Ají verde (Peruvian green sauce)

Name: Ají verde (Peruvian green sauce)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 3 jalapeño, stemmed, some seeds removed; 40 g coriander leaves, washed and dried; 60 g queso fresco; 60 g mayonnaise; 1 clove garlic, peeled; 2 tbsp lime juice; 2 tbsp neutral vegetable oil; ½ tsp salt

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Ají verde

Creamy, spicy green sauce of fresh chillies, cilantro, fresh cheese, lime and garlic, best known as the sauce for Peruvian rotisserie chicken.

Ají verde (Peruvian green sauce) is a Peruvian sauce, ready in about 10 minutes and made with jalapeño and coriander leaves. It serves 8 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 10 min
Cook: 0 min
Total: 10 min
Serves: 8
Level: Beginner
Calories: 108

Ingredients

8 servings (about 35 g each)

3 (42 g) Jalapeño (opens in a new tab), stemmed, some seeds removedStand-in for ají limo or ají verde; seed some for less heat.
40 g Coriander leaves (opens in a new tab), washed and driedLeaves and tender stems.
60 g Queso fresco (opens in a new tab)Swap: Feta (Saltier.)Contains milk
60 g Mayonnaise (opens in a new tab)Swap: Plant-based mayonnaise; Greek yogurtContains eggs
1 clove (4 g) Garlic (opens in a new tab), peeled
2 tbsp (30 g) Lime juice (opens in a new tab)
2 tbsp (27 g) Neutral vegetable oil (opens in a new tab)
½ tsp (3 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)

Equipment

Blender (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Stem the chillies and remove some or all of the seeds and ribs, depending on how hot you want it. Wear gloves if your skin is sensitive.
- 3 min
2
Step 2
Blend the chillies, cilantro (opens in a new tab), cheese, mayonnaise (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), lime juice (opens in a new tab), oil and salt until completely smooth and pale green.
- 3 min
- Blender (opens in a new tab)
3
Step 3
Taste and adjust lime, salt and heat. Chill until serving.
- 1 min

About this dish

Origin: Peru · Commonly attributedRecipes vary widely between homes and pollerías; versions with mayonnaise are typical of rotisserie-chicken restaurants.Also popular in United StatesMore food from Peru
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Sauces · Dips & spreads
Cooking method: Blended, No-cook
Taste: spicy (chilli heat), herby, creamy, citrusy
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb
With the listed swaps: Lacto-vegetarian, Egg-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead
Cook more with: Jalapeño · Coriander leaves · Queso fresco · Mayonnaise · Garlic · Lime juice
Techniques: Wet grinding · Emulsification

Allergens

Contains: Milkfrom queso fresco
Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom mayonnaise
May contain: Mustardfrom mayonnaise

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

108 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 35 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

Protein 6%
Carbohydrate 5%
Fat 89%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g
Energy	108 kcal	308 kcal
Protein	1.6 g	4.7 g
Carbohydrate	1.3 g	3.6 g
Net carbohydrate	1 g	2.8 g
Sugars	0.5 g	1.6 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	0.3 g	0.9 g
Fat	10.9 g	31 g
Saturated fat	2.1 g	6 g
Trans fat	0.1 g	0.3 g
Cholesterol	8 mg	24 mg
Sodium	252 mg	721 mg
Salt equivalent	0.6 g	1.8 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 57 mg
Calcium: 49 mg
Iron: 0.1 mg
Magnesium: 4 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 38 µg
Vitamin C: 9 mg
Vitamin D: 0.2 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.1 µg
Folate (DFE): 6 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

A few leaves of huacatay (Peruvian black mint), if you can find it, add a distinctive aroma.

Common mistakes

Blending too briefly — it should be completely smooth and creamy, with no flecks of chilli skin.

Serve with

Pollo a la brasa with fries
Grilled meats, potatoes and yuca
Sandwiches

Storage

Refrigerate in a covered container up to 4 days.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 29 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Goes with

Pollo a la brasa

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & DrizzleCompare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Jalapeño, stemmed, some seeds removed3 piece · 42 g
Queso fresco60 g
Lime juice2 tbsp · 31 g

Used in steps 1, 2

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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