Aji Amarillo: All You NEED to Know About This Yellow Chili Pepper

Reading Time: 8 minutes

Your One Stop Place For All Things Aji Amarillo

Aji-Amarillio-peppers

There are many kinds of varieties of food items available worldwide, like chillies, spices, and other food-related items. Some have incredibly unique and intense flavours, which can elevate any dish to the next level. One of those foods is the Peruvian Aji Amarillo. 

Although there are various ingredients you can use for this purpose, chillies are easily one of the most popular. People of colour especially enjoy the bright taste of different chillies in their cuisines, and they use them widely.

Chillies have lots of species around the globe as every country has its domestic species. The specific chilli you pick depends on what you want to make.

Nowadays, with the ease of online shopping, you can even order those varieties which aren’t available in your region. If you’re looking to improve your cooking game, the aji Amarillo is something you need to add.

If you’re wondering what this spicy pepper is and how you can use it, keep reading below.

We independently research, test, and recommend the best products just for you. In order to keep this site going,  we may receive commissions on some of the purchases made from the links below.

What is aji Amarillo?

Bunch of aji amarillo peppers

This pepper comes from Peru, and the Aji Amarillo is a yellow-coloured chilli. This chilli is a member of the capsicum baccatum family, and it’s a bright-coloured chilli.

However, it changes its colour from yellow to bright orange when it matured. The colour of the chilli is so distinct that it is named after the colour.

Aji means chilli, whereas Amarillo means yellow in Spanish. The Amarillo is 4 to 5 inches long, and it has thick skin.

The Aji Amarillo is a locally grown chilli of Peru, and it grows all over the country, and it’s a staple ingredient in Peruvian cooking. With a Scoville rating of 30’000 to 50’000 units, this chilli packs a lot of heat.

However, alongside the heat, it has a unique sweet fruity taste that makes it perfect for various dishes.

Why Use it?

The Aji Amarillo is a delicious chilli that goes well in various sauces. It pairs exceptionally well with dishes that don’t have a strong flavour themselves.

It can help brighten up any dish with a milder taste, making it a perfect complement. Furthermore, it gives a stunning golden hue to any dish, making your food seem much more appetizing.

This chilli can add a unique texture to any side or main dish. If you like heat and spice, then you will love the flavour of this chilli.

If you find dried ones, you can make a paste and save it in your refrigerator for a few days.

aji amarillo

How to use it?

Aji Amarillo chillies are used in many traditional Peruvian dishes, but you can also use them in many other dishes. The Aji Amarillo is available in many forms like canned, fresh, dried, and paste form.

As we know, it’s hot, so It adds plenty of heat to any dish. You can use this chilli paste as a base for making any dish, or you can use this chilli in various dips with different roasted vegetables or meats.

It also goes with other rice and bean dishes. You can easily make a puree of this chilli.

Just take 3 to 4 chillies, and add hot water to them. Deseed the chillies and blend to make a soft paste.

This paste can be the base of any dish, and you can add some other spices, too, if you want. With this chilli, you can make your very own spice rub by adding few more spices.

You can use aji Amarillo chilli paste or dip with sweet potato fries, tacos, tostones, and salads.

Brands of aji Amarillo

Many brands are producing aji Amarillo paste or sauce and are available in stores and online too.

La Latina Aji Amarillo Paste

A special Peruvian product guaranteed to elevate any dish.

Excellent size
La Latina’s food aji Amarillo paste offers you a 7.5 oz. jar, which is an ideal size.

Delicious taste
It’s a Peruvian special product with a hot and peppery flavour, and it’s high in vitamin c and antioxidants. This brand lets you enjoy the bright taste of Amarillo peppers without missing out on any of the health benefits.

Authentic product
La Latina’s is a trusted brand, and you can be sure that you’re investing in a high-quality product.

Sol Andino Aji Amarillo

Sol Andino Aji Amarillo is an authentic product of Peru.

Versatile sauce
A hot yellow pepper paste, this paste has yellow pepper, salt, and sodium benzoate as preservatives. So, you can use it with different foods.

You can add it to even boring meals for a spicy, memorable kick that’ll make food so much more enjoyable.

Healthy
This Amarillo paste is incredibly healthy, as it has no additional, unnecessary ingredients. You can be sure you’re feeding your family a nutritional product.

Good size
If you’re new to trying spicy foods, you’ll appreciate the handy size of this bottle. It gives you an ample amount of product without being overpowering.

Therefore, it’s the perfect way to introduce yourself to spicy foods.

