I first tasted this sauce in a cooking class in Lima with my friend Alex. We had spent the morning in the market, which had the greatest variety of fruit and vegetables I have seen anywhere, and by the afternoon I was watching a woman blend a batch of something the colour of a marigold. Creamy, fruity, with a heat that arrived late and stayed. I asked what was in it three separate times because I could not believe the answer was that short.
It is that short. Five ingredients, one blender, ten minutes. The catch is that one of those five has no substitute, and I will be blunt about that below.
This is the sauce underneath aji de gallina, Peru’s great shredded-chicken comfort dish. But it does more work than that. I keep a jar in the fridge most weeks and put it on roast potatoes, grilled chicken, rice, eggs, and, thinned with lime, salad.
Want to Build Your Own Peruvian Sauce Kit?
Everything here is shelf-stable and none of it is at your regular grocery store. The paste is the one thing you genuinely cannot fake.
- 🌶 Inca’s Food Aji Amarillo Paste
The non-negotiable: this is the whole sauce. Do not buy powder and do not substitute jalapeño. The paste is what gives you the colour and the creamy texture. - 🥜 Raw Walnuts (Halves and Pieces)
The thickener: Peruvian cooks thicken with ground nuts, not flour. Raw and unsalted matters, because roasted walnuts turn the sauce bitter. - 🫒 Peruvian Botija Olives (Pitted)
The garnish that matters: meatier and less vinegary than kalamata. If you are serving this over potatoes or chicken, these go on top. - 🥤 Inca Kola (Golden Cola)
The pairing: Peru’s national soda, bubblegum and lemon verbena. Sounds wrong, works perfectly against the chili.
Jump to:
What is Peruvian yellow sauce?
Peruvian yellow sauce is a creamy, mildly spicy sauce built on aji amarillo, a yellow chili native to Peru. The pepper runs 30,000 to 50,000 on the Scoville scale, but the heat is slow and fruity rather than sharp, which is why the sauce reads as rich rather than hot.
Aji amarillo is one of Peru’s holy trinity of chilies, alongside aji panca and rocoto. Together they are the backbone of Peruvian cooking, and aji amarillo is the one you will meet first.
Is Peruvian yellow sauce the same as huancaina?
Not quite, and this trips people up.
- Salsa a la huancaina is the classic Lima table sauce: aji amarillo, queso fresco, evaporated milk, and soaked saltine crackers. It is poured cold over boiled potatoes as papas a la huancaina.
- The sauce below is the aji de gallina base: aji amarillo, walnuts, evaporated milk, and Parmesan. It is warmed, slightly thicker, and nuttier.
They are cousins. Both are correct, and both are called Peruvian yellow sauce in ordinary speech. I have given you the walnut version because it is the one I learned in Lima and the one that carries the chicken dish. The huancaina swap is in the variations below.
Peruvian Yellow Sauce (Aji Amarillo Sauce)
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 3-5 tablespoons aji amarillo paste such as Inca’s Food brand
- 1 cup evaporated milk about half a 12-oz can
- ⅓ cup raw walnuts unsalted
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- Add the aji amarillo paste, evaporated milk, walnuts, and garlic to a blender or food processor.
- Blend on high for 60-90 seconds until completely smooth. No walnut pieces should remain.
- Pour into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese.
- Warm gently for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens slightly. Do not boil.
- Taste and adjust: add more aji amarillo for heat, more Parmesan for richness, or a splash of chicken broth to thin. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
How to use it
Over potatoes (papas a la huancaina). Boil waxy potatoes, slice thick, pour the sauce over cold, and top with a hard-boiled egg and a botija olive. This is the version you will be served in Lima before you have even ordered.
As aji de gallina. Stir two cups of shredded chicken into the warm sauce and serve over rice with boiled potato and egg. Full method here.
On grilled chicken. Thin with a splash of milk and spoon over pollo a la brasa.
As a dip. Serve at room temperature with yuca fries or plantain chips.
As a dressing. Thin with lime juice until pourable. Excellent on a chopped salad with corn and avocado.
Variations
Huancaina (the classic table sauce). Swap the walnuts for 4 to 5 saltine crackers soaked in the evaporated milk, and the Parmesan for 4 oz crumbled queso fresco. Blend cold and do not heat. Silkier, tangier, and what most Peruvian restaurants pour over potatoes.
Bread instead of nuts. The oldest Lima method: soak a slice of stale white bread in the evaporated milk before blending. Silkier than walnuts and nut-free.
Dairy-free. Full-fat coconut milk for the evaporated milk, nutritional yeast for the Parmesan. Not traditional, but the aji amarillo carries it.
Hotter. Add a teaspoon of rocoto paste. Rocoto is considerably hotter than aji amarillo, so go slowly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the yellow Peruvian sauce called?
Depending on the version: aji amarillo sauce, salsa a la huancaina, or crema de aji amarillo. All are built on the same yellow chili.
Can I substitute another pepper for aji amarillo?
Not honestly. Habanero gets you fruitiness with far too much heat. Jalapeno gets you heat with no fruit. If you cannot get the paste, the sauce is worth waiting for.
Is aji amarillo sauce spicy?
Mild to medium. Aji amarillo runs 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville, but the evaporated milk and cheese soften it considerably. Start at 3 tablespoons of paste and work up.
How long does it keep?
A week in the fridge, two months frozen. It thickens cold, so loosen with a splash of milk when reheating.
Can I make it without a blender?
A food processor works. An immersion blender works if you chop the walnuts finely first. You do need something mechanical, because the walnuts have to disappear completely.
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