aji verde

Learn how to make the best aji verde sauce! Aji verde is spicy Peruvian green sauce, made with cilantro, jalapeños, and a little mayonnaise and Parmesan. It is utterly irresistible drizzled onto tacos and more! Recipe yields about 1 1/4 cups.

Aji Verde (Spicy Peruvian Green Sauce)

mayonnaise (I love Sir Kensington’s brand)

jalapeños,

garlic, roughly chopped

(1 ounce) grated Cotija or Parmesan cheese

lime juice

fine sea salt

In a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients. Blend until the cilantro has broken into very tiny pieces and the sauce is green and mostly smooth (no matter how long you blend it, it will still have some texture to it).

Taste, and adjust if necessary. This sauce is intentionally bold and spicy and I usually think it&#8217;s just right as written. However, if the flavor is too overwhelming, blend in 1 tablespoon of olive oil while running the food processor. If it&#8217;s not spicy enough, add some of the reserved jalapeño seeds and blend again. If it doesn&#8217;t have enough zip, add another tablespoon of lime juice and/or a pinch of salt.

Aji verde keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week.

This sounds so good!  There’s a Peruvian restaurant near me that’s SO GOOD, you literally have to wait for an hour to get in all the time.  They make a sauce similar to this and it’s amazing!  Can’t wait to try this version :).

I am from Peru, and I can tell you that your recipe it is not at all our Green Sauce. You HAVE to use Aji Amarillo, not Jalapeño, since we don't have that one in my country. We don't put cilantro, we use Huacatay, a herb indigenous  that don't taste like mint. If you don't find it raw you can use Huacatay Paste. We use "queso blanco fresco", (this is not the Dominican one you find at the groceries), that you can replace with Fetta cheese. We don't use mayonnaise, we use oil at the end, that is how you get the texture. I love most of your recipes, but I feel very disappointed that you have changed totally a traditional typical recipe from my country. Perhaps it is not your fault.

Hi Kate,

I know you always try to be accurated, but I wanted to clarify the mistakes this recipe has, with the only intention that your devoted followers, I include myself, get the best of one of the most traditional sauces we are proud of. You will see the difference when you use the Ají Amarillo and the Huacatay, also we don’t make it on the food processor, we use the blender to mix all the dry ingredients, adding little by little the oil. However, there are places that still make this one using the “Batan” (this is stone table) and the “chaquena” (this is an oblong river stone). I guess the people that gave you the recipe use Jalapeño because could be cheaper than the Ají Amarillo, as well the cilantro instead of the Huacatay. I wish you the best, my dear, and thank you for taking the time to answer!

Hey there!! Do we have to add lime to your version of Peruvian green sauce? Thank you

Zaida, Kate did try to identify the differences if you read her commentary prior to the recipe.  Also for the sake of accuracy feta as in cheese has one t not two.

Hi Zaida.  I am also Peruvian and I will tell you what I say to many of my countrymen.  This recipe is perfect, it is true that the ingredients vary as not all are available worldwide.  Please understand that part of the fame of Peruvian food is that everyone can prepare and enjoy it from their homes.  The green pepper in this recipe has been created by Peruvian chefs in the United States by not having the ingredients used in Peru.  Isn't that what the Chinese and the Japanese did when mixing their food with ours?

Regardless if this is authentic Peruvian green sauce or not it is absolutely delicious! Yes not all of the ingredients are available worldwide so we try to improvise and imitate as close as possible. I have a few Peruvian restaurants close by and I will try my best and my luck to see if one of them can give me any tips on the actual authentic sauce itself. I'm a huge foodie and love to experiment and try new things from all cultures ❤ lots of love to everyone!

Very rude. She obviously did the best she could. No need to attack her. You could've educated her in a nice way.

