A versatile Peruvian sauce recipe, this aji amarillo sauce is made with fresh aji peppers and brings a nice level of spice to fried or roasted vegetables and any grilled meats. It’s a wonderful table sauce.
Earlier today I posted a recipe for Aji Amarillo Chili Paste, which is an essential ingredient in Peruvian cooking. As mentioned there, I grew Aji Amarillo peppers in my garden this year and the harvest was quite bountiful.
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 since I grew them, I got to make my own Aji Amarillo Paste from scratch, which is so much better. Fresher for sure.
It allowed me to make this popular Peruvian condiment - Aji Amarillo Sauce.
The Aji Amarillo 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 Aji Amarillo Sauce, shall we?
Aju Amarillo Sauce Ingredients
For the Aji Amarillo Paste
- Aji Amarillo Peppers. Chopped.
- Onion. Chopped.
- Garlic Clove. Chopped.
- Salt.
- Olive Oil.
For the Sauce
- Mayonnaise.
- Crema. Or use sour cream.
- Tomato Paste. Ketchup is a good substitute.
- Shallot. Minced.
- Lime Juice.
- Salt and Pepper.
How to Make Aji Amarillo Sauce - The Recipe Method
Make the chili paste first by adding 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. See my recipe for Aji Amarillo Chili Paste here with more discussion.
To make the sauce, add the following to a mixing bowl - ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup crema (or use sour cream), 1 tablespoon tomato paste (ketchup is a good substitute), 1 small minced shallot, a tablespoon of lime juice, and a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
Like so.
Mix it up with a whisk or a fork.
Boom! Done!
Super easy, isn't it?
Serving Suggestions for Aji Amarillo Sauce
Consider creamy Aji Amarillo Sauce as a dipper for French Fries. It's crazy delicious as a dipper.
Dip any roasted or fried veggies into it for a flavor blast. Spoon it over grilled meats, particularly chicken, like Peruvian Chicken. It's also used over this Peruvian dish of Salchipapa (French Fry and Sausages). It is traditionally served over Tiradito, a Peruvian crudo or ceviche.
I also love to serve it as a salad dressing or use it as the creamy element in a homemade spicy coleslaw recipe.
That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- 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).
Storage & Leftovers
Storing your Aji Amarillo Sauce in an airtight container in the fridge may allow to keep it for up to 1-2 weeks. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate your sauce promptly.
Try Some of My Other Popular Sauce Recipes
- Aji Verde Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Jacked Up Fry Sauce
- Spicy Basil Cream Sauce
- Chipotle Sauce
- Chipotle Aioli
- Chipotle Mayo
- Creamy Sriracha Mayo
- Homemade Buffalo Sauce
- Spicy Mustard Aioli
- Cajun Remoulade Sauce
- Easy Aji Chili Sauce
- How to Make Fresh Chili Paste
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.
Aji Amarillo Sauce – Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE AJI AMARILLO PASTE
- 2 aji amarillo peppers chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
FOR THE SAUCE
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup crema or use sour cream
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (ketchup is a good substitute)
- 1 small shallot minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the paste, add all of the ingredients to a food processor and process until nice a thick paste forms.
- For the sauce, mix in the remaining ingredients. You can either mix by hand or use the processor for a thinner consistency.
- Adjust for salt and pepper and serve!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Paulette Salisbury says
Hi Mike
I get aji peppers from my farmers' market. They are not very big. I have made some of your fermented hot sauce with them and it is delicious. BUT why use only 2 peppers in this recipe? and for the paste? The ratio seems kind of off. I would make a larger batch, but don't want to mess up the flavor balance you have created. I know, peppers vary in heat level and size, of course.
Thanks for all your inspiration.
P.
Mike Hultquist says
Paulette, right, if you have smaller peppers, you can use more of them. The recipe is pretty forgiving and upscales very easily. You don't need that much of the paste to swirl into the other ingredients. But you can make a larger batch with lots of peppers and freeze it. You can realistically use 1 pound of aji amarillo peppers to 1/4 cup oil, scaling the other ingredients appropriately as well.
Carol says
I just returned from a year in Lima Peru. I was looking for a good aji dipping sauce like we had there and this is perfect. I don't have aji peppers so had to use the prepared paste. I suggest starting with one Tablespoon of paste, add the rest of the ingredients then add more paste if needed. Thanks for the recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome, Carol! I love the prepared paste so much. I order it by the case for this stuff! Thanks for sharing. Very happy you enjoyed it.
Anne Van de Kamp says
I found this recipe last year when I was making vegetarian Peruvian sanguches and have come back to it time and time again. I make a large batch of the aji amarillo paste that I freeze in ice cube trays, to have ready when needed. It's really a versatile sauce and easy to make.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Anne! So perfect for freezing. I love it
Todd says
I found this recipe last year while trying to find something to do with my aji amarillo peppers. This sauce has quickly become the favorite thing that I make out of my chilies.
I now make the paste portion at 4x or 8x the recipe, and pour it into a silicone muffin tin, then freeze it. Once frozen, I pop them out and put them in a freezer bag. Then each disc of the frozen paste can be taken out to make a one-cup batch of the sauce. We enjoy our "Peruvian Ranch" throughout the year now. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds perfect, Todd. Yes, great way to use it throughout the year! I love it! Glad you found it.
Lisa says
I purchased the premade pepper paste. How much would I use?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Lisa, start with 1 tablespoon, then adjust from there. I would personally use 2-3 tablespoons, though to preference. Enjoy.
Amy says
OK, LOVED it!
I live in Costa Rica and fresh fish is about the cheapest protein available. I love making Mahi-Mahi ceviche but was trying to replicate a dish I had in Scottsdale (of all places), which included a creamy dollop of an aji amarillo sauce on top of the ceviche.
This was it.
Thank you for the guidance on the aji amarillo powder - it was just about right. I might increase it a tad to intensify the heat, because we're gluttons for punishment in that way...
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, Amy! Super happy I could help!
Amy Lutz says
I will be using ground aji Amarillo powder. Any guesses for how much I should use for this recipe?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Amy, I would use 1 teaspoon to start, then adjust from there.
Amy Lutz says
I haven’t tried this yet but am excited to. I had a ceviche with an aji amarillo sauce poured over it which was amazing, at a hotel in Scottsdale; I’ve been trying to reproduce it ever since, with little success. I’ll keep you posted!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Good luck, and enjoy. Super tasty.
Nan says
I can't figure out how much paste to put in the sauce!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nan, just mix in the whole paste made from the 2 ajis, onion, garlic, salt and olive oil. It's about a couple tablespoons. Let me know if you have any questions.
Richard says
Tried this sauce and boy was it Great! The flavor was just awesome and for me the heat was perfect. This will be a staple in my book for sure.
Thanks, Richard H.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Richard! I love this one, too.