4-Ingredient Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce (2024)

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by Mike Hultquist · Oct 24, 2018 · 44 Comments · Jump to Recipe

4-Ingredient Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce is loaded with flavor and couldn't be easier to make! The roasted poblano flavor is the main focus here and it's beautifully complimented by garlic, Mexican crema and just a touch of salt.

Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce

This poblano cream sauce recipe is perfect for tacos, quesadillas, or just using as a dip with some crunchy tortilla chips! Poblano peppers are one of my favorites to cook with, and this roasted recipe really brings out all of the natural flavors I love so much.

The best part? You only need 4 simple ingredients in order to make this stuff! Poblano peppers, garlic, Mexican crema (or sour cream) and a little bit of salt come together to make this incredible poblano sauce. Just look at it. SO GOOD, right? I want to dive right in there!

4-Ingredient Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce (2)

Ingredients in Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce

You only need these 4 inexpensive ingredients to make this hassle-free recipe. Shortest shopping list ever!

Poblano peppers
Garlic cloves
Mexican crema (or sour cream)
Salt

4-Ingredient Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce (3)

How to Make Poblano Cream Sauce

Roast, steam, blend, enjoy! From start to finish, this easy sauce recipe will only take about 20 minutes.

Roast the peppers. First, roast your awesome poblano peppers over your stove top flame until, rotating often, until the skins char and blister up, about 10 minutes.

Steam them. Cool and set the peppers into a plastic bag to steam. This will help loosen the skins. Most times I can just peel the skin right off without steaming.

4-Ingredient Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce (4)

Blend it up! Next, tossthe roasted peppers into a food processor with some garlic cloves, Mexican crema or sour cream, and a bit of salt.Process the mix until nice and smooth.

BOOM! DONE! Easy, right?

4-Ingredient Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce (5)

Recipe Tips & Notes

Spice it up. Try it with other peppers, either in addition to, or replacing the poblano peppers. It would be super interesting with ghost peppers! Hot! Spicy!
Add more ingredients. Consider adding cilantro for an herbal flair. Try roasting the garlic along with the poblanos. Add chili powders and/or spicy chili flakes for flavor and heat variations. Add in some fresh ripe avocado for a variation on guacamole.
You can bake the peppers. You can bake them in the oven until the skins blacken and blister, about 15 minutes. See the information below on how to roast poblano peppers.
Learn more about poblanos. They're seriously one of my favorite peppers ever! Learn all about why I love them HERE.

How to Serve Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce

This roasted poblano cream sauce goes great alongside tacos or burritos, of course, but consider it for spooning over grilled meats, like chicken or pork.

Drizzle it over pulled pork sandwiches or over a nice steak.

Consider it as a replacement for guacamole! Use it anywhere you'd use your favorite guacamole recipe. It's seriously so good.

Storage

Poblano cream sauce will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 1 week. Just be sure to keep it stored in an airtight container. Also, be sure to use a clean utensil every time you remove some from the container! Any new bacteria that's introduced to the sauce will cause it to spoil.

I do not recommend freezing this poblano cream sauce.

4-Ingredient Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce (6)

Try Some of My Favorite Stuffed Poblano Pepper Recipes

Picadillo (Beef) Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Cream Cheese Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Classic Chiles Rellenos
Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H

4-Ingredient Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce - Recipe

A recipe for the easiest roasted poblano cream sauce, using only 4 ingredients, with big roasted poblano flavor. Perfect for tacos or any Mexican dish, and even as a dip.

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Course: Main Course, Salsa

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: bbq sauce, poblano

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Calories: 26kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: 8

Tap or hover to scale

4.94 from 15 votes

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Ingredients

1 pound poblano peppers
4 cloves garlic
¼ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides. Remove the stems. Set them onto a baking sheet and bake them at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes, or until the skins char and bubble. You can also broil them about 12-15 minutes to the same effect.
Remove from heat and place them into a paper bag or plastic baggie. The heat will steam them and loosen the skins.
Peel away the skins and place the roasted peppers into a food processor with the remaining ingredients.
Process until nice and smooth.
Adjust for salt and serve as desired.

Notes

Makes about 1 cup.