Any day I receive message from Cookie and Kate is a good...no, great...day! You are such a positive force for good in this world! Thanks, Susan from Austin

I am not vegan but I need to take vegan dishes to the potlucks I attend, so today as an experiment I made 1/2 a batch using Cookie &amp; Kate's vegan sour cream recipe (I happened to have some on hand already) and 1/2 a batch with Sir Kingston's Fabanaise (aquafaba).  They both worked adequately as substitutions. If I have time to make vegan sour cream, or if like today I have some already on hand, that one was a little more my preference.  However, in a pinch, the Sir Kingston's Fabanaise works also, although the sauce was a little more dull than with the homemade vegan sour cream.  Even with the vegan adaptations it is a fantastic condiment, and I look forward to making the recipe as written it for myself.  But now I know that I have another excellent sauce to take as part of a dish for vegan-friendly potlucks.

Kate, this was recipe is wonderful!
Your post dropped in my mailbox right when I was deciding what sauce to put on my homemade spinach and mushroom ravioli. I said, "Hey, let's try it. Kate says she puts it on everything"! 
And you accomplished what you set out to do, peak my interest in Peruvian food.
I made this using cotija, cilantro and jalapeno peppers picked fresh from the garden and greenhouse. I can only imagine that it will be even better after the flavors have time to join in the dance of time.
Thank you Kate (and Cookie) for sharing this and making our eyes light up at dinner tonight!

Cannot wait to try this on the weekend - thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes - I uses them ALL - your raspberry muffins are made every other week in my house (the kids say "can we have something different for lunch this week Mum") and your vegetarian chilli con carne has been made twice in April.
Thank you so much!

Zaida and Kate
I want to thank both Zaida and Kate for their civil dialog. Both expressed their views and stated their concerns without falling into the ranting and raving that we all see so much of online.
I learned somethings about the wonderful country of Peru. My wife and I spent several weeks in Peru not long ago and loved the food.
I also found and made a great recipe!
Thanks to both of you.

Another perfect sauce, Kate! I'll be surprised if there is much left for the tacos . . .

Had this with chimichangas last night and my boyfriend will not stop raving about it. It was like a spicy coriander pesto.

Mine turned out thicker than yours, I think - not pouring consistency - maybe I packed in more cilantro? Used 1/4 cup parmesan because I was scared of it being too cheesy. We don't have fresh jalapenos here; I suspect my sauce was less spicy for using the pickled ones.

Very yum, will definitely make again, thank you!

Love it!!! So good!!!! This has opened a new gateway of food for me. Thanks for sharing.

This sauce is so delish!  I’m thinking of using it as the mixture for deviled eggs, yum!!!

Oh man, new favorite sauce right here. This was great on the halloumi tacos, and I'm sure will taste good on just about anything else, too!

The flavor was good, but I thought it could have been more concentrated, I would cut back on the mayo next time to have a thicker, more flavorful sauce.

Made this sauce last night as a topping for rice bowls - really tasty! I was concerned about the amount of mayo, but it doesn't end up tasting like mayo at all. Looking forward to using the rest of the sauce on the halloumi tacos next week! Thanks Kate!

Aji Verde is a Peruvian green hot sauce. It&#x27;s made up of fresh cilantro, aji amarillo, huacatay and cheese that makes it creamy and spicy. Typically served alongisde pollo a la brasa, it pairs well with roasted vegetables, chicken or bread.

Aji Verde Recipe (Peruvian Green Sauce)

lime (juiced)

olive oil

mayonnaise ((such as Hellmann's))

queso fresco

serrano peppers (ends trimmed)

cilantro (with the leaves removed and stems discarded*)

garlic (peeled)

green onions

huacatay paste ((optional))

aji amarillo paste ((optional))

salt

To a blender, add the lime juice, olive oil, cheese, mayonnaise, serrano peppers, cilantro leaves, garlic cloves, green onions, huacatay paste, aji amarillo and salt. Blend for about 1 to 2 minutes, until very smooth. At first the cilantro leaves won&#x27;t be totally smooth, but keep the blender running and it will eventually become cohesive and smooth.

Give it a taste and adjust the salt according to your liking. Keeps in the fridge for up to a week.&nbsp;

The Peruvian Salsa Verde (Aji Verde) is a spicy green sauce that is perfect on grilled food or as a dip. Just yummy!!!

