A delicious recipe for Peruvian Green Sauce (Aji Verde) made with fresh chilies, cilantro, garlic and lime. This version can be made with or without mayo, using cashews as the base (keeping it vegan & plant-based) if you like. Vegan-adaptable.
If you’ve been here a while, you’ve probably seen this old post for Peruvian Chicken with Peruvian Green Sauce – it’s still one of my favorites and today I wanted to share how you can make the flavorful Peruvian Green Sauce, also know as Aji Verde.
Make it the traditional way with mayo, or make it vegan with cashews. either way, you’ll LOVE the flavor!
We use this sauce on so many things- it is a powerhouse of flavor.
What is Aji Verde?
Aji Verde is a green chili sauce from Peru, traditionally made with cilantro, garlic, lime and fresh chilies with a mayo base. A delicious Peruvian green sauce that is spicy, creamy, tangy, and dangerously addicting!
Peruvian Green Sauce Ingredients
- Fresh Green Chili: Typically, Peruvian chilies, called aji amarillo, are used, be we substitute jalapeno or serrano chilies.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is imperative in the sauce.
- Lime: adds a delicious tanginess.
- Garlic- gives a nice bite.
- Mayo or Cashews– the creamy base is typically made with mayonnaise in Peru, but feel free to sub-soaked cashews for a vegan option.
How to make Peruvian Green Sauce
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Adjust the spice level, by adding more fresh chilies to taste.
- To make this vegan, substitute raw cashews and water for the mayo. And of course, you can also use vegan mayo. Very easy!
- Aji Verde Sauce will keep up to 5 days in the fridge.
Ways to serve Peruvian Green Sauce:
- Peruvian Burritos with Aji Verde Sauce
- Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) with Aji Verde
- Burrito Bowls
- Fish Tacos!
- Vegan Crispy Jackfruit Tacos
- Chipotle Grilled Chicken
- Portobello Tacos
- Spicy Mexican Oaxacan Bowl
- Simple Baked Tacos
- Baja Bowls!
This recipe is pretty universal! It can go so on many things- and can take plain old meals and elevate them, so I hope you give it a try!
Happy Week,
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Peruvian Green Sauce (Aji Verde)
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 5
- Yield: ¾ cup
- Category: condiment, vegan
- Method: blended
- Cuisine: Peruvian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A simple recipe for Peruvian Green Sauce ( Aji Verde) that is vegan adaptable- to use in Peruvian Style Meals, burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, or with Peruvian Chicken.
Ingredients
Peruvian Green Sauce (Aji Verde) :
- 1/2 mayo or sour cream (or 1/3 cup cashews and 1/3 cup water -vegan option, see notes)
- 1/2–1 jalapeño or 1/2 a serrano chili (use less for less spicy, you can always add more to taste)
- 1 fat garlic clove
- 1 cup chopped cilantro- thin stems ok.
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon kosher salt,
- a squeeze of lime juice (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down sides if need be. ( See notes for vegan)
Blent until creamy. Taste. Adjust heat, salt and lime to your liking, adding more of each if you want. You want this slightly salty.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Makes 3/4-1 cup.
Notes
A note on Peruvian Green Sauce ( Aji Verde): Mayo is traditional. I prefer sour cream, or a blend of sour cream and mayo. Or the vegan version below!
VEGAN PERUVIAN GREEN SAUCE: Instead of mayo, substitute 1/3 cup raw cashews and 1/3 cup water, and use 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend cashews and water first- in a high-powered blender. (If your blender is not “high-powered” soak the cashews in water for 4 hours first, so they soften a bit.) Blend until creamy then add remaining ingredients- chilies, cilantro, garlic, salt and lime. Taste and adjust heat and salt to your liking. You want this slightly salty.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tablespoons
- Calories: 83
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 81.4 mg
- Fat: 6.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.4 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sylvia you are an inspiration and an incredible chef. I make this sauce often and it is delicious.
