Chicken taco sauce recipe
This versatile 6 ingredient chicken taco sauce comes together in just a few minutes. The perfect addition to taco night, this sauce is also delicious on nachos or taco salads. Fresh and creamy, with tons of flavor from spices and fresh herbs, this zingy lime sauce balances beautifully with grilled meat.
I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.
You may also be interested in my pickled radishes and my pomegranate salsa recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my condiments recipes in one place.
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Why you should make this recipe
- Versatile – Use this sauce on more than just tacos! It’s great on any kind of taco, nachos, taco salads, even grilled chicken or steak.
- Quick & Easy – You’ll need 5 minutes to make this easy recipe.
- Make ahead – This sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Chicken taco sauce
This cumin lime crema is brightened up with a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice. This also helps to thin the sour cream, making this the perfect “sauce” consistency.
A handful of ingredients make up this quick and easy condiment – Mexican crema, or sour cream, cilantro, lime juice and cumin. I also add salt and pepper to my sauce, but those are always a given.
You can add diced jalapeño to give it some heat, or a sprinkle of chili powder makes it even easier.
Ingredients
All you need to make this quick and easy crema sauce for chicken tacos are a handful of ingredients, most of which are probably already in your kitchen.
- Sour cream, or crema Mexicana – I prefer crema for this recipe, but I can’t always find it. In that case, I use sour cream.
- Cilantro – Citrusy and earthy, this herb brings a ton of flavor to the sauce. Substitute with parsley or scallions if you prefer, or if you have the gene that makes this herb taste soapy.
- Ground cumin – Cumin gives this sauce warmth and an earthy flavor.
- Fresh lime juice – Lime juice gives the sauce a bit of citrusy zing and also helps to loosen the sauce to make it easier to drizzle over tacos.
- Salt & Pepper – Everything needs seasoning, including sauces.
How to make cilantro lime crema
To make this cumin lime sauce recipe, add everything to a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. That’s it!
It’s incredibly quick and easy, which makes it perfect for weeknights or nights when you need a sauce that comes together with little effort.
It’s our go-to chicken soft taco sauce, and it is totally adaptable to your tastes. You can add more or less of any of the ingredients to make it perfect for you. Make it thinner, thicker, spicy, garlicky, etc. This sauce has endless variations.
Chicken taco sauce FAQ’s
This creamy, zingy sauce pairs perfectly with the flavor of taco-spiced grilled chicken. Lime and cilantro are a natural match as well.
Yes. You can make this 2 or 3 days ahead of time.
You can store this sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Variations and substitutions
- For some people, cilantro does not have a pleasant taste. If that is you, substitute with flat leaf Italian parsley or finely chopped scallions.
- Don’t like cumin? Leave it out, or add another spice that you like. Chili powder works well and gives it a little kick.
- To make a vegan version of this sauce, swap out regular sour cream for a vegan sour cream, cashew cream or soy yogurt.
- To make this sauce spicy, add half a diced jalapeño or serrano pepper.
- Grate a clove of garlic into this sauce for even more flavor. If the taste of raw garlic is too sharp for you, grate the garlic into the lime juice and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding to the sauce.
- To give this sauce even more citrusy zing, add the zest from the lime as well as the juice.
- Consider adding a 1/4 tsp. each onion powder and garlic powder for even more flavor.
Serving suggestions
Use this on my chicken tacos, my pumpkin tacos or your favorite taco recipe. Another tasty option is to thin it and use it as a dressing on this chicken taco salad.
It can also be served as a dip! The uses for this sauce are nearly endless.
There are only a few tools in my kitchen that I categorize as absolute essentials and this is one of them.
You can use this for grating or zesting everything from citrus to garlic to chocolate.
Helpful tools and equipment
This creamy lime sauce for chicken tacos doesn’t require any special equipment, but these tools will make your job easier.
- Microplane zester – This tool is one of the most used in my kitchen. You can use it to add lime zest to the sauce or grate in fresh garlic.
- 8 inch chef’s knife – I have owned this exact knife for 20 years. If you do a lot of cooking, invest in a good knife – it will last you a lifetime.
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Chicken taco sauce recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream or crema Mexicana // 8 oz. // 246g
- 2 – 3 tbsp. chopped cilantro or to taste
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice about 1 lime, or to taste. (I used regular Persian limes, but key limes would also be delicious)
- 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash and dry cilantro, then finely chop and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, add sour cream, chopped cilantro, ground cumin, fresh lime juice, salt and pepper.
- Use a small whisk to mix, stirring until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
- Adjust seasonings or lime juice to your preferences, if needed.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Variations / Substitutions
- Substitute cilantro with flat leaf Italian parsley or finely chopped scallions.
- Don't like cumin? Leave it out, or substitute with another spice that you like. Chili powder works well and gives it a little kick.
- To make a vegan version of this sauce, swap out regular sour cream for a vegan sour cream, cashew cream or soy yogurt.
- To make this sauce spicy, add half a diced jalapeño or serrano pepper.
- Grate a clove of garlic into this sauce for even more flavor. If the taste of raw garlic is too sharp for you, grate the garlic into the lime juice and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding to the sauce.
- To give this sauce a bit of extra zing, add the zest from the limes as well as the juice.
- Consider adding a 1/4 tsp. each onion powder and garlic powder for even more flavor.
- You can substitute lime for lemon, if needed.
- Use this sauce on everything from tacos to nachos, as a dip or on your favorite taco salad.
Nutrition
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