Spicy Green Sauce (Peruvian Salsa Verde with Huacatay)

jalapenos

cilantro (should be about 1-1.5 cups chopped)

lime (I use lime

mayonnaise

tbsp aji amarillo paste

garlic

huacatay paste

water

I use a small blender for this sauce. Start  by cleaning jalapenos, chopping cilantro and mincing garlic. When chopping cilantro I remove any large stems but I&#x27;m not too picky, I just chop as fine as I can on a cutting board.

De-seed the jalapeno, wash well and chop in large pieces.

Blend mayonnaise, lime juice, jalapenos and garlic first. Make sure it&#x27;s a fine blend. It took me about a minute or two to get a very smooth consistency.

Then add aji amarillo, huacatay, olive oil, salt and chopped cilantro. Continue blending until all the cilantro has been blended and there are no large pieces. If the sauce is too thick, add 2 tbsps of water, blend few more seconds and add to a serving bowl.

You can chill before serving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRr1_8ET-HM

This Peruvian green sauce is one of my favorite spicy condiments. It’s usually served over grilled chicken but I ❤️it so much that we add it over meats & grilled veggies too. I even dip fries & tostones on it:)).

See full recipe here: https://mediterraneanlatinloveaffair.com/spicy-green-sauce-peruvian-salsa-verde-with-huacatay/

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Let me know in comments if you have any questions:). Thank you!!
Sonila

#ajiverde, #huacatay, #salsaverde, #greensauce, #spicy, #condiment, #peruvian, #comidalatina

Peruvian Green Sauce - Salsa Huacatay or Aji Verde

Peruvian Green Sauce is a jalapeno, cilantro, garlic lover's delight! I really must say that this is WAY BETTER than ketchup! I eat it on everything!

Peruvian Green Sauce

jalapeño chiles, (If you want

cilantro leaves

sour cream

lime

white vinegar

salt and black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, except for the olive oil.

Blend, while pulsing and scraping down sides of bowl, until fully processed.

With machine going, drizzle in olive oil to form an emulsion similar to mayonnaise. This will thicken upon being refrigerated, but is still not as thick as mayonnaise.

This should become a staple in your kitchen. It is THAT good!

We would want to slather this green sauce on everything too! Spicy, savory, sour and sublime! Yum. Might have to try this on grilled fish! Wishing you a super weekend ahead. Take Care

Peruvian cuisine is one of the best  ! Everything so amazing ...... I guess that's why Peruvians have  smile on their faces all the time :-) Thank you Abbe !

I just made it, it came out delicious, I put it on top of taco carnitas. Thanks for the recipe!

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1576181441/h1y8kyh2jvxnq9zzwxps.mp4

Peruvian Green Sauce is a jalapeno and cilantro sauce that is awesome on chicken, fish and great for just dipping veggies!

This Aji Verde sauce recipe is ready in just 10 minutes and combines spicy chilis, fresh cilantro, and creamy mayo into a flavorful sauce that works with almost any dish. I use it on everything from grilled meats to roasted veggies, and it never lasts long in my house.

Aji Verde Sauce Recipe

cilantro leaves and stems

green onions (root end removed)

jalapeño pepper

serrano pepper

lime (about 2 tablespoons)

huacatay (or 5-6 mint leaves)

aji Amarillo paste (optional)

Add the mayonnaise, cilantro, green onions, seeded jalapeño, seeded serrano pepper, garlic, queso fresco, lime juice, huacatay, amarillo paste, and salt to a blender.

Blend on high speed until smooth and incorporated.

Adjust any seasonings with salt and store or serve.

This was as authentic as it gets.  The flavors were amazing and took me back to my travels in Peru. The aji Amarillo paste is a must and for me is what made this sauce as I remembered it.

I made this and it was fantastic! For half the recipe, I used a whole seeded Serrano and habanero chili, along with the mint leaves. I did not manage to find the huacatay or amarillo paste. It was pretty spicy, but calm down by the next day. It was delicious as a dip for the chicken, or a sandwich spread. Will definitely be making this again! Thank you!