Rico picante aji Amarillo paste

Pack of 2 aji Amarillo pastes perfect for those looking to spice up their meals.

Authentic flavour
This aji Amarillo paste has an authentic Peruvian taste and compliments any dish as it has a fruity flavour and authentic chillies. This blend has an authentic flavour of Peruvian roasted chillies, spices, and herbs. It has a sweet and subtle blend of chillies and other ingredients, making it a favourite.

Peruvian Amarillo chilli sauce
It’s an award-winning recipe, so you’ll know you’re investing in a quality product. This blend of sauce is versatile, this delicious sauce has a punch of garlic, and it perfectly goes with vegetables, roasted chicken, and French fries.

Handy packs
If you want Amarillo paste on the go, you’ll appreciate the ease of these two jars. You can easily take them along picnics and road trips.

1Kg Aji Amarillo Chilli Paste Rico Picante

A whole KG of Aji Amarillo paste to jazz up your mealtimes.

Healthier
It has vitamin c and antioxidants, so it gives taste along with health. Adding this paste to your meals can make them much healthier and help you ward off various illnesses.

Antioxidants and vitamin C both help you prevent the effects of free radicals and help you keep away the signs of ageing.

Memorable taste
This sauce has a very unique, spicy, and bold taste. The heat of the Amarillo peppers can brighten up any dish without ever being too overpowering.

Furthermore, you can use it in a variety of dishes. You can add it to meat, vegetables, and more, and you can use it to make fiery dips. Store this sauce in a cool, dry place after opening it.

Cost-effective
The aji Amarillo paste is extremely cost-effective, and at a low rate, you can get a whole KG of Amarillo paste. If you like to buy in bulk, you’ll appreciate the ease of this pack.

Where to buy it?

You can find this chilli in Peruvian grocery stores or any big store where Latin American food is available. If you can’t find fresh aji Amarillo where you live, look for dried or frozen forms or the paste of aji Amarillo.

FAQs

Where to buy aji Amarillo paste?

You can buy aji Amarillo paste UK in any big grocery store, or you can order online, where plenty of brands are available. Aji Amarillo is one of the more popular Peruvian chillies so that you can find it easily.

What is aji Amarillo sauce?

Aji Amarillo sauce is a brilliant sauce made with fresh aji peppers. These peppers are 6 to 10 times hotter than jalapeno peppers, making them pretty fiery.

You can use this aji pepper with other ingredients to make sauces like mayo, cilantro dip, cream cheese dip. Furthermore, you can mix them with garlic and lime, tomato paste, shallots, and a little seasoning to make a phenomenal side dish.

What does aji Amarillo taste like?

Unlike say Padron Peppers, Aji Amarillo is a hot and spicy pepper, but along with heat, it has a unique fruity taste reminiscent of mango and raisins. Its bright yellow and orange colour makes it blend beautifully with other ingredients, and it’s an excellent table dip for many food items.

What is aji Amarillo in English?

The literal translation of aji Amarillo means yellow pepper so, you can call it yellow chilli pepper in English. When it’s dried, it takes the distinctive dark orange colour. Like most dried red pepper flakes, you can find this chilli most in dried and frozen form in most countries.

Is aji Amarillo paste spicy?

The Aji pepper is spicier and hotter than a jalapeno pepper. Its spicy and hot flavour is like cayenne pepper and tabasco chillies, but its fruity and sweet element balanced its heat on the medium.

When you mix aji Amarillo peppers with other ingredients like mayo, cream, and tomatoes, it will not remain as spicy as before. It will still be spicy, but it won’t leave your mouth burning as the additional ingredients can help take the edge off.

Wrapping Up

Home chefs and professional cooks alike always want to make their food the best it can be. Using new and exotic ingredients can help you be more experimental and develop new dishes.

The aji Amarillo pepper is one such ingredient that elevates any dish you add it to. This bright, fruity pepper can bring an excellent taste to many dishes.

If you like to keep the spice level low, you might want to mix this in with something creamy to take the edge off. Conversely, if you want to enjoy the fiery heat, you can add Amarillo paste to your dishes to add a pop of colour and intense heat.

Andy Canter

Andy

Ever since I started cooking I’ve been fascinated by how different people’s techniques are and how they best utilise the ingredients around them. Even the person living next door will have their own unique way of frying an egg or cooking a salmon fillet.

This fascination led me on a journey across the globe to discover the countless practices and traditions the world of cooking has to offer. I thought you’d enjoy and find value in sharing that journey with me so I created Cooked Best!Â