Poblano Crema Sauce

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This Poblano Crema is a versatile, tangy sauce that is perfect for a fresh new taste in your kitchen. It’s made with poblanos, tomatillos, jalapeño, garlic, and of course, the sour cream that gives its smooth texture. Poblano crema goes great on enchiladas, sandwiches, rice bowls, pizza, and more! It’s tangy, warm, and a perfect, melt-in-your-mouth addition to most any meal.

Poblano Crema has always been my go-to enchilada sauce when eating out. But even in Texas, it’s not usually an option on the menu. After experimenting with a homemade red enchilada sauce this Summer and realizing how simple it is to make, I decided to take it up a notch and make my own poblano crema (cream) to have anytime I want at home.

The first try was a hit and my husband and I ate it in casseroles, on enchiladas, pizza, and pretty much anything else over the next several weeks. We couldn’t wait to share it with the people around us.

Why You’ll Want This Recipe

Versatile: This sauce can go on chicken, enchiladas, rice, tacos, sandwiches, and so much more. Once you try it, you will want it on everything.

Not too Spicy: In my personal opinion, this recipe is not spicy at all. Think more of a tangy, bright flavor. However, if you really want to, you can remove the jalapeño.

Easy to Make Ahead: Make this recipe in a large batch and freeze it in smaller portions for future meals. This is a great way to prepare easy meals for the future and produce a lot less dishes (always a win).

Ingredients

Poblano Peppers – These large, green Mexican peppers are the heart of this dish. Poblanos are very flavorful, but not spicy at all.

Tomatillos – Tomatillos add a zesty tang to poblano crema. They can be found near the peppers in most regular grocery stores.

Jalapeño

Sour Cream – The “crema” in this is sour cream. I wouldn’t substitute this, but if absolutely necessary, opt for plain, Greek yogurt. You want the sour to be in there and nothing else will replicate it.

Chicken Broth – Substitute for bone broth to get a deeper flavor and more nutritional value.

Garlic

Butter

Flour

Spices – Sea salt and ground cumin

Tools You May Need

Blender or Food Processor (bullet blenders work well too)

Cast Iron Skillet

Cutting Board and Sharp Knife

How to Make Poblano Crema Sauce

Step 1: Remove the husks from the tomatillos and wash off their sticky residue under cold running water. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Keep the poblanos and jalapeño whole.

Step 2: Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the tomatillos, poblanos, and jalapeño. Make sure that all the vegetables are laying flat on the bottom of the skillet. Dry roast for 5-7 minutes on one side without stirring or flipping. Flip the vegetables over and repeat on the other side. The goal is develop large charred portions on the peppers as seen in the photo below.

Step 3: Remove the peppers and tomatillos from the skillet and allow them to cool for a minute or two. Remove the cores from the poblanos and add everything into a blender along with the chopped garlic. We remove the seeds for the poblanos, but not the jalapeño. However, if you want the sauce to be less spicy, you can seed the jalapeño as well. If it makes it easier or if you’re using a bullet blender, chop everything into large pieces before blending. Blend until a thick sauce forms.

Step 4: In a large pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour, cumin, and salt and mix everything into a thick paste. Whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes to cook the flour taste out of the roux.

Step 5: Add the broth, blended peppers, and sour cream to the flour paste. Whisk everything together and increase the heat to medium-high. Once the sauce is at a low simmer, turn the heat to medium and cook the poblano crema for 4-5 minutes or until the sour cream is well-incorporated and the sauce is hot throughout. Serve the sauce hot in your dish of choice or cool and freeze for later meals.

Tips

• Some poblanos will need to be charred on more than two sides. It depends on their shape. Use your judgement and remember that the goal is to have large portions charred all over the peppers.
• Some people like to peel the charred skin off of poblanos or other vegetables after dry roasting them for other recipes. That is not necessary for this recipe unless you just really want the extra work. I find that keeping the skin on or off makes almost no difference for the taste in this creamy sauce.

What to Eat Poblano Crema With

• Enchiladas
• Tacos
• Rice bowls
• Chicken
• Steak
• Fish
• Potatoes
• Pasta
• Pizza

Storage

Always cool the sauce completely before storing.

• Fridge: Store poblano crema in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 5 days.
• Freezer: Store poblano crema in an airtight container in the freezer and use within 3 months. Sometimes the sauce can separate a bit after freezing. Always reheat over low heat and whisk well to reincorporate the sour cream if this happens. You can also add a little more cream to help if needed.

More Recipes From Awaiting Acreage

• Roasted Honey Dijon Chicken
• Hot Honey Roasted Carrots
• Cajun Chicken Alfredo
• Creamy Lentil Soup

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