This Mexican inspired recipe for Pollo a la Crema features chicken breasts in a crema sauce with mushrooms and sautéed green peppers.
It is rich and creamy with a spicy sauce.
When my husband and I eat out at our favorite Mexican restaurant, pollo a la crema is always a popular choice. Would you like to have it more often than an eating out experience?
This dish is very easy to make at home. Serve the recipe with warm tortillas and a side of re-fried beans and Mexican rice and you will have one of your favorite Mexican restaurant meals any time you wish, at home!
What is in Pollo A La Crema?
Pollo a la crema is flavored by the use of Mexican crema, onions, and sweet peppers. You can use green peppers or colorful peppers, depending on what you have on hand.
Both taste great. If you have a fondness for more spice, you can also add in some jalapeño peppers, as well.
What is Mexican crema?
Mexican Crema is a tangy and creamy condiment that is very similar to sour cream. However, it is thicker and richer than the sour cream American’s are used to. .
The thick and slightly tangy mixture adds the perfect touch of creaminess to many Mexican dishes. It is often used on tacos, tostadas, enchiladas or anyt spicy food to make it less hot.
You can try using sour cream or heavy cream if you don’t have Mexican crema. However, sour cream has a tendency to curdle in hot preparations and is thicker than Mexican cream.
Also, Mexican crema is not quite as sour as sour cream and is thicker than heavy cream so the recipe works best with Mexican crema.
Making pollo a la crema
Start by cooking your chicken pieces in hot oil. Set aside and keep warm.
Add the onions and peppers and cook them gently.
Stir in the mushrooms and cook gently. Return the chicken to the pan. Combine the Mexican crema and paprika and cook until the sauce is hot and bubbly.
I like to serve this dish hot with refried beans and Spanish rice. Add some tortillas, too, if you want a more hearty meal.
Tasting pollo a la crema
This recipe for pollo a la crema is creamy and decadent with the warm smoky taste of paprika. I love the way the peppers and onions compliment the sauce.
And for those of you who added the spicy jalapeño peppers, there is also a nice kick of heat!
For another tasty Mexican meal be sure to check out this Chori Pollo recipe.
Would you like a reminder of this recipe for Pollo a la crema? Just pin this image to one of your cooking boards on Pinterest.
Pollo A La Crema
This delicious recipe for pollo a la crema will rival that from your local favorite Mexican restaurant.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 1 sweet onion, sliced
- 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced fairly thick
- 1/2 cups of green pepper, cut into strips
- 1/2 tablespoon Spanish paprika
- 1 tablespoons chicken bouillon crystals (can also use a stock cube)
- 1/2 cup of Mexican crema
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- optional: jalapeno pepper if you like it more spicy
Instructions
- Heat oil in large frying pan. Saute chicken strips, peppers and onion until chicken is no longer pink & onions are translucent and peppers are softened. About 5 or 6 minutes.
- If you want more spice, add in a chopped jalapeno pepper now.
- Add the cream, mushrooms, paprika & chicken bouillon.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until chicken is tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. The mixture will be somewhat thin, but it should have a creamy texture like the consistency of a white sauce.
- Serve hot with warmed flour tortillas, re fried beans and Spanish Rice.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
half the recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 612Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 192mgSodium: 1160mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 4gSugar: 14gProtein: 49g
Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.
17 responses to “Pollo A La Crema Recipe – Mexican Delight”
You added chicken bouillon and sour cream in the ingredient list, but you didn’t bother to add in the instructions when to use them. I am assuming that you are supposed to use the sour cream with the heavy cream and paprika. I guess I ill find out if I was correct when I eat it.
This was fabulous! I couldn’t find Spanish paprika and ended up using smoked paprika. It sounds like I should’ve used standard paprika and maybe a couple of punches of the smoked, if any. Any thoughts? Loved this!!!
Oops I was reading the instructions below the picture and it didn’t give the instructions. I read the direction below the recipe and saw it. Sorry about that.
No problem Nancy. I was going to go in tonight and have a look. Glad the recipe is showing correctly. Thanks for letting me know, though! Carol
For anyone hoping to find a taste of The Gardens of Taxco of West Hollywood, THIS IS IT.
When you serve it, be sure to tell your diners that it was borrrrrrrrn in the sauce. Not hot!–spiiiiiiiiiiiiicy. ^_^ (Man, I miss that place so much!)
Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe, Carol!
My pleasure Linda. So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Carol
Love that place too! They are still around, just take out only.
Linda, our favorite restaurant on this planet!!! No longer live in CA but speak to ‘Gardens’ so often! “Not traditional Mexican, but food you would get in a home in Mexico City” . . . Sigh.
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I tweaked it alittle becaus emy husband and I like it spicy so I added one pablano, jalapeno and serano pepper along with fresh herbs. Yummy!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe Kari. Your tweaks sound great! Caro
Do you think this can be made a few days in advance and reheated? My daughter wants this at her Quinceanera
Hi Janine. Most dishes can be reheated but my experience is that sauces can sometimes break when they have been refrigerated and then reheated. I would do it for personal use at home but don’t think I would recommend doing this for a special occasion. Carol
Great recipe! I added a little ground chipotle pepper for some kick. I had to add salt, also, for my family’s taste (I use Better than Bouillon and I think it’s not as salty as regular bouillon cubes). Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe Karen!
Thanks for the recipe. I double down on the sour cream and Paprika. Instead of olive oil I use lard. I also fry my jalapenos in the lard with the chicken (all this after trial and error to find what my taste likes most). The extra sour cream makes it richer and thicker. Lard adds flavor too, or perhaps its the olive taste I’m taking out, I like it better in any case. I also add some garlic powder near the end about three min before the sour cream.
Thank you for your recipe 🙂
I made it tonight for dinner with a side of Spanish rice and tortillas. Delish!
We have been enjoying this recipe for years THANK YOU! Pollo a la Crema is my husband’s favorite restaurant dish, his mom’s too! Now he won’t order it when we’re out. Says mine is better! I was so thrilled to find your recipe! It’s an elusive recipe on the internet, so again, thank you! I follow it to a T with two small exceptions. I add more mushrooms because we love them. I recently started adding 2 to 3 tbsp of cream cheese. My husband said “I don’t know what you’re doing different, but keep it up! It’s better than ever!”