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This Smoky Red Pepper Crema is a flavorful and versatile condiment you can make in just a few minutes. You can mix it in with some pasta, spread it on sandwiches, add it to tacos, or top your mashed potatoes with it. You will love the rich, smoky flavors in this crema recipe.
What is Smoky Red Pepper Crema?
Smoky red pepper crema is a Mexican sauce made with tomatoes, onions, and olive oil. The ingredients are blended together and then heated to reduce the liquid content. It’s often served on tacos but can be used as a dip or condiment for any number of dishes. This is a canned product that can be found in the Mexican aisle at most grocery stores. It’s spicy, so if you’re not into spicy foods, use less than what’s called for in this recipe.
This recipe is a bit different from traditional Mexican red sauce. The tomatoes are cooked down to remove a lot of their water content so that your crema will have more body and be less watery.
What is in Smoky Red Pepper Crema?
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- 1 cup roasted red peppers (from a jar), drained and chopped
How to make Smoky Red Pepper Crema
- Place a medium-sized pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chopped red pepper and cook until it softens about 5 minutes.
- Drain off any excess liquid and transfer to a food processor with the remaining ingredients except for the sour cream. Pulse until combined but not completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If it is too thick, add more milk or broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Transfer to a serving dish and top with a dollop of sour cream before serving!
Tips
Making your own smoky red pepper crema is a great way to make your next meal even more delicious, but it can be hard to get the right flavor. Here are some tips for making smoky red pepper crema that’s sure to impress:
- Start with quality ingredients: Don’t skimp on your ingredients! It’s tempting to use cheap, low-quality peppers, but you’ll get a much better result if you use good ones. And don’t just go with any old bell pepper—you need something that’s actually spicy, like a serrano or jalapeno.
- Don’t be afraid of heat: If you want your smoky red pepper crema to be spicy, don’t be afraid to turn up the heat on those peppers! You can always add an extra dash of water at the end if it gets too hot for you (or leave out some of the peppers if they’re too hot for anyone else).
- Add water slowly: It can be tempting to dump all of your ingredients into a blender at once and hope for the best—but that won’t give you consistent results! Instead, add them one by one and mix them well before pouring in another ingredient. This will help create a smooth consistency and prevent any.
What to serve with?
Smoky red pepper crema is a versatile sauce that can be used in a variety of ways.
- It can be used to top tacos, nachos, and other Mexican dishes.
- It can also be used as a dip for chips or crackers.
Storage
Here’s how to store Smoky Red Pepper Crema, so it stays fresh and flavorful for months.
- Keep the Smoky Red Pepper Crema in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Don’t let any water get into the crema during storage; this will cause it to spoil faster.
- If you’re not going to use all your Smoky Red Pepper Crema within two weeks, freeze half of it so you’ll have some on hand later when you need some!
Health Benefits
The health benefits of smoky red pepper crema include:
- Boosting your immune system
- Improving digestion
- Reducing inflammation in the body
Nutrition Facts
*Serving Size: 1 tbsp (15g)
*Servings per container: 4
- Calories: 45
- Total Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Trans Fat: 0.0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 70mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 2g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 1g
- Protein: 2g
FAQ
Where can I buy smoky red pepper crema?
You can purchase smoky red pepper crema at some grocery stores, but it’s a bit of a rarity. The best place to look is at specialty food shops and markets, where you can also find other types of crema.
Conclusion
This smoky red pepper crema recipe is the first of many cream-based sauces we will be sharing on our blog here at The Recipe Diaries. We hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- 1 cup roasted red peppers (from a jar), drained and chopped
Instructions
- Place a medium-sized pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chopped red pepper and cook until it softens about 5 minutes.
- Drain off any excess liquid and transfer to a food processor with the remaining ingredients except for the sour cream. Pulse until combined but not completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If it is too thick, add more milk or broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Transfer to a serving dish and top with a dollop of sour cream before serving!
