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5-Minute Ají, also known as Colombian-Style Salsa, is our favorite salsa OF ALL TIME. I am a big salsa girl, so don’t take that statement lightly. It is perfect with tortilla chips, on top of meat, potatoes, rice, eggs, or really, put it on ANYTHING. This Colombian style salsa recipe can be made mild or hot, as desired!
It’s gluten-free, vegan, paleo, Whole30, and delicious.
Ají AKA Colombian Style Salsa
You will love this simple Salsa de Aji Picante, a Colombian Hot Pepper Salsa or known as a Colombian hot sauce! Made with minimal ingredients, and all you need is a food processor and 5 minutes! P.S. love these mason jar lids? These are them!
Roughly chop your ingredients, add to your food processor, pulse, and have for days and days!
MEET KELLI: Kelli worked here at LCK with me doing all things cooking and experimenting with recipes in the kitchen! This recipe is inspired by Kelli’s trip to Colombia, and once I tried it I knew you had to try it as well! I know you will love it as much as I do!
Hi! Kelli here! I work here at LCK with Lexi on recipe development and testing and I’m happy to share this Ají today! I first tasted it on one of the early dates with my now husband, who hails from Colombia. I was hooked from the get-go and have tried many versions since. When we traveled to Bogotá, my husband’s family all knew how crazy I was for ají so everybody always made sure it was on the table and I was even lucky enough that my sister-in-law showed me how she makes her recipe. When I got back my husband and I created our own family version that we’ve been making ever since.
This ají can be found on the table for most meals in Colombia, and is eaten with rice, potatoes, beans and meat dishes. Personally I prefer my ají on…well, just about everything! In Colombia this will be made fresh everyday mostly because there isn’t much left over, but in our household we find the vinegar keeps it for 3-5 days. It can also be used as a marinade for meat.
Serve Aji with (literally anything!), but here are some of our favorites:
- Tortilla Chips
- Rice and Beans
- On Meat
- On Eggs
- With Grilled Seafood
- On Burrito Bowls
Want other easy homemade condiments? Try these favorites:
Watch the video:
5-Minute Ají (Colombian-Style Salsa)
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion rough chopped
- 1/3 cup pickled sliced jalapeños
- 1/2 cup jalapeño pickle liquid see notes
- 1 bunch cilantro washed and de-stemmed
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse about 10 times until all ingredients are chopped roughly the same size. Store in the refrigerator for 5 days. Enjoy on EVERYTHING.
My daughter, adopted from Colombia, loves empanadas with aji. We tried several different aji recipes before deciding that this recipe is the best. It’s a wonderful taste of home for a Colombian girl living in the US. Our whole family enjoys this aji, and I can’t make less than a double batch or it’s gone within a few hours. Thanks for the simple, delicious recipe!
Can you can aji verde sauces?
Cant wait to start using these recipes
I made this for my boyfriends family they are from Colombia and it didn’t last 5 minutes i had to triple the recipe, i did get asked by them if i could can it so they can have some stored. Is there a way to can it like other salsas?
Omg!!! This is delicious. I think this is my new refrigerator staple. And so easy! Thanks so much for sharing !
I’m wondering the same thing !
Making it again right now!
This time it will accompany carne asada.
How spicy would you say this is? My kids love salsa but not too spicy. I was thinking of using just the juice instead of the jalapeños. Also, you used a yellow onion. Would any onion work?
I made it last night, and had pan fried salmon accompanied with the salsa, this morning I had scrambled eggs and … The salsa!
Yummy!
This looks fabulous! But can this be frozen?
Thanks! This cannot be frozen. It is best as fresh as possible, but will keep a few days in the refrigerator.
You can never have too many sauces in your fridge!
My ex husband is also Colombian. He hails from Cali and his mother Bogota. I’ve been making this for fifteen years and am also addicted. I use fresh jalapeno and picked in mine. I love the heat. Or a Serrano can be substituted for even more heat.
This looks so yummy!
Thanks for sharing!