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Avocado Cilantro Crema is a simple cilantro dressing recipe that can be used in so many ways. It’s creamy and bursting with flavor – the perfect topping for tacos, enchiladas, nachos, vegetables, or use it to make salads!

Avocado cilantro crema in a small mason jar

What is Avocado Crema?

We’re going fresh and easy today with this avocado crema recipe! This simple sauce is loaded with fresh flavors from lime juice and cilantro with the best creamy texture from avocados. It’s super simple to make with a food processor.

It’s the best sauce to serve with all of your favorite dishes: use it as a sauce for grilled meat, burgers, vegetables, or you can serve it as a dip. It also makes a great salad dressing. It’s so versatile!

Overhead shot of all ingredients needed to make Avocado Cilantro Crema

Ingredients in avocado crema

Garlic cloves – fresh garlic is best!
Sour cream – Use any fat content you like best
Avocado – avocados are ripe when they’re slightly soft and the stem pulls off without any coaxing.
Fresh cilantro – Be sure to get fresh! These herbs are often confused with Italian Parsley at the store – so smell it. Cilantro has a wonderful smell that’s easily identifiable.
Lime juice – Fresh is best!

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

Three photos showing the process of making avocado cilantro crema

How to Make Cilantro Crema

Place the garlic and salt in a food processor and blend until they are finely chopped.
Add the rest of the ingredients and process until the mixture is smooth.
Give the avocado crema a taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Refrigerate it in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve it.

How to Use Crema

There are so many ways to use this avocado cilantro crema – basically, any way you’d use salsa is a good way to use it!

Dip: Grab the tortilla chips and serve it as an appetizer or snack.
Salad dressing: You can thin it with a little more lime juice and use it on all of your favorite salads. We love to use it to make taco salad!
Sauce: The flavors and texture make this an excellent sauce for chicken, fish, pork, and even steak. Drizzle it over the top to add a pop of flavor.
Taco, enchilada, and nachos topping: Instead of salsa, try drizzling this avocado lime crema over your favorite tacos, enchiladas, and nachos!
Burgers: It makes a fantastic topping for burgers, too.
Vegetables: If you make roasted or grilled vegetables, try tossing them in this avocado crema sauce before serving them. So much deliciousness!

Overhead shot of avocado cilantro crema in a small mason jar with spoon coming out of jar

Tip From Dorothy

Expert Tips

You can swap the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt if that’s what you have on hand.
Not sure if your avocado is ripe? Gently press it – it should have a little give. If it doesn’t, it’s not ready to use yet.
The easiest way to peel an avocado is to slice it in half lengthwise. Remove the pit and then use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the peel.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can still make avocado crema, but it will take a little more work. Use a sharp knife to chop the garlic finely. You can use the knife to press and smash the chopped garlic until it forms a paste. Then, mash it with the avocado and other ingredients until smooth.
Not a fan of cilantro? You can use the same amount of fresh parsley instead.
I don’t recommend freezing avocado crema sauce – it won’t keep well.