Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce) is a bright, spicy Peruvian condiment that uses hucatay paste, aji amarillo and cilantro leaves. Serve it with pollo a la brasa, yucca fries or roasted veggies--the possibilities are endless!
Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce) is a hot sauce that I LOVE SO MUCH! If you’ve ever gone to a place that serves pollo a la brasa, it will look familiar to you. It’s usually kept in squeeze bottles on every table. You dip your yucca fries it, you douse the chicken with it…and then you start sweating because it’s SO spicy. And yet, you can’t stop eating it.
It’s addicting! This sauce is SO good. It does require two ingredients that used to be harder to find. But now, thanks to ol’ Amazon, it’s much easier.
What is Huacatay?
You’ll need huacatay paste, which is a Peruvian variety of mint. It’s essentially black mint. It’s nearly impossible to find fresh hucatay outside of Peru but the paste is amazing. It adds a brightness and hint of flavor that is needed. BUT you can skip it.
In Peru, most aji verde is made from JUST fresh huacatay. But here in the United States we have to make adjustments due to what we have access to. I find that using cilantro AND the paste makes for a really delicious aji verde.
Also, aji amarillo paste. It’s a Peruvian yellow pepper that is so delicious and spicy.
What is Aji Amarillo?
Aji amarillo is a yellow pepper indigenous to the Peruvian Andes. It's a mild-flavored pepper that is a bit sweet and delicious. They're quite difficult to find fresh peppers in the United States. I like to use the paste, though it's not a requirement for this recipe. It does add a nice lovely flavor and heat.
I prefer to use serrano peppers in this recipe vs. jalapeños because it really adds the heat that’s needed. If you’re adverse to spice, well, this recipe isn’t for you. I was going to make a milder version but I would be doing it a disservice.
Peruvians love spicy food, me included.
The queso fresco/blanco adds a nice creaminess to this sauce and a thickness that sits on yucca fries just perfectly.
I’ve wanted to successfully make this recipe for a long time and I have finally found the perfect ratios that make me happy.
How to Make Aji Verde?
Making Aji Verde could not be simpler. A high-powered blender helps a lot with getting this sauce to a super smooth texture. Here's how to make Aji Verde:
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender. I like to add the liquids (mayo, olive oil and lime juice) to the bottom of the blender and then layer the solid ingredients on top. I find that it blends better this way.
- Turn the blender on until smooth. Stop the blender, scrape down the sides and then blend a bit longer. The cilantro will go from being in teeny bits to super smooth. This does take a minute or so, so be sure to let it run.
- Give it a taste and adjust the salt according to your liking.
- Transfer to an airtight container or squeeze bottle.
Can You Freeze Aji Verde?
I wouldn't recommend freezing aji verde. While I haven't tried freezing it, I feel like the oil and cheeses will mess with the creamy and smooth texture.
What to Pair with Aji Verde?
- Pollo a la Brasa Thighs
- Zuni-Style Pollo a la Brasa with Bread Salad
- Olive Oil Eggs with Kale
- Roasted Potatoes or Veggies
- Yucca Fries
Aji Verde Recipe (Peruvian Green Sauce)
Ingredients
- 1 whole lime juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup good-quality mayonnaise (such as Hellmann's)
- 3 ounces queso fresco or blanco
- 2 serrano peppers ends trimmed
- 1 bunch cilantro with the leaves removed and stems discarded*
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 green onions ends trimmed and roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons huacatay paste (optional)
- 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- 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'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.
Notes
- If you have a super high powered blender such as a Vitamix or Ninja, etc, it can process a lot of the stems. If you don't, I suggest to remove al of the cilantro leaves.
- I would suggest to add the liquids to the bottom of the blender and then add the cilantro on top. It helps combine all of the ingredients.
- To make this Whole 30, eliminate the cheese and replace it with a bit more Whole 30 compliant mayonnaise.
Equipment
Nutrition
Looking for more Latin-inspired recipes? Here are some favorites:
- Chilaquiles
- Tres Leches Cake
- Classic Flan
- Pupusas with Curtido and Salsa Roja
- Papa a la Huancaina
- Green Arroz con Pollo (Peruvian-Style)
- Alfajores
Five Gorillas says
This is frustrating. No info on how to use fresh huacatay...only oaste!! Recipe doesn't even use aji amarillo. N
Adrianna Adarme says
hahaha your negative review is unhinged. you didn't even try the recipe just complaining that it doesn't use an ingredient 99.9% of ppl in the united states don't have access to. get a grip.
Lucila Bonifacio says
Thank you very much for the recipe. I like your green sauce recipe., Thank you again.
Adrianna Adarme says
wonderful!
Stephanie says
Love this recipe! First time making it and it's steady and good. Mine came out kinda thick, what should I add to make it more creamy?
Adrianna Adarme says
next time you can add a teeny bit more oil OR a little more evaported milk or even water.
Lars says
You might want to re-word the part that says to “remove” the leaves. What you want to say is remove the stems, or remove the leaves from the stems and place them in the blender. Remove the leaves means to discard the leaves.
Michael says
This sauce is amazing. We keep it around full time for dipping and spreading. I know it changes the flavor profile but my wife doesn't like cilantro so I substituted parsley instead and truth be told, I love it more than the cilantro version. A great hack if you have people who don't like cilantro like my wife. The only other change I made was to substitute parmesan for the queso fresco because that's what I had on hand...Lastly, I know the recipe says the pastes are optional, I would beg to differ. I got both on Amazon and it is totally worth the effort.
Katherine says
Delicious. I made it today to spice up a relatively boring dinner, and I’m pretty sure we will be putting it on everything now. I ordered the huacatay and aji amarillo specifically for this recipe and it was worth it.
Jennifer Hall says
Thanks so much! Looks delish, can't wait to make it tonight!
ron says
Can you substitute the queso fresco with another type of cheese such as parmesean?
Adrianna Adarme says
i would substitute with feta if you can't find queso fresco 🙂
Matthew says
Just made this to accompany pollo ala brasa, it tastes amazing. Is there any way to make the aji verde a little more thick?
Amanda says
I have never had authentic ají verde (in Peru) to compare, but this is so good. I live in Honduras, so I made some substitutions out of necessity. I used queso especial, jalapeños instead of serranos, no green onions, and a whole ají amarillo (from a jar in brine). I did use huacatay paste and everything else as is. Thank you!
Adrianna Adarme says
ahhh love hearing this! yeah, it's pretty tough to find all of the ingredients but if you have at least a few, it helps a lot! glad you loved it.
Jillian Zumwalt says
I made this as is with the huacatay and aji Amarillo and queso fresco and my Peruvian boyfriend and his parents loved it! Thanks so much!
Adrianna Adarme says
ahh amazing!
Katie says
This turned out delicious! I removed some of the seeds from the Serrano to scale back on the heat and I didn’t have huacatay, but followed the rest of the recipe as described. Yum!
Adrianna Adarme says
awesome - love hearing this!
Wilson Lee says
So do you just use the stems from the cilantro?
Adrianna Adarme says
I do. If you're using a high powered blender (such as a Vitamix, Ninja, etc.), it will absolutely break down the stems. If you don't have one and are using a pretty standard blender, I would remove the leaves from the stem and just use the leaves.