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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
More Colombian Sauces to Try:
Avocado Sauce (Salsa de Aguacate)
Avocado Hot sauce (Ají de Aguacate)
Colombian Ají Picante Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 seeded small hot pepper or 1 red habanero pepper
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- ½ cup chopped tomato
Instructions
- 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.
ringtones
This is exactly what I need
bestringtoness.com
Posted in: Recipe Tagged: aji picante cilantro colombian dairy free easy fresh gluten free green onion habanero hot sauce keto low carb quick Simple spicy vegan vegetarian
Samantha P.
Is there a recommended way of making chicken with aji?
Monica
My grandmother and mother from Cali, use to make it and taught me. They used tabasco sauce instead of chili pepper and omitted the lime juice. It still has a kick to it.
Jana
Does anyone know how to make this recipe in a big batch to serve at a party?
Erica Dinho
Double the recipe.
c
Erica,
Thank you for bringing soul to the Latin community. I love reading your dishes to remember my mother and grandmother as well. I always look at your blog for the recipes and I also thank you to send me the emails.
Thomas
OMG, I have to try!!!
In Colombia, there are so many different spicy sauces! I used to live in Capurgana, and there was this "Arepa Lady". She was selling arepa from her Kitchen. You could sit on one of the 4-5 plastic chairs outside. She is a really nice person. And every time I went there, I was almost drinking her spicy sauce.
My mouth is watering just to think about it ^^
Melissa
I'm from Medellin, My great grandma always makes something similar to this and we put it in our soup, it's delicious! Will make this since i'm back home in the US.
Heather
I adopted an older child from Colombia 2 years ago and I am so excited to share authentic Colombian food with her! Thanks for your incredible recipes!
Maria
Hi! I love tour website thanks for making it so easy to find recipes of foods I've been dying to try to make! They always come out delicious!
One question for this recipe; there's an empty bullet point after tomatoes in the ingredients. Is there an ingredient missing in your list? Just wanted to double check.
Thanks a lot!!
Erica Dinho
No, that is the last ingredient.
Anonymous
IT LOOKS SO GOOD, YUMMY...! Thanks!
Elvira
Hi, Erica,
Where can jalapenos seeds/or jalapeno chili pepper be purchased in colombia? Who/where to purchase aji chirca?
Region of colombia: atlantico
and antioquia
Please let me know if possible because its a regalo.
Your recipe are fantastic, thank you.
Nadja
Thank you for this recipe! I'm getting married in september and I'm looking for a colombian salsa or something similar for guest wedding favors. It would be great if I could prepare the salsa (or similar) a few weeks before the wedding in a glass jar (like one of those jam jars)... Any ideas? 🙂
Thank you, Nadja from Switzerland
Anonymous
great
Alan Bowman
Hi Erica from Spain
the big problem with aji is getting those tiny lethal peppers here.
Alan
Mark
Outstanding recipe. I used a jalapeño and only 1/4 of the seeds and stems to keep the flavor and avoid the burn. Question: is parsley normally included?
Erica Dinho
Hi Mark,
Every person in Colombia has a different recipe for ají.This is my family recipe. My grandmother always added parsley to her ají,but some Colombians don't add parsley and they add more green onions or cilantro.