This Aji Verde is the most addicting spicy green sauce! It is SO good on tacos, bowls, salads, grilled meats and veggies, and my personal favorite - scrambled eggs and hash browns.

Aji Verde

tablespoons olive oil

mayo

(a little chunk) queso fresco

cilantro

juice of 1 lime

salt,

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth-ish. I like to go until it smoothly drips off a spoon &#8211; no more chunks but just a little bit of texture to it.

You&#8217;re done! Serve with grilled meats and veggies, tacos, salads, bowls, or just dip into it with some chips. It&#8217;s incredible.

Thank you for sharing this delicious Aji Verde recipe! It sounds incredibly flavorful and versatile - perfect for adding a spicy kick to various dishes. I can't wait to try it on tacos and grilled meats.

I made this sauce to accompany Peruvian chicken breasts. This sauce was delicious! My whole family loved it. We even used it as a salad dressing the next day to use the final bits of it, as we did not want a speck of it to go to waste. I will definitely be making this again!

Best sauce in all the land! Make this with your Crispy Black Bean Tacos at least a couple times a month.

Delicious. Had to find a recipe after discovering this with chorizo and grilled potatoes at a great brewpub in Chicago. Your recipe was spot on!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/ybXF2gH9.mp4

This Aji Verde is the most addicting spicy green sauce! It is SO good on tacos, bowls, salads, grilled meats and veggies, and my personal favorite – scrambled eggs and hash browns.

This vibrant Peruvian-inspired green sauce is about to become your new go-to all-purpose condiment. Based on a classic aji verde that traditionally accompanies Peruvian roast chicken, this easy green sauce recipe delivers incredible flavor in just 5 minutes.

Green Sauce (Aji Verde)

jalapeños ((roughly chopped))

cilantro leaves ((packed))

lime ((juiced))

Combine jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, lime juice, and vinegar in a blender or food processor. Turn on high speed, pausing to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula as necessary, until smooth. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Delicious sauce, I just couldn't find any use for it

I'm so mad at myself. Just went to grocery store and forgot the cilantro...it's 40 minutes away so I won't be running back. Is there anyway I could use dry cilantro?? If so how much- or am I better to use scallions and/or chives?  I can't wait to try this with chicken. Many thanks!

Wow. This is so delicious I am licking the spatula while I finish making your Halloumi tacos!

This is very good. My wife is not a huge cilantro fan but she will eat it. I cut back on the cilantro but it would be better with more. I also did not have cotija so I used 1/2 feta and 1/2 parmesan. A good sauce that I will keep in mind to have with other dishes.

Also tasted Aji Verde at The Rotary when they were at Avanti! lol 
thanks for the recipe! &lt;3

So freaking good. Did fish tacos with lettuce, avacado and pineapple! This was the perfect sauce!

For some reason, this sauce seperates. It's oily on top. Why is this happening?

All the ingredients should be blended well and then add in the mayo and blend only for a few seconds … if you blend all the ingredients together at first the mayo will curdle and separate &amp; the sauce will get very watery….

I’ve had these with your halloumi tacos and with quesadillas, both combinations were amazing! It’s delicious and gives some nice spice to everything (and the green looks really fun). Thank you!

So good! I am not a mayo fan so used a little less and added extra lime. It was perfect and so spicy 

This was so good. I subscribe to the 'more garlic = better' school of thought but that was not the case here... stick to it as written! I tasted garlic for at least 24 hours after, lol. Still totally worth it and next time, I'll keep to 2 cloves.

Where has this been all my life?  I tried it at a restaurant with cauliflower tempura, whoa!  I'm not a big fan of cilantro but this recipe makes it delicious!  We had one more garlic clove, I was suprised by the addition of parmesan cheese but it gives great saltiness.  Having this for lunch with grilled shrimp.

That isn't authentic, but it is what we do at home and we spent a month in Peru.  We are familiar with the original.   However, I recommend what we do and make it 3:1 Greek Yogurt to Mayo.  Still has some of the mayo flavor and creaminess but toned down a lot versus that much mayo.   

