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Mexican

Crema mexicana (cultured cream)

Vegetarian

Crema mexicana

Cream cultured with a little buttermilk until thick, softly tangy and pourable, then seasoned with salt and lime. Thinner and milder than sour cream, it is drizzled over tacos, enchiladas and antojitos.

Crema mexicana (cultured cream) is a Mexican condiment from Mexico, ready in about 24 hours 5 minutes and made with heavy cream and buttermilk. It serves 16 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
5 min
Cook
0 min
Rest
24 h
Total
24 h 5 min
Serves
16
Level
Beginner
Calories
103

12–24 hours culturing at room temperature, then at least 6 hours in the fridge.

Ingredients

16 servings (about 30 g)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pour the cream into a scrupulously clean glass jar and stir in the buttermilk (opens in a new tab).

  2. Step 2

    Cover loosely with a clean cloth or lid set ajar and leave at warm room temperature (21–26 °C) for 12–24 hours, until it has thickened to the consistency of pouring yoghurt and smells pleasantly tangy. Cooler rooms take longer.

    • 1 min

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the salt and lime juice (opens in a new tab), cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 6 hours; it thickens further as it chills. It should be pourable from a spoon, looser than sour cream.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
Mexico · Commonly attributedA cultured cream similar to crème fraîche, sold commercially across Mexico. The buttermilk method is the standard home method outside Mexico.Also popular in United States, Guatemala, El SalvadorMore food from Mexico
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes · Sauces
Cooking method
Fermented
Taste
creamy, tangy, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Heavy cream · Buttermilk · Lime juice
Techniques
Fermentation

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom heavy cream, buttermilk

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

103 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 32 g · recipe makes 16

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 3%
  • Carbohydrate 4%
  • Fat 93%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy103 kcal323 kcal
Protein0.9 g2.9 g
Carbohydrate1 g3 g
Net carbohydrate1 g3 g
Sugars1 g3.1 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre0 g0 g
Fat10.8 g34 g
Saturated fat6.9 g21.7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol34 mg107 mg
Sodium59 mg186 mg
Salt equivalent0.1 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
32 mg
Calcium
22 mg
Iron
0 mg
Magnesium
2 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
124 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0.5 µg
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
1 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Keep 2 tablespoons of each batch to start the next one instead of buttermilk.

Common mistakes

  • Using ultra-pasteurised (UHT) cream, which often refuses to thicken.
  • Culturing in a cold kitchen and giving up too soon; give it the full 24 hours.

Serve with

  • Enchiladas verdes or rojas and chilaquiles.
  • Tacos, tostadas, flautas and elote.
  • Stirred into soups such as sopa de tortilla.

Food safety

  • Use pasteurised cream and a clean jar. Discard if you see pink, orange or fuzzy mould, or if it smells cheesy or putrid rather than clean and tangy.
  • Do not culture above about 30 °C or for longer than 36 hours.

Storage

  • Refrigerate in the covered jar for up to 10 days.

Variations

  • Crema salvadoreña (El Salvador): Thicker and saltier, served with pupusas, plátanos fritos and beans.
  • Lime-chipotle crema: Stir in lime zest and a little chipotle adobo for fish tacos; a modern taquería variation.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

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Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

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