Name: Aji Amarillo Paste – Recipe
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 2 min
Ingredients: 2 aji amarillo peppers (chopped); 1 tablespoon chopped onion; 1 garlic clove (chopped); Pinch of salt; 1 tablespoon olive oil

Aji Amarillo Paste is widely used in Peruvian cooking. You can buy Aji Amarillo Paste commercially, but here is a recipe to make it at home with fresh Aji Amarillo chili peppers.

I grew Aji Amarillo peppers this year in my garden again and DANG were they productive. The plants produced a huge harvest for me, so I’ve been cooking with Aji Amarillo peppers like crazy this summer and now into fall.

Aji Amarillo peppers have a good level of heat – in the 30,000 – 50,000 Scoville Heat Units range. That’s about 6-10 times hotter than your average jalapeno pepper. Not bad! Learn more about the Scoville Scale here.

The Ají Amarillo is grown in all areas of Peru. Used by the Incas, it is still the most common and popular pepper in that country.

Learn more about Aji Amarillo Chili Peppers.

If you’re a fan of Peruvian cuisine, you most likely need to purchase Aji Amarillo peppers in dried or paste form, which is totally great, but if you’re able to get your hands on fresh Aji Amarillo peppers, they’re so worth it.

Aji Amarillo Paste is one of the most popular ways to cook with them, particularly for making Aji Amarillo Sauce. Check out my Aji Amarillo Sauce Recipe here.

The paste is mixed with other ingredients, including mayo, crema, tomato paste and more to make a simple table or dipping sauce.

Let’s talk about how to make our Aji Amarillo Paste, shall we?

How to Make Aji Amarillo Paste – the Recipe Method

First, add the following ingredients to a food processor – 2 chopped aji amarillo peppers, a tablespoon chopped onion, 1 chopped garlic clove, pinch of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil.

Process the mixture until a thick paste forms.

You can thin it out a bit with water or a bit more oil if you need to, but it is best nice and thick as you’ll be using it as a flavoring component.

Learn more about how to make chili paste with fresh peppers.

NOTE: This will last a week in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

Variations and Pepper Substitutions

I used fresh aji peppers, here, though you can pan cook them or roast them first for a different flavor.

You can also try other peppers, such as other aji peppers, or consider the yellow bell pepper for a no heat version. If you do want some heat, use a mix of peppers, such as a yellow bell along with part of or a whole habanero or Scotch Bonnet.

Purchase Aji Amarillo Paste Online at Amazon (Affiliate link, my friends).

That’s it, my friends! I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Try Some of My Other Chili Paste Recipes

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! — Mike H.

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5 from 6 votes