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aji picante empanada sauce on empanada
Olga

Aji Picante A Spicy Colombian Empanada Sauce

5 from 1 vote
Aji picante is a classic Colombian sauce that’s tangy, a little spicy, and made with simple ingredients like cilantro, lime, and green onion. Perfect as a dip for empanadas, a topping for grilled chicken, soup, or even drizzled over rice, this sauce is quick to make and it's perfect to keep in the fridge.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 20 Servings
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Colombian
Calories: 12.8
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup Cilantro, leaves and tender stems
  • 1/2 cup Parsley, leaves, and tender stems
  • 4 Green Onions
  • 4 Small Campari Tomatoes (or 2 medium)
  • 1/2 cup White Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Filtered Water
  • 1 whole Lime, juiced
  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/8 tsp Salt Adjust based on preference.
Chili Peppers
  • 1 tbsp Jalapeño Pepper
  • 1 whole Habañero Pepper

Equipment

  • 1 Medium-Sized Bowl
  • 1 Cutting Board
  • 1 Chef Knife
  • 1 Food Processor (optional)

Method
 

  1. Clean and rinse the cilantro and parsley. Remove the stems, keeping the leaves and tender stems, and place them in a fine mesh strainer.
    Chopped cilantro and chef knife on cutting board
  2. Remove the seeds from the jalapeño and habañero peppers.
    Jalapeno and vinegar in food processor
  3. In a food processor, add the jalapeño and habañero peppers with 2 tbsp water. Pulse until finely chopped.
    Empanada sauce aji picante in a small white bowl
  4. Transfer the chopped peppers to a small bowl and stir in 2 tbsp vinegar, ½ tsp salt, and the juice of 1 lime.
    aji in a jar with cilantro, freshly cut lime and sliced jalapeños.
  5. Finely dice the tomatoes and stir them into the pepper mixture.
  6. Finely chop the cilantro, parsley, and green onions, then mix them into the bowl until evenly combined.
  7. Pour in 2 tbsp olive oil and stir well to combine.
  8. Transfer the sauce to a glass jar or airtight container. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 12.8kcal

Notes

Tip: Transfer the sauce to a glass, jar, or air-tight container and allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
Shortcut: chop all of the ingredients using a food processor. Aji picante is a chunky sauce. Therefore, a rough chop works well. 
At first, the combination will seem incredibly acidic, but once the ingredients marinate in the sauce and the tomatoes and greens break down, the acidity will gradually decrease.

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