Ají Verde (Peruvian Green Chile Sauce)
Condiment · Latin American · Peruvian · Sauces · Spicy · Vegetarian
The creamy green sauce of Peruvian rotisserie-chicken shops: jalapeños, cilantro, cheese, garlic and a spoonful of ají amarillo paste blended smooth with mayonnaise.
Untested: not yet made in this kitchen. It is here for the Peppers and Hot Sauce pages and is adapted from the source named in the Notes.
Ingredients
- 2 fresh jalapeños, including seeds and ribs, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste
- 1 cup freshly picked cilantro leaves and small stems
- 2 tablespoons grated cotija cheese or Parmesan cheese
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon juice from 1 lime
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Key ingredients
- Blend everything except the mayonnaise, salt and pepper in a blender until smooth. Add the mayonnaise and blend until the sauce is homogeneous, then season with salt and pepper. Serve it with fries or grilled chicken.
Notes
Source Adapted from Andrea Lynn, “Aji Amarillo (Green Peruvian Dipping Sauce),” Serious Eats (2010, modified 2025). It makes about 1 cup. The page’s title contradicts itself: this is the green ají verde of Peruvian-American chicken shops, in which jalapeño dominates and the ají amarillo is one tablespoon of paste. The method misspells the cheese as “cotjia.”
The pepper Ají amarillo is Capsicum baccatum, fruity and golden-orange when ripe; dried, it is ají mirasol.
Storage The source gives no keeping time. With raw garlic, cheese and mayonnaise, it is a refrigerator sauce; keep it chilled and use it within a few days.
The dish The Peppers and Hot Sauce section (/hot-sauce/) covers ají amarillo and the Peruvian sauces built on it.
The photo The photograph is a stand-in: an ají amarillo cut open, not the green sauce.