Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce)
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The famous condiment that comes standard at any Peruvian restaurant! This Aji Verde Sauce recipe is quick and easy to make and is deliciously versatile! Aji verde is most famously served with what is perhaps the most popular dish in Peru, Pollo a la Brasa, an incredibly flavorful, crispy-skinned roast chicken.
What is Aji Verde Sauce?
A traditional Peruvian sauce, Aji Verde Sauce is a bright green chili sauce that comes standard in any Peruvian restaurant. A wonderfully flavorful sauce, it’s made with peppers, cilantro, garlic, green onion, lime juice, Cotija or Parmesan cheese, mayo, amarillo chili paste, and huacatay paste.
As already mentioned, it incorporates aji amarillo paste, a Peruvian chili paste, and huacatay paste, made with a green herb that’s very unique and indigenous to Peru. These are key ingredients and critical for achieving the right flavor, so don’t skip them. You can generally find these at well-stocked hispanic grocery stores. Huacatay paste can be a little more challenging to find. If you’re unable to find either of these pastes locally you can also purchase them line: Huacatay Paste and Aji Amarillo Paste.) Note: If you’re making Pollo a la Brasa you will need these pastes for the chicken as well in addition to a third chili paste Aji Panca Paste.)
How to Use Aji Verde Sauce
Aji verde sauce is most famously served with Peruvian Chicken, known as Pollo a la Brasa, but it’s also deliciously versatile. Serve it with:
- Grilled meats, poultry and seafood
- Tacos
- Grilled vegetables
- French fries and baked potato wedges
- Rice and beans
- Eggs
- Drizzled over salads
- As a dip for bread
Aji Verde Sauce Recipe
Let’s get started!
This is sauce extremely quick and easy to make. Simply place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until you have a smooth sauce.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to a week.
Enjoy!
For more delicious sauces from around the world to try my:
- Romesco Sauce
- Jerk Sauce
- Ginger Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Bearnaise Sauce
- French Remoulade
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Cherry Barbecue Sauce
- Black Bean Sauce
- Hoisin Sauce
- Ponzu Sauce
- Sweet Chili Sauce
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Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce)
Ingredients
- 2 green jalapeno peppers , seeded
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1 green onion , chopped
- 2 teaspoons huacatay paste
- 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup Cotija, Queso Fresco, or Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until a smooth paste. Keep refrigerated for up to a week.Makes about 3/4 cup.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet September 23, 2013
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
AS meat in South Africa has become tasteless and shrinks 40% any condiment or sauce to enhnce the eating experience is worth a try . Jalapenos are available ..6 types of chili peppers… so will go serching for the other NEW constituents or ask Spanish speaking folks what or where to find similars or others …. AND THEN HIT THE BLENDER …. cannot wait to get it on my plate
Wonderful, Antoon, I hope you enjoy it!
You dont need to put the cheese! Save money is good without it
Such snobbery! EVERY culture adapts their recipes to fit what can be found fresh locally. To say that a crime has been committed because someone used the readily available jalapeño instead of the nearly impossible to find fresh aji amarillo is pedestrian at best. The hot pepper is there for the heat, as the nuanced flavor of it is lost under the other ingredients.
The ají amarillo isn’t there for the heat folks. It’s there for the flavor, ají amarillo has a very distinct flavor, that’s why it’s in almost every Peruvian dish.
This is by far the best salsa Verde for pollo a la brasa that I’ve made
Thanks so much, Tanner, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Just made it. Came out amazing! Its setting in the fridge right now.
Thank you for this recipe.
Peruvian recipies do no use jalapeno peppers.
Nope…that is a patently false statement. They absolutely do.
my very good friend married one of the most beautiful woman from Cousco Peru. Altitude 3,400 meters or 11,200 feet. Plus she is a attorney. Cusco is higher up in the Andes. Just 75 km to Machu Picchu. The hot peppers are not used in restaurants and homes. in and around Cusco The use of these hot peppers such as you mentioned Jalapeno are only found and sparingly in cusines in locations around northern Peru and close to sea level.
I myself from Wyoming find the flavors of Peruvian food do not benefit from the addition of Hot peppers at all. I personally find the flavors of Peruvian food to be the most inventive and complex I have experienced in my travels around the world. Even within the USA. i have noticed that Peruvian restaurants have been popping up in every city. As they should. as one lady put it. Her experience with Peruvian food. Escaped the normal culinary descriptions and went straight to beautiful. With which I completely agree. For Peruvian food is in no way pretentious. Just Beautiful.
