Ají Picante (Colombian Hot Sauce)

Colombian Ají Picante is a spicy traditional sauce. Every family and region has its own variation. This is my recipe for Ají Picante or Ají Pique and it's a must to serve with Colombian Empanadas.

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What is Colombian Ají picante or Ají Piqué?

Is a spicy sauce from my hometown Antioquia. We keep it in the refrigerator all year round. It is an absolute must for Colombian Empanadas and it is the perfect sauce to flavor soups, stews and the perfect dipping sauce for papas saladas and patacones.

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Like many traditional Colombian recipes, there are many variations depending on the region and cook. This is my mom's Aji Picante recipe and the way my whole family makes it. I like my sauce with a lot of liquid, but you can adjust the amount if you prefer yours with more herbs.

Growing up in my house we used it in almost every dish my mom made and it is my dad’s favorite condiment. It’s easy to make and you can customize your Colombian ají picante as mild or as hot as you prefer. You really can’t go wrong with this recipe!

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Ingredients You’ll Need

The printable recipe card with exact amounts, directions and step by step video to make Colombian Ají Sauce is below.

Hot Pepper: Here in United States I use red habanero, but you can use your favorite hot pepper. In Colombia this sauce is made with ají pajarito a long hot red pepper.

• White vinegar
• Water
• Salt
• Sugar
• Lime: Fresh lime juice is a must for the best flavor.
• Vegetable oil: You can omit this if you prefer.
• Cilantro: It's one the main ingredients to make ají. Always use fresh herbs.
• Parsley: Fresh parsley.
• Scallions
• Tomato

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How to Make Colombian Ají

• Put the vinegar and habanero pepper in a blender for 2 minutes.
• Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix. Add the vinegar and habanero mix to the bowl and mix well.
• Pour in a glass jar and cover. Refrigerate up to 5 days.

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Tips for Making this Recipe

• Chop by hand if you can or use the food processor. A blender makes it too smooth and different from the traditional texture.
• You can add more salt or lime juice to your taste.
• If you don’t like cilantro, you can use just parsley, but it won’t taste the same.
• Make a bigger batch on the weekend. You’ll use it faster than you think.
• You can omit the vegetable oil.

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This is the kind of sauce that improves a lot of meals without much effort. Once it’s in your fridge, you’ll start reaching for it more than you expect.

If you try it, let me know what you put it on — empanadas are the obvious start, but it works on way more than that.

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Ways to Use Ají Picante

This Colombian hot sauce is must for empanadas, papas rellenas and patacones.

It's also delicious to drizzled on top of soups and stews.

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More Colombian Sauces to Try:

Pink Sauce (Salsa Rosada)

Avocado Sauce (Salsa de Aguacate)

Garlic sauce (Salsa de Ajo)

Avocado Hot sauce (Ají de Aguacate)