Aji Verde Sauce (Peruvian Green Sauce)

Peruvian Green Sauce (Aji Verde Sauce) is a common condiment in Peruvian restaurants. It’s creamy, little spicy, fresh & a bit tangy. All done in a food processor or blender. Perfect on chicken, beef and rice!

One of the restaurants we visit frequent is El Pollo Inka. It’s a Peruvian restaurant. Peruvian food may sound exotic and hard to imagine. From what I have tasted in that restaurant, many are somewhat familiar. Like the chicken and cilantro soup (Aguadito de Pollo) I have made before, it’s close to a classic chicken soup but with the addition of cilantro, lime juice and rice.

Aji verde sauce is common condiment in Peruvian restaurants. It’s a mayonnaise based sauce with chili peppers and herbs. It’s kind of like the spicy mayonnaise that you see in sushi and poke bowl. This green sauce is a combination of jalapeños, aji Amarillo pepper paste, cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise and lime juice. It’s super easy to make. Put everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Little spicy, creamy, fresh, and a bit tangy. It’s good on a lot of things, like dinner rolls, chicken, steak or rice. Bryan is addicted to it! If he can, he would probably eat it everyday. You got to try this!

I am currently in Hong Kong, so I won’t have a post next week. Come back in 2 weeks, I will share a Peruvian dish that goes well with this green sauce.

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Aji Verde Sauce (Peruvian Green Sauce)

3/4 cup

Course Sauce

Cuisine Peruvian

Keyword aji verde sauce, green sauce, peruvian green sauce

Ingredients

• 1½ – 2 jalapenos (halved and seeded)
• 1 cup cilantro (leaves & stems, roughly chopped)
• 1 tablespoon aji Amarillo paste
• 2 tablespoons cotija cheese (finely crumbled)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)(about 1 teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 2½ – 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

Instructions

• In a food processor or blender, add 1½ jalapenos, cilantro, aji Amarillo paste, cotija cheese, garlic, oil, vinegar, and 2½ teaspoons lime juice. Blend on high spend until finely chopped and smooth paste forms. Add mayonnaise and blend until combined. Taste and add more jalapeno and lime juice if desired. Season with salt. Blend again. Taste and adjust if needed. Transfer to an airtight container and chill in the fridge until ready to use.

Notes

1. When adding the jalapenos, I will start with 1½ peppers. Blend and taste. Add more if you like it spicier. 1½ jalapenos is about a mild for me.  
2. Aji Amarillo paste is made from a yellow chili pepper called aji Amarillo. Aji Amarillo pepper is commonly used in Peruvian cuisine. You can get the paste from Peruvian market or from Amazon.
3. For storage, sauce can be kept in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

(Adapted from Serious Eats)