With just six ingredients, this Cilantro Cream Sauce recipe is a snap to make and is super tasty on top of chiles rellenos, grilled salmon, or even pasta. For true cilantro lovers! Check out the video.
A few weeks ago a reader requested a recipe for Chicken Chiles Rellenos with Cilantro Cream Sauce which ironically I already had the chiles rellenos on my to-do list but I wasn’t planning on pairing them with cilantro sauce.
After she suggested it though, I could think of nothing else. What a genius idea! A simple, smooth and creamy sauce made with cilantro, garlic, Mexican crema, and heavy cream would be wonderful with the stuffed chiles but also an excellent use for the tons of fresh cilantro so many of us have in our gardens right now. What would I do without you guys?!
This isn’t a cilantro lime crema, which is more like a salad dressing or dip that is simply a mixture of mayonnaise and lime juice. No, this is a warm cream sauce that is rich and silky and full of the flavor of cilantro.
Once you see how easy this is to make you will have this recipe on repeat as a dipping sauce for grilled meats, tossing with pasta, and of course a dip for French fries—yum!
More To Explore
What Is Cilantro Cream Sauce Made Of?
If you want to add a kick of heat to the sauce chop up a jalapeno or a couple serranos and add them with the garlic. Here’s what else you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Garlic or minced green onions for a milder flavor
- Heavy cream
- Mexican Crema Agria or sour cream (keep reading for more details)
- Kosher Salt
- Cilantro
How To Make It!
Don’t you love a recipe with a prep time of 5 minutes? Me too! That’s why I like the ease of chopping all the ingredients by hand but if you want a super smooth sauce you can blend until smooth in the food processor or blender. Be careful blending hot ingredients.
step one
Mince the ingredients. Chop the garlic and cilantro into very small pieces so they make a nice smooth sauce without having to use a blender.
step two
Saute garlic. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic (and serrano peppers if using) and salt and cook 1 minute.
step three
Add cream. Add heavy cream and Mexican crema and bring just to a simmer. Stir until oil is incorporated into the cream. Don’t let the sauce boil or it will separate.
step four
Stir in cilantro. Remove from the heat and stir in the 1/2 cup minced cilantro. Taste and adjust the flavors with more salt and pepper if needed. Use immediately or cover to keep warm and use within 30 minutes.
*MAKE AHEAD: This sauce is best eaten right away but if you want to make it a day or two in advance keep covered in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to eat. To rewarm, heat in the microwave or over low heat on the stove stirring frequently to keep the sauce from separating.
What Is Mexican Crema?
The key ingredient in this delicious sauce is Mexican Crema Agria. Mexican Crema is a thick, rich pourable cream found in the dairy section of most grocery stores with the other Latin cheeses.
Crema Agria has a sour tang to it, similar to American sour cream but not as thick. This is the crema I used in this recipe. If you can’t find it, substitute sour cream or even plain greek yogurt. I like the punchiness of sour the crema agria brings if you want even more you could also add the lime zest from 1 lime to make this more of a cilantro lime sauce.
What To Serve Cilantro Cream Sauce With:
- Grilled Fish Tacos
- Spaghetti or linguine
- Black Bean and Cheese Vegetarian Tamales
- Whole roasted cauliflower
- Chiles rellenos
- Dill and Mustard Seed Salmon (from our sister site, Kate’s Best Recipes)
More Sauce Recipes You’ll Love!
- Easy Chamoy Sauce Recipe
- The Best Taco Salad Dressing
- Chile Morita Salsa
- Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
- My Favorite Blue Cheese Dressing
- Super Easy Enchilada Sauce
- Salsa de Cacahuate {Peanut and Chile Salsa}
Creamy Cilantro Sauce You’ll Want To Put On Everything
Whip this green sauce up this summer and let me know what you think! Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Cilantro Cream Sauce
With just six ingredients, this Cilantro Cream Sauce recipe is a snap to make and is super tasty on top of chiles rellenos, grilled salmon, or even pasta. For true cilantro lovers! Check out the video.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (it's the same thing)
- 1 cup Mexican crema agria
- 1/2 cup minced cilantro (about 1/2 of a big bunch)
Instructions
- Saute garlic. Heat oil in oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and salt and cook for 1 minute. Don't let garlic brown.
- Add cream. Add cream and crema. Bring just to a simmer, stirring to incorporate the oil into the cream. Add cilantro and remove from heat. Don't let the sauce boil or it will separate.
- Serve. Serve right away or cover and keep warm for 30 minutes. Sauce will get thick as it cools, warm gently over low heat, stirring frequently to keep from separating.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 262Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 324mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g
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