Description
This Charred Jalapeño Avocado Crema is a creamy, tangy sauce with a smoky punch from broiled jalapeños and garlic, perfect for adding a flavorful kick to tacos, grilled meats, or as a dip.
Ingredients
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1-2 jalapeños (depending on preferred spiciness; one jalapeño is mild)
- 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1 ripe Reed avocado or 2 large Haas avocados, halved, pitted, and scooped out
- 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
Dairy
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Other
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Char the chiles and garlic: Preheat your oven broiler to high and adjust the rack to the top position. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves and whole jalapeños on an oven-safe skillet or small baking sheet. Broil, turning every couple of minutes, until the garlic skin is deep golden brown and the jalapeños are fully charred and blackened on all sides. Remove the garlic as soon as it is browned to avoid burning. Allow all to cool until safe to handle.
- Prepare ingredients for blending: Remove stems from the jalapeños and peel off all the blackened skin carefully. Peel the charred garlic cloves. Add these to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade or a high-powered blender.
- Add remaining ingredients: To the processor or blender, add the scooped avocado flesh, sour cream, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and kosher salt.
- Blend the crema: Puree on high speed until the mixture transforms into a smooth and creamy sauce with even texture.
- Taste and adjust: Sample the sauce and add additional salt or lime juice as desired to enhance bright, tangy flavor. To store, cover the surface of the crema with plastic wrap pressed directly onto it and then cover with a lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Use one jalapeño for mild heat or two for a spicier sauce.
- Char the vegetables carefully to get maximum smoky flavor without burning.
- Refrigerate covered to maintain freshness and avoid discoloration.
- Perfect accompaniment for tacos, grilled meats, roasted vegetables, or as a dip.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Sauce / Condiment
- Method: Broiling and Blending
- Cuisine: Mexican
