Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce)
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Updated Feb 09, 2026, Published May 06, 2024
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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, lomo saltado or simply 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 they’re not absolutely required.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce)
- Cilantro. Traditionally, huacatay is used here. But since most of us don’t have access to huacatay, cilantro is our best bet!
- Mayonnaise. Adds creaminess and richness.
- Queso Fresco. This will add the delicious creaminess to this sauce.
- Serrano Peppers. This is not traditional, but it’s what I know most of us can find.
- Aji Amarillo Paste. This ingredient is optional. But I think it’s worth the extra effort to go to a Latin market and pick it up. It’s super flavorful.
For the rest of the ingredients, please see the recipe index card below!
How to Make Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce)
Making Aji Verde could not be simpler. A high-powered blender helps a lot with getting this sauce to a super smooth texture.
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender.
- Blend for about a minute or until smooth.
- Transfer to an airtight container or squeeze bottle.
Tips and Tricks
- Add the liquids (mayo, olive oil, and lime juice) to the bottom of the blender first, and then layer the solid ingredients on top. I find that it blends better this way.
- 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 using only cilantro leaves.
- To make this Whole 30, eliminate the cheese and replace it with a bit more Whole 30 compliant mayonnaise.
Recipe FAQs
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.
More Peruvian Recipes
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Aji Verde Recipe (Peruvian Green Sauce)
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 1 whole lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 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
- 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste, (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- To a blender, add the lime juice, olive oil, cheese, mayonnaise, serrano peppers, cilantro leaves, garlic cloves, green onions, 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 using only cilantro leaves.
- Add the liquids to the bottom of the blender and then add the cilantro on top. It helps combine all of the ingredients easily.
- To make this Whole 30, eliminate the cheese and replace it with a bit more Whole 30 compliant mayonnaise.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just made this sauce to the letter — except for the huacatay — and it’s legit. About to pour this on everything. There aren’t many Peruvian options in Detroit, but we do have amazing Mexican supermarkets where we can get pretty much all the Latin ingredients used in your recipes. Thanks, Adrianna!
Hi Sylvia! This makes me so happy!! I’m so glad you love it. It goes well on SO many things. I love it so much! x
If you are averse to cilantro like my wife, you can swap it out for parsley. It is every bit as good.
How much of the Huacatay paste do you use? It’s not listed in the recipe. Thanks!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for letting us know. We’ve updated the recipe to not include the huacatay paste since it can be difficult to find. The sauce still tastes really delicious!
Hi,
I had already purchased the Huacatay paste, so I went ahead and added 2 tsps. It was delicious! I do feel that it bumped the flavor up to what I’m used to getting from Peruvian restaurants.
Question: how much huacatay paste do you add (it’s not listed in the main ingredients)? BTW: I love aji verde, and hope to perfect my recipe. It’s delicious, and goes with everything.
The first set of ingredients doesn’t list the huacatay paste or the aji panca. Those are only listed in the second set of ingredients before the nutrition section but without any quantities. So I made it with the just the first set of ingredients and it turned out very well.
Have you since tried freezing? I won’t be home for a few weeks and I don’t know how long this batch will last in the refrigerator. I don’t want to lose a drop.
i haven’t tried freezing it but it should work! the cheese sauce could act a little funny after it’s thawed but you could probably just re-blend it and it could work great.
This sauce is life changing. It’s fresh, creamy, and has a good kick of heat. I make it as written and don’t bother removing the stems from the cilantro. So easy, takes like 5 minutes. It thickens up a lot after chilling so I’ll add a little water to make it a drizzling consistency, if that’s what I’m after. I urge you to get the Amarillo and huacatay. Meat, rice, chips, potatoes, fries, pizza, eggs… put it on everything.
right? this sauce truly makes everything better.
A lot of people use lettuce as one of the bases in this sauce. Have you ever used lettuce with this recipe? Just wondering what it’s not used here.
And how about cumin? Would you recommend adding?
never heard of that! i don’t add cumin but you’re more than welcome to try it. the recipe you see here is my favorite version. 🙂
This is frustrating. No info on how to use fresh huacatay…only oaste!! Recipe doesn’t even use aji amarillo. N
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.
But how much should I use? I’m not sure what to do with it.
Thank you very much for the recipe. I like your green sauce recipe., Thank you again.
wonderful!
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?
next time you can add a teeny bit more oil OR a little more evaported milk or even water.