Smoky Red Pepper Crema Recipe: Easy & Delicious
Your pasta, tacos, meat, spaghetti, or any other food item won’t taste the same anymore once you have it with crema. Smoky red pepper crema is a Mexican condiment that is basically an add-on for the food.
You can find canned crema in the Mexican aisle of any grocery store. It has a smoky, sweet, and spicy taste, making it a great addition to any food. The most interesting thing is that it’s actually a very easy condiment to make and store.
So, without further ado, let’s get cooking our smoky red pepper crema recipe!
How to Prepare Smoky Red Pepper Crema
Smoky red pepper crema is a smooth and delicious add-on that makes your main dish the star of the whole lunch or dinner. Its specialty is that you can make it with a handful of ingredients in a short time.
So, let’s get to the recipe!
Ingredients
All you need are the following crema ingredients:
- ½ cup, Sour Cream
- 1 tsp, Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp, Olive Oil
- 1 tsp, Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp, Fresh Lemon Juice
- ½ tsp, Salt
- 1 cup, Roasted Red Bell Peppers (if from a jar) or 1 Whole Red Bell Pepper
Instructions to Make Crema
Step 1: Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 370 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: Line an oven-safe dish with a baking sheet and place the red bell pepper on it.
Step 3: Now, drizzle olive oil over the red peppers and make sure they are coated well.
Step 4: Pop the bell pepper into the preheated oven and roast for about 40 minutes. Turn it every time at intervals of 15 to 20 minutes for thorough roasting. Your time can vary depending on your oven. But keep in mind not to under- or over-roast the red pepper. It will either get mushy or burnt, depending on the timing.
Step 5:Then, take it out and let it rest for a couple of minutes.
Step 6: Slice the pepper into thin pieces. Make sure to remove the stem and the seeds.
Step 7: Now, add your sliced red peppers along with sour cream, garlic powder, lemon juice, smoked paprika, and salt into a food processor.
Step 8: Blend everything together until smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides to get an even blending.
Step 9: Then serve it in a bowl when it’s time!
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Substitutions
Here are some smoky red pepper crema recipe ingredients you can substitute:
- Use jalapenos or green bell peppers instead of red bell peppers. They have a higher spice level to them if you really want to feel the heat. However, green bell peppers’ spice is the same as red but tastes more grassy.
- Use coconut milk instead of sour cream. It gives the same result with a different but delicious taste. However, the consistency may be slightly runnier.
- Use apple cider vinegar instead of lemon. If you don’t have lemons at home (very unlikely, though), apple cider vinegar works the same way. But we suggest using lemons; they give the crema a tangy taste and boost the flavor.
Other Delicious Crema Recipes
If you are amazed by the previous crema recipe, you should definitely try these out too. Each has a different flavor but gives delicious outcomes!
Spicy Crema
Ingredients:
- Sour Cream, 1 cup
- Lime Juice and Zest, ½ tsp
- Salt, ½ tsp
- Garlic Powder, ¼ tsp
- Chili Powder, ¾ tsp
How to make:
Add the sour cream, salt, other spices, lemon zest, and juice to a medium-sized bowl. Use a fork to mix everything together. If the crema looks too thick, add a bit of milk, it will make it less thick. Now, you can store this yummy and spiced crema in an airtight jar in the fridge for seven days.
Green Chili Crema
Ingredients:
- Heavy Cream, 1 cup
- Roasted Green Anaheim chilies, 13 oz.
- Chopped Tomatillo, ½
- Minced Garlic, 1 tbsp
- Green Onions, 2
- Salt to taste
How to make:
Slice and dice your tomatillo and chilies. Make sure you peel the skin of the tomatillo and chop it into squares. Also, remove the stem and seeds of the chilies. Now take a skillet and add your chilies to it; roast them on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes until they look roasted.
Now, add heavy cream, tomatillos, salt, and minced garlic to the skillet. Bring everything to a simmer and let it cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat. Then, take it off the stove and let it rest for 10 minutes.
After that, take your mixture, and add it to the blender or food processor along with the green onions. Mix everything well in the blender and scrape down any remainings from the side. Blend it until smooth, and then pour it into a bowl to serve.
Chipotle Crema
Ingredients:
- Minced Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce, 1 Or Chipotle Hot Sauce, 3 tbsp
- Sour Cream, 1 cup
- Lime Juice and Zest, ½ tsp
- Smoked Paprika, ½ tsp
- Kosher Salt, ½ tsp
How to make:
Take a mixing bowl and add all your ingredients. Use a fork to mix everything. You can also use a hand whisk to whisk all the ingredients; it does make quite an excellent textural change. Now, you can serve it immediately or store it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container or jar.
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An Incremadable Ending
We love cooking up smoky red pepper crema before any house party or family dinner. It gives our guests the option to make their dishes more flavorful and spicy. We also like the fact that crema recipes are so versatile. They go great with any food item! Truly “incremadable!”
You should definitely try these recipes out for your next house party or family gathering. We promise you that everyone will love it! Don’t forget to let us know how it went. If you have any requests on what we should try next, leave us a comment. We hope you enjoyed this article; there’s plenty more where these came from! Have a great day!
