How to Make 4 Ingredient Greek Yogurt Lime Crema

This easy Greek yogurt lime crema is so flavorful! Use it to add a tangy, creamy addition to your tacos, taco bowls, or salad. All you need are 4 ingredients and 5 minutes and you’ve got the perfect sauce to take your recipes to the next level.  

What do pickled cabbage, lime crema, and mango puree have in common? They are all flavor hacks that can take an average dish to a whole new level. As a Registered Dietitian and self proclaimed foodie, I am a firm believer that flavor hacks are powerful tools that everyone should have in their kitchen toolbox ( I even have a whole section on flavor hack in my upcoming cookbook – The Feel Good Meal Plan)!

Take this lime crema. It’s 4 simple ingredients – Greek yogurt, lime, garlic, and salt (plus a little warm water) and takes just 5 minutes to whip up. You can double the recipe to batch prep a jar of it to use throughout the week. Add it to bowls, as a dressing, or over tacos like these cajun white bean and sweet potato tacos. It took these from meh (kinda dry, missing a little tang) to crave-worthy!

Pretty amazing, right? So, the next time you’re feeling like your meal is a little blah – try adding a flavor hack and see how it changes things up!

What You Need For This Sauce

Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is the rich and creamy base for this crema recipe. I recommend using Greek yogurt with some milk fat in it (I like to use 2-5% for most recipes). The nourishing fat adds that satiety factor to this sauce which helps us feel satisfied after eating (more on the here). 

Lime juice: I used fresh lime juice (squeezed with this juicer) for this recipe but you can use store-bought as well. The lime juice adds a bright and zesty flavor to the crema while balancing out the richness of the yogurt. You can play around with other citrus’ and try an orange crema or lemon crema if you’re feeling adventurous!

Warm water: The warm water is what determines the consistency of the lime crema. I like a smooth sauce that can drizzle easily over dishes. You can customize the crema to your preferred consistency by slowly adding warm water to thin it out and testing as you go!

Garlic: The minced garlic is the perfect aromatic spice for this recipe. It adds a bold flavor without being too overpowering. You can use garlic powder if you don’t have any fresh garlic on hand. I usually start with about ½ teaspoon per medium clove of garlic and adjust to taste. 

Prep tip: Use a microplane to mince your garlic in no time!

Salt: If you’ve read the cookbook Salt, Acid, Fat, Heat or watched the show on Netflix (if not I highly recommend), you’ll know that salt helps balance the acidity of a recipe. In this lime crema, the salt helps enhance and balance the overall flavors in the recipe, bringing out the natural flavors of the other ingredients. 

How To Make Lime Crema with Greek Yogurt & What To Use It In

Nutritional Benefits (Nutrition by Addition)

There was a time in my life when I would order a salad without dressing or a burger without condiments (or the bun- ugh!). I truly believed what diet culture was telling me – that these were wasted calories and I didn’t need them on my plate. 

As I started my own intuitive eating journey, I realized that cutting these items out of my life was taking away from the flavor, texture, nutrition, and JOY of a dish. 

These days, I like to practice nutrition by addition – the concept of looking at what ingredients you can add to your plate vs. what you need to “cut out”. Flavor hacks are a great way to add a little boost of nutrition while also enhancing the overall experience of eating. 

I love how this Greek yogurt lime crema adds to the texture and flavor of a dish (creamy, tangy, and limey) while also adding a little extra protein and some nourishing fats onto your plate. 

Now, fats have been getting a bad reputation in the nutrition world for years. I’m here to tell you why adding these onto your plate can be so beneficial. 

Nourishing fats add that satiety factor to a dish – contributing to the overall mouthfeel and satisfaction you have after eating. Nourishing fats, carbs, proteins, and fiber are all broken down at different rates by our body. Eating all of them together helps keep our blood sugars level and keeps us feeling full longer after eating. 

They can also help us absorb other micronutrients. Certain vitamins and nutrients, such as fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), require fat for proper absorption. That’s right, eating a salad with salad dressing can actually increase the power of those leafy greens. Pretty neat, huh?

Learning how to break away from diet culture and to practice nutrition by addition is a huge piece of intuitive eating and finding lasting food freedom which is why I teach my clients exactly how to do this in my Make Food Feel Good Program – learn more about it here. This is for you if you’re ready to stop dieting forever and feel confident with food!

Recipe, Kitchen, & Time Saving Hacks

We are all busy! And as much as I love cooking, I don’t have the time I used to in the kitchen. Here are a few tips to save time in the kitchen with this recipe (without sacrificing flavor) so you can do more of what you love. 

Prep your aromatics: I am a huge fan of meal prep. I’ve been doing it in my household for a long time and even have meal plans designed around my simple meal prep framework. If you’re new to it or want to try it out, I recommend starting without any cooking and just prep your aromatics (and veggies) for the week. 

I like to mince a bunch of garlic, dice an onion or two, and slice veggies that I know I will use throughout the week. I store them in tupperware in the fridge and pull them out as needed throughout the week. Not only does this save you time each day, it saves you the extra dishwashing too!

Freezing citrus: Have you ever bought a big bag of citrus only to let them brown and dry out? Try this hack to reduce food waste, and ensure you always have lime or lemon juice on hand. Juice the citrus, pour into an ice cube tray (I like to measure out tablespoon portions). Once frozen, pop out into a sealable bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Use when needed! 

Batch prep the lime crema: If you’re planning to have tacos one night, a taco bowl another night, and a salad another day, you might want to double this recipe and store it in the fridge. I love having my sauces prepped for the week. It makes adding an extra dose of flavor (and nutrition) to a dish so much easier. 

If you make this Greek yogurt lime crema, it would make my day if you would leave a comment and/or star rating below— I love hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @lindsaypleskot.rd so I can see your versions! It makes me so happy to see these recipes come to life in your kitchens! Xo

Print