Listen to George. He’s from Wyoming and knows a Peruvian person.
Amazing! I had to only add a bit more lime juice but turned out superb! Thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
You’re right. I’m Peruvian. Jalapenos don’t exist in Peru. There’s nothing close to it. However, I use it because of lack of aji amarillo since I live in the States.
I think it’s great, but replace the jalapeño with 1 rocoto and 2 aji Amarillo peppers
Probably not in Peru,but in North America we use it in most Peruvian restaurant and not only JALAPEÑOS WR S AS LSO USE CHILE HABANERO.
I have made a variation of this for some time now but I never knew of the huacatay or aji amarillo. This stuff is amazing! Thanks!
Fantastic, Geoff, thank you!
Thanks for sharing a nice recipe from my country! And even though it sound really nice it would be a little offensive to any peruvian to hear that you’re using jalapeño (a mexican pepper) in a peruvian recipe!! I would recommend using only ají amarillo and rocoto instead
Also i forgot to mention that in Perú we call this sauce just Huacatay, like its main ingredient! Again thanks for the recipe!
Not offensive for me ,we use jalapeños peppers in Peruvian restaurant here in the unites,and also habanero peppers.
Hi Kimberly, thank you for this wonderful Peruvian Green Sauce! I can’t thank you enough for this recipe. We have three Peruvian restaurants where I live, all with this wonderful green sauce. I have been meaning to try and duplicate it for years. Today I got around to it. One of the restaurants is called The Rocoto, after the Rocoto Pepper. Anyway, I knew the recipe had to have this ingredient, so I used your recipe, really only switching the Aji Amarillo Pepper for the Rocoto Pepper (both are spicy peppers). I am also vegan, so I used vegan mayo and left out the parmesan cheese (although I do love that stuff). Your recipe was so on target. Here is my vegan version of your great recipe. I hope you don’t mind the changes. Without you I could have never done this. Thanks!
Peruvian Aji Verde Sauce
2 green jalapeno peppers, seeded
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 clove garlic
1 green onion, chopped
1 teaspoon huacatay paste (Inca’s Food brand)
1 teaspoon rocoto paste (Inca’s Food brand)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup vegan mayo (Follow Your Heart Pea Protein brand)
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until a smooth paste. Keep refrigerated for up to a week.
Hi Adam, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you! Thanks also for sharing your vegan version.
Finally an authentic Huacatay salsa as delicious as what I had in Peru.
You are my hero!
Woohoo!! That’s awesome, Kathy, thank you!
The original recipe does not have japeno, the aji amarillo paste is enough.
Correct! I have never seen aji verde made with jalapeno and if you use aji panca and huacatay it is not needed. Authentic peruvian uses many different types of aji peppers I don’t know why one would add another random pepper to a relatively simple sauce.
That id right, jalapeno is for Mexican cuisine, please do not kill my Peruvian spices, use aji verde amarillo, verde lo llaman porque es el aji fresco amarillo. Sale perfecto pero no jalapenos por favor.
IT CALLS FUSION AND NOBODY IS KILLING OUR DELICIOUS PERUVIAN FOOD IF WE DONT HAVE THAT PEPPERS IN OUR TOWN EASY WE JUST REPLACE IT AND LET ME TELL YO
PERUVIAN RESTAURANTS USE IT ALOT
Whats the original recipe?
I learned about this sauce with ceviche. It is also amazing in chicken soup and all type of recipes. If you have a moment to post a ceviche recipe I would greatly appreciate. Thanks for sharing great wonderful sauce
This sauce will make you love your vegetables! It’s terrific.
Thanks, Lin!
i make the companion las brasas recipe often, but this sauce is fantastic for anything – I use it on banh mi sandwiches, put a dab on grilled steak, use it as a dip with pita, and of course with roasted chicken. I have experimented with cubanelle peppers as well for a milder spice.
It really is a terrific all-purpose sauce. Thanks, Spike!
Cottage cheese is a good summer substitute for queso, the missing ingredient in your recipe. It also lessens the need for mayonnaise.
Great sauce! Tastes great on everything.
Thanks, Henry!
Wow! Even not being familiar with the flavors of the pastes, this sounds divine. And even without yet trying it, thank you for choosing to be Santa… Looking forward to trying this eventually.
Thank you, Susan!