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Aji amarillo is an orange-colored pepper from Peru. I haven’t been able to find it in the US in pepper-form, but you can find a paste made from pureed aji peppers in some foreign food markets, or order it online from Amazon. Aji amarillo rates between 35,000 and 50,000 on the Scoville scale, meaning it’s about as hot as Tabasco sauce. It has a nice fruity flavor that reminds me a bit of habanero, but without the scorching heat. I encountered aji amarillo often in dishes throughout Peru when I lived there long, long ago.
Since I love chicken wings, I decided to cook up a batch and instead of saucing them with just a traditional Buffalo sauce, I made a variation that adds aji amarillo paste. The end result was just a bit spicy, with a fantastic fruity pepper flavor.
A Pleasant Spiciness
These were fantastic wings, and definitely a nice twist on the usual. If you like your wings to be a bit spicier, just add more of the aji amarillo paste. Since it’s not overwhelmingly hot you don’t have to worry about a-little-goes-a-long-ways: you can add quite a bit and still get great flavor without burning the roof of your mouth.
I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!
If you’re looking for another Peruvian-inspired appetizer or snack, try my Andean popcorn.
Aji Amarillo Chicken Wings
Ingredients
For the wings
- 3-4 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes separated, tips discarded or saved for making chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Your favorite wing seasoning
For the sauce
- 2 cups Frank's RedHot sauce
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted
- 3-4 tablespoons aji amarillo paste more or less, to taste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
Instructions
For the wings
- Place wings into a large resealable bag.
- Add the oil and toss to coat.
- Add rub, toss to coat and seal.
- Refrigerate for 1-3 hours.
- When done, place wings in a large bowl and add sauce. Toss to coat and serve.
For the sauce
- Whisk all ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