Heat Factor: Mild. Poblanos don't have much heat, though you can easily up the heat factor by including hotter peppers, spicy chili flakes or powder, or a bit of your favorite hot sauce.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 26kcalCarbohydrates: 3gFat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 323mgPotassium: 105mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 245IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 0.2mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Patty says
November 16, 2023 at 11:25 am
Hi, can I mix the roasted poblano cream sauce with spaghetti? Kind of like a green spaghetti recipe?
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  November 16, 2023 at 12:38 pm
  You sure can, Patty! It's great! I also have a Green Spaghetti Recipe (Spaghetti Verde) here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/spaghetti-verde/
  Reply
Mike Klima says
May 15, 2023 at 7:15 pm

hey Mike LOVE your site and recipes! However, on this recipe you say to roast poblanos at 350, and other recipes 400. Definitely higher heat if you need them to char and peel better. I think it was just an oversight. I say this as I am referring people to your site...my sister was having trouble getting the poblanos to char. I suggested broiling is faster and easier.
Keep up the awesome work! i've made so many things so far that are exceptional.
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  May 15, 2023 at 9:29 pm
  Thanks, Mike! I appreciate it! You can roast the peppers at 350 F, it will just take longer. 400 F is good. I usually DO roast them, or really just do them on the stove top over an open flame, which is my preference. But I hear you, man! Thanks for sharing!
  Reply
Elaina says
January 18, 2023 at 3:56 pm

has anyone tried freezing this?
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  January 18, 2023 at 4:07 pm
  Elaina, this will not freeze well due to the sour cream/crema content. It's best used within the week.
  Reply
Judy says
December 01, 2022 at 8:30 pm
How best to store? Will it turn black or should we add some lemon juice or something to prevent that from happening?
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  December 02, 2022 at 6:44 am
  Judy, this is best consumed right away, but you can add a bit of citrus juice to brighten it up if you want to store it a day or 2. Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
  Reply
Jess says
October 18, 2022 at 12:25 pm

Made as per recipe except roasted
5 large garlic cloves. Excellent sauce, it is now in the lineup. Good with enchiladas, tacos, or just a tortilla chip. Im sure other things as well.
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  October 18, 2022 at 2:01 pm
  Glad you enjoyed it, Jess!
  Reply
Stephanie Ruhland says
August 06, 2022 at 11:30 am

Very simple and delicious. I used plain Greek yogurt instead. Everyone loved it!
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  August 06, 2022 at 1:37 pm
  Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie!
  Reply
Leslie says
July 20, 2022 at 5:29 pm

What a great sauce! And so simple! I will be making this again and again! Thank you
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  July 20, 2022 at 9:27 pm
  Excellent! Thanks, Leslie!
  Reply
  See Also
  Italian Potato Salad
Mari says
July 03, 2022 at 3:33 pm
Can you use this as an enchilada sauce?
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  July 11, 2022 at 8:40 am
  Certainly, Mari! Enjoy!
  Reply
  - Jeff says
    October 12, 2022 at 8:12 am
    Would this be good to freeze
    Reply
    - Mike H. says
      October 12, 2022 at 3:10 pm
      You can freeze it, Jeff, but not sure how the consistency will be after it thaws, as it has crema/sour cream.
      Reply
Dorothy says
September 29, 2021 at 6:11 pm

Wow, so simple and so delicious! Mine ended up a bit spicy..I think our farmers market poblanos were spicy and I did ad one lonely roasted, seeded habanero. I doubled the cream to cool it off and was still delicious and spicy!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  October 01, 2021 at 7:22 am
  Excellent!
  Reply
Denise White says
September 26, 2021 at 6:03 am
Can this recipe be frozen or canned?
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  September 26, 2021 at 8:13 am
  Denise, I wouldn't can this. You can freeze it, but not sure how the consistency will be after it thaws, as it has crema/sour cream.
  Reply
Jim Bruns says
September 12, 2021 at 10:58 am
I've been making problemo cream for years now. Slightly different, but both are good. Try it in place of hollandaise on on your eggs Benedict.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  September 13, 2021 at 5:57 am
  Sounds wonderful.
  Reply
Laurie says
August 21, 2021 at 6:37 pm

I made this last summer and loved it and kind of forgot about it until it was time to pick a bunch of poblanos! It is so delicious! Thank you!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  August 22, 2021 at 7:40 am
  Thanks, Laurie! Definitely a good one!
  Reply
Lonnie Hartstack says
August 16, 2021 at 3:25 pm

First year for poblanos and I love this sauce. How do I know how many peppers are one pound? I just guessed last time I made it but would like your actual. Do I need to wear gloves while cleaning? I did last time but don't notice they're like a hot pepper. Please send the answer to my email if possible.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  August 20, 2021 at 6:30 am
  Lonnie, you'll usually get 2 per pound, though this can vary by pepper size. I don't use gloves, but some people need them. They're not very hot at all, but do have a TINY bit of heat for some.
  Reply
Sarahp says
March 26, 2021 at 6:58 pm

