Crema Mexicana (Mexican Sour Cream)

Looking to liven up your Mexican dishes? Look no further than my Mexicana Crema, sometimes also referred to as Mexican Sour Cream. Cool and just a touch tart to balance out those spicy flavors in Mexican recipes.

close up angled shot of spoon in bowl of crema mexicana


 

Perfect for tacos, burritos, arepas con queso and Street Corn Salad!

What is Crema?

Think of Crema Mexican as the Mexican version of French crème fraiche or American sour cream. It is slightly thinner and a bit sweeter and often served along with cotija or queso fresco cheeses.

Some might call is Mexicana crema, Mexican sour cream, crema fresca or just plain crema.

overhead shot of bowl of mexican sour cream on wooden board

Ingredients for Making Mexican Crema

One of the best parts of this crema mexicana recipe is that it only takes three simple ingredients to make!

  • Heavy cream – This cream is the main ingredient of the recipe. It helps to thin out the consistency and make it more pourable.
  • Sour cream – In order to help thicken and also add a little bit of acidity, we use sour cream.
  • Buttermilk – I like my Mexican crema to have a little bit of tang to it, and sour cream buttermilk that.
overhead shot of crema mexico ingredients

How To Make Crema

Crema Fresca can be found in many Latin supermarkets and some mainstream stores. That side, my store was fresh out so I needed to make my own. Don’t worry, it is super simple!

The traditional crema recipe calls for heavy cream blended with buttermilk and given 24 hours to thicken up. Again, I was tight on time.

The quick version of crema Mexicana uses 1/4  cup of sour cream. I opted for a middle of the road experiment – a little bit of buttermilk AND a little bit of sour cream.

  1. Heat heavy cream. In a microwave safe container, heat heavy cream for 40 seconds. Meanwhile, stir together sour cream and buttermilk in a glass bowl.
  2. Add heavy cream to remaining ingredients. Add heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Mixture will be watery, but you will notice it starting to thicken already while stirring.
  3. Allow to sit in a warm place, set lid loosely on the top, or use plastic or aluminum foil. Allow to breath, but to keep covered and free from any floating particles near by, especially if placed outside. Do not let crema mexicana go over 100 degrees.
  4. Let thicken. Allow to sit for 4-6 hours to thicken. Add flavor, if desired, using a stick blender.
close up overhead shot of crema fresca

Let it Thicken

It needs to sit in a warm place to thicken. Near the stove or oven (if you are using it,) on top of the refrigerator, or in my case,  outside on a beautiful 80-degree day all work just fine.

The end result will be thinner than yogurt or sour cream, so don’t be concerned if it seems a bit more loose in terms of texture than what you were expecting.

straight on shot of spoon in bowl of homemade mexican crema recipe

How to Use Crema Mexicana

One of my favorite parts about this delicious condiment is that you can use it on just about anything! Add a dollop of it to soups like white chicken chili or chicken tortilla soup. You could even use it as a dip for chips or veggies.

It works great as the perfect topping for burrito bowls, tacos or nachos. The creamy taste pairs well with just about any Mexican food you can think of. I always have a jar in the fridge.

I used this batch for Mexican Street Corn but you can also use it on my favorite Totchos. It also tastes great on grilled chicken fajitas or Smothered Burritos.

straight on shot of spoon adding crema mexicana to corn

Variations

Crema mexicana is a blank slate. There are plenty of ways you can make it your own. Here are a few suggestions.

  • Plain yogurt – You can use plain yogurt instead of sour cream. In fact, I love using yogurt in place of any of the three soured creams. However, for my purposes, I usually need something a little thinner to get the right consistency.

Just like other types of cream, you can add a little bit of flavor by blending in other flavors. Some of my favorites are:

  • cumin
  • fresh cilantro
  • lime juice or zest
  • lemon juice or zest
  • chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
overhead shot of spoon adding crema mexicana to tacos

Storage & Shelf Life

How to Store Crema Mexicana

Just like most dairy products, it will be good for about a week if kept refrigerated. The FDA recommends it being out for no longer than 2 hours.

Can I Freeze Creme Mexicana?

I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

overhead shot of tacos topped with mexican sour cream

Questions About Crema Mexicana

What is the difference between crema mexicana and sour cream?

It is just the Mexican version of American sour cream or French crème fraîche. It is a slightly soured thickened cream, but thinner than sour cream.

Can I use sour cream, crema Mexicana and creme fraiche interchangeably?

You can use all three interchangeably, but remember they have a slightly different texture. Sour cream is the thickest.

More Mexican Inspired Recipes

Are you ready for a Mexican fiesta? Here are some of our favorite Mexican recipes that we know you’ll love too.

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overhead shot of bowl of mexican cream with text overlay
close up angled shot of spoon in bowl of crema mexicana

Homemade Crema Mexicana Recipe

4.79 from 23 votes
Homemade Crema Mexicana made with just a handful of ingredients you have in your pantry. Perfect for tacos, burritos and Street Corn Salad!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a microwave safe container, heat heavy cream for 40 seconds. Meanwhile, stir together sour cream and buttermilk in a glass bowl.
  • Add heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Mixture will be watery, but you will notice it starting to thicken already while stirring.
  • Allow to sit in a warm place, set lid loosely on the top, or use plastic or aluminum foil. Allow to breath, but to keep covered and free from any floating particles near by, especially if placed outside. Do not let crema mexicana go over 100 degrees.
  • Allow to sit for 4-6 hours to thicken. Add flavor, if desired, using a stick blender.
  • Drizzle over your favorite Latin dish.
  • Blending in cumin, cilantro, chipotle peppers, lime and/or lemon juice or zest to flavor your crema are all optional.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 832 kcal, Carbohydrates: 7 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 88 g, Saturated Fat: 55 g, Cholesterol: 328 mg, Sodium: 106 mg, Potassium: 178 mg, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 3500 IU, Vitamin C: 1.4 mg, Calcium: 172 mg
Author: Chef Jessica Anne
Calories: 832
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: crema mexicana, mexican cream, mexican sour cream
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
collage of crema fresca for pinterest
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

4.79 from 23 votes (17 ratings without comment)

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Questions and Reviews

  1. Thank you! I so badly needed a recipe to make my own crema… I madly love Mexican food, but I don’t always have time to travel to the other side of town where there all of the Latin markets are located to pick up some of the harder-to-find ingredients. I already learned to make my own tortillas, so between that and this recipe for crema, I’m basically set! 🙂

  2. I have never heard of this before but it sounds delicious!! Sadly, I can’t have too much dairy but I’ll make it for our next Latin themed party — sounds like a winner to me!!

  3. This is fantastic. I love Latin and Mexican recipes and find it refreshing to find this recipe for Quick Crema Mexicana! Will come in handy in several areas! Pinning!!

  4. I had no idea how to make crema! I often need it and, of course, don’t have it on hand. Love to learn something new every day – thanks!

  5. I’ve never tried Crema Mexicana but i looks incredible and can be used in so many ways! Like on top of my quesadillas!