How to Make an Amazing Creamy Taco Sauce in About 45 Seconds

When I'm at a restaurant, eating tamales or enchiladas or tacos, you can bet that I'll ask for crema. That creamy, tangy, dairy-based sauce is just too good not to drizzle over everything in sight. Objectively speaking, crema is a very simple ingredient, but when I'm at home, I never make it, because crema has one negative: It requires time. You need to wait at least three hours for all of the sour cream, heavy cream, and salt to get cozy together and do their thing. On weeknights, I don't have that kind of time. I need immediate gratification. So I make something else.

I make a sauce that’s not technically a crema but tastes just as good as one. This saucy taco-topper is like that fake ID you acquired in college. It may not be one hundred percent legit, but it works like a charm. And with this substitute, you don't even need to use cream. Here’s how you whip some up:

You start with ½ cup mayo. Yes, mayo. Like I said, this isn’t being made with authenticity in mind. Mayo is a little thick, so add 2 Tbsp. water to thin it out. And then we cheat the tang that crema is known for with 1 clove of grated garlic and a pinch of salt.

Now you have a sauce that can do the same work as a crema, without the three hour waiting period. It took you about 45 seconds to make, and it’s going to taste like a million bucks. That’s impressive. And while some might call it lazy, I'd call it...efficient.

This sauce isn’t a one-trick pony, either. You can use this to top way more than shrimp tacos. You can top chicken tacos. Carnitas tacos. Steak tacos. No, no: I kid, I kid. It works on way more than tacos. Drizzling a bit over some roasted or grilled vegetables is a certified win. Topping toasts, sandwiches, and any and all meats with a drizzle also brings them up a notch. And potatoes? Oh, roasted or fried potatoes, whole or in a hash? They all love the sauce. And I do too. This sauce is life.

Here's that taco recipe you want:

Honey-Chipotle Shrimp Tacos