Yum! Charred my poblano and used whole milk yogurt, garlic, salt, a little lemon and ground caraway. Serving with broiled sirloin.
Check out Harous (chipotle and ancho) recipe by Abderrazak Haouari on Food&Wine.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  March 29, 2021 at 8:22 am
  Thanks so much Sarah! I love it!
  Reply
Lauren says
September 08, 2020 at 6:27 pm

I had over 20 poblano peppers wasting away on the bush in the garden. I was looking for a way to use them and/or preserve them properly. This recipe is delicious! And it was so easy. I roasted them using the broiler method. I put the sauce on a green chili tonight, and it's a game changer. It's also a great on chips. And I did put some in the freezer for later.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  September 09, 2020 at 6:11 am
  Great! Glad you enjoyed it, Lauren!
  Reply
Mike M says
August 13, 2020 at 8:16 pm

I love this recipe for all sorts of things. A great alternative to poblanos if you're in the SW USA, are fire roasted hatch chiles. Substitute a couple for a poblano since they're smaller, or substitute all for that hatch flavor and fiery heat.
But this is a tangy, rich sauce. Keep it on hand for all sorts of things.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  August 14, 2020 at 6:26 am
  Thanks, Mike! Glad you enjoyed it! And YES, Hatch peppers are outstanding for this! I love them.
  Reply
Cheryl says
July 24, 2020 at 6:25 pm

I just made this recipe from poblano peppers that I had in the freezer. It is delicious! Thank you!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  July 25, 2020 at 9:28 am
  Excellent! Thanks, Cheryl! Glad you enjoyed it. I love this sauce.
  Reply
Bonnie Thomas says
June 19, 2020 at 4:06 pm
I just received a lot of peppers from a fresh veggie delivery service. Even after giving away half, it's more than i can use. I am making this recipe. My question is can I freeze some of it? I also want to know is it eaten hot or cold? I was thinking cold would be good on tortilla chips.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  June 20, 2020 at 11:24 am
  Bonnie, you CAN freeze it, but cream sauces don't do so well frozen, so I would probably just freeze the roasted peppers. When ready to make sauce, just thaw them and process them with the other ingredients. It will be much fresher that way. Let me know how it goes.
  Reply
Kate says
May 27, 2020 at 12:41 pm

Hello! I just found this website, and am pretty excited to try some new things! I recently discovered ancho chili powder from a spice company that I use exclusively, and was surprised to learn ancho/poblano are the same thing, yes? I'm not too brave with spicy, but that chili powder has a perfect amount of a "kick" towards the end...yup, I'm addicted!
I have a poblano in the oven now (ancient electric stove, bah), to roast and make your creme sauce,,it sounds delicious! I searched the site, but couldn't find anything about dehydrating poblanos. I don't live in the middle of nowhere, but I can see it from here, heh...so I try to grocery shop only once or twice a month. I've noticed with this pepper, left it on the counter and it started looking a bit pitiful after about a week...would you recommend dehydrating these peppers? (I have a dehydrator, or willing to use the oven, either way). Or...do they freeze well? (I prefer dehydrating, freezer is about the size of a postage stamp!) Thanks for your patience reading this mini-novel, and your help! I look forward to learning and cooking more with peppers!
Kate
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  May 27, 2020 at 2:11 pm
  Thanks, Kate. Yes, "ancho pepper" is the name for dried poblano peppers. Because they are dried, they are use differently in cooking. I have information on Dehydrating Peppers here that you can review: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/dehydrating-peppers/. You CAN dehydrate some slightly sagging peppers, though fresh is always best. If you see any rot on the peppers, I would not use them, though use your best judgement. They also do freeze very nicely. I hope this helps! Happy to answer any other questions.
  Reply
Melissa says
September 30, 2019 at 6:12 pm

Your site is amazing! Another great recipe! Thank you!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  September 30, 2019 at 10:24 pm
  Thanks, Melissa! I appreciate it!
  Reply
Nadia says
March 23, 2019 at 3:26 pm

Wow, this was crazy easy to make. Very creamy. The roasted poblano flavor really stands out. Keeper!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  March 23, 2019 at 3:32 pm
  Thanks, Nadia!
  Reply