This Cilantro Jalapeño Sauce is one of my “I want to put it on everything” sauces, and came about from trying to recreate a wildly popular green sauce recipe from a Peruvian restaurant in NYC.

It’s creamy and flavorful, only takes 5-10 minutes to make, and is perfect with so many dishes!

Jalapeno Cilantro Sauce - In A Weck Jar With Jalapenos, Lime, Garlic, and Cilantro

Last week on my Instagram stories I shared a video of me making this sauce, and I put up a poll asking if people were interested in more simple sauce recipes on the blog.

The answer was a resounding YES!

As in, 97% said yes please. So here’s one of my favorites.

This Jalapeño Cilantro sauce was born out of trying to recreate a green sauce that’s served at a chain of restaurants in NYC called Pio Pio.

The sauce has a bit of a cult following because it’s outrageously delicious, and many have tried to figure out their secret recipe to no avail.

Including me, ha.

When I was living in NYC I would order takeout of their sauce and try to figure it out. I also scoured the internet for clues and found this post from Serious Eats where they try to figure the sauce out as well.

They claimed that one of the secrets was a hot yellow chile paste from Peru, so I even ordered that from Amazon to try to nail the sauce.

But their copycat recipe didn’t taste the same, and not close. Shucks.

Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce - in Glass Jar with Garlic and Lime in Background

These days, I’ve settled down my sauce replicating ambitions and have accepted this sauce for the deliciousness that it is.

This sauce is creamy, bright, and flavorful, and if you try it I really think you’ll LOVE it!

I find myself making it regularly and so far I haven’t tired of it, even after making it for the past couple years.

To make the sauce, place chopped jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, mayonnaise, oil, salt, and pepper in a blender:

Seeded and Ribbed Chopped Jalapeños, Fresh Cilantro, Lime Juice, Avocado Oil, Mayonnaise, Garlic, Salt, and Pepper in a Blendtec Jar

If you have 10 minutes to spare, I recommend using homemade mayonnaise for the best flavor.

I like the sauce on the milder side, so I seeded and ribbed the jalapeños before chopping, but you can leave the seeds and ribs in if you prefer it spicy.

Blend it all up until the sauce is smooth and creamy:

Creamy Blended Jalapeno Cilantro Aji Verde Sauce In Blendtec Jar

Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Sometimes I prefer a little more lime.

I find the sauce tastes slightly better after it chills for a few hours, so it’s great to make ahead!

I actually keep a container of this stuff ready to go in the fridge, and it keeps for a good week.

Jalapeno Sauce - In A Jar With Jalapenos, Lime, Garlic, and Cilantro on Cutting Board

For more quick and easy blender sauces, try my Roasted Red Pepper Sauce or Basil Vinaigrette. Like this sauce, they are also Whole30-compliant. Delicious sauces were one of my secrets to surviving the Whole30!

This sauce is great drizzled on Crispy Smashed Potatoes, spooned onto Spice Rubbed Chicken, drizzled on veggies, and I even use it as a salad dressing sometimes. Enjoy!

Jalapeno Cilantro Sauce In A Weck Jar With Jalapenos, Lime, Garlic, and Cilantro

Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce

Servings: 6 , makes a little over 1 cup of sauce
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
This sauce is based off the Pio Pio green sauce recipe and is one of my "I want to put it on everything sauces." It only takes 5-10 minutes to make.
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Ingredients

  • 3 jalapeños
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro (2oz)
  • 5 medium cloves garlic (1.5 tbsp)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions 

  • For a milder sauce, remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeños, then roughly chop them. For a spicier sauce, leave the seeds and ribs in, and simply chop the jalapeños. You should have about 1 cup of chopped jalapeños.
  • Place the jalapeños into a blender along with all the remaining ingredients (I even include the cilantro stems), and blend on high for at least 30 seconds, until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 183kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 116mg, Fiber: 1g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Joanne Ozug