Creamy Southwest Sauce

Add a delicious Southwest flavor to any of your favorite dishes with this easy-to-make creamy Southwest sauce. It’s great on EVERYTHING!

Adding a southwest sauce to grilled chicken tacos. — This sauce goes perfectly with our southwestern grilled chicken!

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Why You Will Love This Southwest Sauce Recipe

Just a handful of ingredients can give you a condiment that transforms a dish from good to next level. This is one of them, especially when looking for a regionally forward sauce.

The sauce itself is bursting with flavor from the southwest spice blend. The sour cream adds a touch of tang, and the lime juice adds a hit of citrus.

This sauce goes great with so many proteins but really shines (for me) on chicken, pork, and beef.

I had some leftover grilled New York Strip. To a tortilla, I added some slices of that, a kale salad mix, and some pepper jack cheese. Then I layed on the sauce. Man, one of the best wraps I ever had … and it was leftovers!

It just has so much flavor and adds that distinctive Tex-Mex hit. You could literally use this as a dressing for salads.

Ingredients for a creamy southwest sauce.

Note: If you don’t already have the Southwest Spice Blend mixed up, here’s a scaled-down version for this recipe:

1 tsp Ancho chili powder
½ tsp Chipotle powder
½ tsp Cumin
½ tsp Smoked Paprika
½ tsp Paprika
¼ tsp Garlic powder
¼ tsp Onion powder
¼ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp Coriander
¼ tsp Oregano (Mexican)
Pinch of Black pepper
Pinch of Cayenne pepper
Small pinch of Cinnamon

Mix these together and use the full amount in the sauce.

How To Make A Creamy Southwest Sauce

I really like how easy this sauce is to make. But what I love is how it adds so much depth of flavor to whatever you use it on.

Just whisk all the ingredients until smooth, and you’re ready to go! Adjust the thickness by adding a tbsp of buttermilk (or water) until you get your desired thickness.

Southwest sauce ingredients whisked together in a bowl.

Also, taste it and add salt and pepper to your preference. I like a touch of salt and a couple of turns of the pepper grinder for myself.

Let it sit for 15-30 minutes before transferring to a squeeze bottle (if you’re gonna go that route).

Grilled chicken tacos with a creamy southwest sauce. — Add this creamy southwest sauce to one of your favorite grilled meats. Delish!

Tips

If possible, I would let this set up overnight before using. This helps the sauce come together.

When making the sauce, it is purposely a bit thick to allow you to thin it out to the way you would enjoy it, so don’t be afraid to add a bit more liquid.

This sauce pairs nicely with grilled chicken, pork, flank and skirt steak, and shrimp.

This creamy southwest sauce recipe makes about 1 cup of sauce.

This is enough for:

Drizzling on 8–10 tacos
Dressing 2–3 big salads
Spreading on 4–6 wraps or sandwiches
Or serving as a dip for a small crowd

Variations

Spice it up: Add cayenne, chipotle powder, or a dash of hot sauce to bring the heat.
Smokier version: Swap regular paprika for smoked paprika or add a few drops of liquid smoke.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! It actually tastes better if you let it sit for a few hours or overnight so the flavors can meld.

How long will it last?

Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it’ll last up to 7 days.

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?

Absolutely—just expect a tangier flavor and slightly thicker texture.

Other Delicious Southwestern Flavored Dishes