Would you be able to share any tips as to why mine never comes out solid green as your does. Its such a gorgeous color that my chopper doesnt produce. Thank you kindly. Sharon
Hi Sharon, thanks so much! The more you blend it, the more the herbs break down and color the sauce. You may just have to blend it a bit longer?
I’ve been making this sauce for years and realized I never left a review. It’s nearly always made as a condiment whenever I’m grilling for guests, and the bowl is always licked clean. It goes with so much and it’s so easy. Sometimes I make it with basil for those who don’t like cilantro and that’s delicious too.
Great to hear Sarah- love the basil! Appreciate you taking time to let us know.
Love this sauce, made it to go with Colombian empanadas. My son always steals any leftover sauce. Have a question, if made with the cashews, can it be frozen?
It should freeze just fine Nancy. Glad you are all are enjoying!
The traditional way is mot with mayo. That’s a rather recent addition that was never in the recipe 20-30yrs ago and it changes the taste. Just use oil to emulsify the thing. Some people also add queso fresco.
Also it is huacatay instead of cilantro but it can be hard to find outside Peru.
So interesting, thanks for sharing. What is used instead of mayo? Would love to find huacatay!
I love all the recipes I’ve seen here and looking forward to making some of them
Nice to hear Carole! Let us know what you try.
Excellent!
This sauce is just fabulous. It goes on anything – roasted veggies, meats, fish. I now make it regularly w/ a few changes – Greek yogurt and Trader Joe’s jarred hot/sweet jalapenos. Thank you!
Thanks Heather!
How would you adapt this receipt for someone who doesn’t like cilantro?
What about subbing with flat leaf parlsely or even basil- different but still yummy.
This sauce is the best I’ve ever had! I make it weekly. I found it originally as a part of your Peruvian chicken recipe and I am hooked. I replace the mayo with Greek yoghurt as I am on a weight loss journey and this helps with calorie counting. I usually double the recipe and then have it as a salad dressing or a dipping sauce for raw veggies. I’ve even had it on scrambled eggs or over sliced steak with brown rice. I could eat this in my sleep it is seriously THAT good! Thanks for the best recipe ever!!!
Perfect Lee- glad you adapted to meet your needs. It great on so many things!
Thank you for this amazingly delicious recipe. I make the cashew vegan version and it’s perfect. I am egg sensitive so I try to avoid them at all times and I was missing aji. I usually double the recipe and make this weekly to keep on hand.
Thanks Jackie! Glad this works for you!
I’ve been making this for years . simple and delicious !! I eat it with everything !
Great to hear Cynthia~!
Crazy delicious. Never had it before but I had a bunch of cilantro left over. I ended up using 3 jalapeños cause I like it spicy.
The garlic totally overwhelmed this classic
Garlic is pretty tradional- you can always use a little less?
I could drink this from the bowl. Delicious!
Wow, this would make cardboard delicious! I made the mayo version and will be making another batch today as I’m nearly out. Thank you so much for sharing this simple and superb recipe. I’ve used it on grilled veggies, eggs, veggie burgers,….
Thanks so much Whitney!
This sauce is over-the-top delicious. I made it with 1/2 mayo and 1/2 Greek full-fat yogurt. I used an entire serrano. For my family it wasn’t too spicy. If I were having guests, I would only use 1/2 serrano. My husband said he could put this sauce on on anything. Simple and delicious.
Awesome, glad everyone liked it!
The sauce is delicious I made it for my family and everybody enjoy .
Thank you
Made it with the cashews and loved it. Do you think hemp seeds would work here too?
I think they would work great here!
We’ve always made this with mayo, but tried the cashews today- delicious and easy!
This is so flavorful!
This sound delicious!!! Would yogurt work as a substitute for the mayo?
I haven’t tried it with yogurt. I’d say yes, just make sure it is full fat?
I love this sauce! Try it over polenta and a beef roast and root veggies in the fall to brighten up the flavors.