Aji Verde Sauce Recipe (Peruvian Green Sauce)
Published April 11, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious Aji Verde Sauce of spicy chilis, herbs, cheese, and mayo that is pureed together is the perfect accompaniment to any dish. You will be obsessed with the flavors of this sauce the second you taste it.
Sauces are what help bring out and complement flavors in other dishes. It’s a great easy way to help take a simple recipe over the top. If you love sauce like I do, then you must try my Red Pepper Coulis or Lemon-Dill Sauce.
Aji Verde
Aji Verde, also known as Peruvian green sauce, accompanies mayonnaise, herbs, cheese, and chilis until smooth. The result is a mildly spicy, nutty-flavored sauce served on protein dishes, such as Pollo a la Brasa.
This simple recipe can also have some variation to it, especially when it comes to the spiciness of it. For more spice, feel free to add more chilis or even spicier ones, such as a habanero. Opposite to that, if you do not care for spice, you can decrease the number of peppers added. I implore you to make this recipe work for you.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Mayonnaise – Any good full-fat mayonnaise will work. You can also use yogurt if you’d like.
- Lime – Freshly squeezed lime juice is the classic citrus added to the sauce to help balance the flavors. You can substitute it with lemon juice.
- Cilantro – You will need fresh cilantro for color and lemon-lime flavors.
- Green Onions – These add light onion flavors to the sauce. It can be substituted with chives or shallots.
- Peppers — I used a jalapeño and a serrano pepper for this sauce. You can use any spicy green chili you’d like.
- Cheese – I used queso fresco for this recipe. However, you can substitute it with cotija cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Garlic – A few garlic cloves are added to the sauce. You can substitute with 2 teaspoons of garlic granules or powder.
- Huacatay — This is a marigold that produces leaves known as black mint. It is hard to find in the United States and can be substituted with equal parts minced fresh cilantro and mint.
- Amarillo Paste – This is a spicy yellow chili paste made from yellow chilis. It’s optional and can be substituted with 1 teaspoon of seeded and finely minced fresh habanero pepper.
How to Make Peruvian Green Sauce
Add the mayonnaise, cilantro, green onions, seeded jalapeño, seeded serrano pepper, queso fresco, garlic 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.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 2 days ahead of time for freshness.
How to Store: Cover and keep the aji verde in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Chef Notes + Tips
- You can also make this recipe in a food processor by adding everything in and processing at high speed until smooth.
- If it is too spicy, add some lime juice and sugar to try and help balance the flavors.
- Cilantro is a forgiving herb, so adding more or less than the recipe calls for will not overpower it and alter the recipe.
More Sauce Recipes
Aji Verde Sauce Recipe (Peruvian Green Sauce)
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves and stems
- 3 green onions, root end removed
- 1 seeded jalapeño pepper
- 1 seeded serrano pepper
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup queso fresco
- Juice of 1 lime, about 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon huacatay, or 5-6 mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon aji Amarillo paste, optional
- coarse salt to taste
Instructions
- 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.
Thank you!
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!