If I am really in the mood I make homemade mayo and mix it more 1:1 with GY.  Homemade mayo is another level compared with store bought but more effort.  

At the end of the day, most cuisines adapt to the tastes of the people they are brought to.   I try to start with the most authentic, try it, learn it and then tweak to your own tastes.

I make this all the time.  It's a staple in my kitchen.  my husband sears ahi and this sauce is just dynamite with it.  thank you.  I do omit the cheese and use 1/4 cup plain yogurt with 1/4 cup mayo.  And maybe 1 jalapeno - I don't like it too hot.  Super!!

Thanks for the recipe! We just went to Chicken and Pickle and had a salad with dressing. It was so good we wanted to replicate it!!

This sauce is so incredible I make it once a week. I always add some jalapeno seeds because I love it spicy. Thank you so much for introducing it into my life Kate!

This is a wonderful sauce.  Lick the plate wonderful.  I used Mexican queso fresco.

Made this for the first time today! It came out so good!

Definitely NOT Peruvian, we don’t use jalapeños and tacos and tortillas are not part of our regular cuisine. We have much better and tastier peppers like ají amarillo, limo and rocoto

Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!

Outstanding sauce that I note use with any and all roasted veggies and also with tacos.. the possibilities are endless!

I usually try a new recipe exactly as given and then tweak it to my liking. This recipe was perfect just as is! We love the flavor and have made it several times now, always wanting more! Thank you!

I have been looking for the BEST Aji Verde or Peruvian Green Sauce (ala PioPio) for a while and this one nails it! It is so good and so easy and soo authentic! Thank you!!!

Hi Kate, 

I havent made the your sauce yet but have had other Aje Verdes in the past and love it. 

Just a quick note: Chili seeds dont hold the spice, it's actually the pith! Capsaicin is concentrated in the pith which can rub on the seeds but best way to spice up anything is using that pith, more chili but definitely not the seeds :)

the best sauce!   we use it on seared ahi
thank you!

This sauce is amazing. I made it the first time to go with the halloumi tacos but now serve it with potatoe wedges, shrimp tacos, meat, rice, sallad, toast chicken, crudités, or just on bread and cheese. It’s heavenly

I can’t stop eating g this sauce! Like you said, I also put it on everything. It’s a dream on sweet potato fries and falafel, fish and chicken. I plan my meals on what I can put this on. I’ve shared the recipe at least ten times. Thank you so much!!

This is a phenomenal 'put it on everything' recipe!

Made this and drizzled a little on your whole wheat pizza and also your roasted vegetables! DELICIOUS!

Had aji verde for the first time 2 days ago and was enthralled!
Today I took some EXTRA HOT New Mexican Green Chiles that had been lingering in the freezer for a couple of years and skinned and seeded them, then puréed. Put by the teaspoon in small freezer tray. Used what was left in the blender jar, added a large crushed clove of garlic, 1/2 lemon juiced, and a dab of salt. Then finished off the nice bunch of cilantro to blend. Added the last of the avocado mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt to the blender jar to finish the recipe.
Tastes very similar to what I had at the Peruvian restaurant!!!
Very pleased with the results :)

Absolutely delicious! Used it on tacos and stirred the rest into some leftover macaroni. Made a slam dunk pasta salad! Threw in black beans and corn. Fantastic recipe and a great way to use up an abundance of cilantro.

Change the title already … spicy Toledo oh green sauce.
Have you ever been to Peru? Zero! ZERO jalapeño’s you won’t find them. They have their own peppers Rocoto and Aji Amarillo. Ones red ones orange… NONE are green. Sauce is fine quit calling it Peruvian

I have made this recipe over two dozen times. It’s always a solid favorite! I wanted a creamier for veggies this time, so I added an avocado. OMG! SO AWESOME…!!!

Amazing!  I absolutely love this recipe!   I have used it on chicken, steak, shrimp and tacos and everyone I have served it to raves.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/&rdquo;xN0YBO3M&rdquo;.mp4

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