a poblano in the oven now (ancient electric stove, bah), to roast and make your creme sauce,,it sounds delicious! I searched the site, but couldn't find anything about dehydrating poblanos. I don't live in the middle of nowhere, but I can see it from here, heh...so I try to grocery shop only once or twice a month. I've noticed with this pepper, left it on the counter and it started looking a bit pitiful after about a week...would you recommend dehydrating these peppers? (I have a dehydrator, or willing to use the oven, either way). Or...do they freeze well? (I prefer dehydrating, freezer is about the size of a postage stamp!) Thanks for your patience reading this mini-novel, and your help! I look forward to learning and cooking more with peppers!
Kate
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Kate. Yes, "ancho pepper" is the name for dried poblano peppers. Because they are dried, they are use differently in cooking. I have information on Dehydrating Peppers here that you can review: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/dehydrating-peppers/. You CAN dehydrate some slightly sagging peppers, though fresh is always best. If you see any rot on the peppers, I would not use them, though use your best judgement. They also do freeze very nicely. I hope this helps! Happy to answer any other questions.
Melissa says
Your site is amazing! Another great recipe! Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Melissa! I appreciate it!
Nadia says
Wow, this was crazy easy to make. Very creamy. The roasted poblano flavor really stands out. Keeper!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Nadia!