This seasoning sauce (aliños) is the base of a lot of traditional and popular dishes in Colombia. It's flavorful, easy to make and versatile.
What is Aliños Sauce?
It is a seasoning mixture made with vegetables and spices that my grandmother kept in her refrigerator all year-round. Every person and region has its own variation, I am sharing my family recipe.
I use Colombian Aliños as a base in some of my recipes and to marinade meat, seafood and poultry.
Ingredients to Make Aliños
The printable recipe card with exact amounts and directions is below. Some people like to add fresh cilantro to their sauce, feel free to add it if you like.
Bell Pepper: I like to use a combination of green and red pepper for flavor and color.
Onion: You can use yellow or white onion.
Scallions: I love the flavor.
Garlic: Adds that extra flavor to the sauce.
Spices: Ground cumin and sazón with azafran or color.
Water: You can add less water for a thicker sauce.
How to Make Aliños Sauce
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process to make a paste.
- Transfer to a glass jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
How to Store
Place in an airtight container in your fridge up to a month or place in the freezer in an ice cube tray like my mom used to do it, then storage the frozen aliños cubes in freezer bags and take every portion every time yo are going to use it.
Recipes to Colombian Aliños
Colombian Style Bread Chicken (Chuleta de Pollo Apanada)
Colombian Seasoning Sauce Recipe (Aliños)
Ingredients
- ½ medium green pepper chopped
- ½ medium red pepper chopped
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 4 scallions chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 cup of water
- ½ tablespoon sazon with azafran or color
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process to make a paste.
- Transfer to a glass jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Amanda
What kind of peppers do you use? Are they like bell peppers or hot peppers? Can you please tell me the most specific name?
Thank you!
I also what to let you know that I absolutly LOVE THIS website I get recipes that my mother in law cooks from here and make them for my husband. I also put my own special ingredients and my husband now tells me I cook better than his mom. 😀 I feel so accomplished thank you!!!
Erica Dinho
Bell peppers.
Jenne
An msg alt to sazón is made. Some stores carry it in MD and SC. It is by Badia and is called sazón tropical. It has been a good alternative.
Sonrisa
Hi Erika!
What do you suggest to use instead of Sazon Goya? It's first ingredient is MSG and that is SO unhealthy! 🙁
Erica Dinho
Achiote.
Cam
Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes. And Maryut, thank you for the tip on storing it.
Maryut
Erika, at my in-law's house, in Cali, they make this salsa aliños, but they cook it in a little oil and once cooled, store in the freezer wrapped in foil.
Irma niño
Where can I find condiments from Colombia besides Sazzon .I love the comino in colombia where can I order online. I live in Houston Texas. Thank you.
Alan Bowman
There are a number of Colombian restaurants in Houston. In my experience there is often a food store adjacent or nearby. If neither is apparent go into the restaurant and ask.
Aimee
Erica, when you say to use 4 scallions, do you mean four little pieces of the scallions that come in the bunch or 4 bunches? I made this and it is watery..not like a paste.
Erica
4 pieces.
Kristian
Cut the water in half, mine was also too watery.
MYRIAM KLEIN
I prepared it for the first time yesterday and it turned out like a paste. I put everything inside the food processor bowl and then pureed it. I left the chicken marinading overnight, will try it tonight, accompanied with some baby potatoes. Looking forward to tasting this.
Suzanne
Can I use Sofrito or Recaito in replacement of this?
Erica
Suzanne-It is different, but you can use sofrito.
christine
hi, i have a quick question...do i have to use the sazon? is there another alternative. sazon is pure msg and i have a sensitivity to it. thank you
Erica
Christine- You can use achiote powder or color. Or just omit the sazón goya.
Clarissa delacruz
I make my own sazón Goya in a jar. I stopped using goya seasonings because they are not healthy at all. For color You can also use turmeric. My Colombian dishes still taste delicious.
RM
How do you make your own?
Luz Adriana
Gracias Erica, yo me chupo los dedos con todas tus recetas, se ven tan faciles!! Espero que el huracan no este cerquita tuyo , pues dices que vives en el Este.
Diana Lopez
I just wanted to share a tip for the aliños. Since it only lasts about a week in the fridge, many of us don't really use it all and end up just tossing it away. You can still make the same amount but whatever you have left you can just put in the freezer. What I do is use an ice cube tray and put a tablespoon in each cube. Whenever a recipe calls for it, you can just throw in as many aliños cubes as you need in the pot or melt them in the microwave.
Erica
Diana- Thank you for your tip!
Anonymous
Wow good tip
Jolanda
Erica, I am married to a Colombian and wanted to find recipes to hopefully make for him (wish me luck!). Thank you so much for posting all of these great recipes. Merry Christmas to you!
Zoila
Seems like all colombian households have this in their fridge!!!! It's the start to the majority of all my meals. I was made in Cartagena Colombia but born in the USA!!!!! So proud of my heritage!
Rosa
I wanted to thank you for your recipes. Keep up the good work
martha
waoh! I thought my father was crazy for wanting to cook food on an open fire here in states...now I know is part of our culture. I'm going to try to make sancocho for my niece who was born here, Wish me luck!
Paola Gastmeier
How did the sancocho turn out??
Jeanette Fitzgerald
I love your recipes and thank you for taking the time to post them for us non Colombian wives. My husband is Colombian and your recipes are by far the best to make when bringing some of his abuela’s cooking to life and also very delicious.
SueC
Followed all directions exactly, but didn't make a paste...rather watery. Hmmmm
Erica Dinho
It's not very thick, if you want it thicker add less water next time.
Cal
Is there an alternative to sazon? I dont want any MSG.
Anonymous
I'm pretty sure they sell sazon without MSG (to me it tastes like watered down sazon without MSG but to each their own). You can also make your own and omit the MSG and add extra salt.
Olga
sus resetas son muibunas,gracias por colocarlsas.