Aji Amarillo Pepper Seeds

Enjoy some chilis that are part of the “holy trinity” in Peru by growing these Aji Amarillo pepper seeds. The word Aji in Spanish means chili pepper, and Amarillo means yellow. Although the name literally means “yellow chili pepper” you’ll see that these delightful peppers mature to a beautiful deep orange, almost red, color as they mature. The chilis start out pointing upwards a light yellowish-green color, perhaps that’s where the name derived?! As they grow larger the fruit will hang down from its own weight. The pods have thick skin and are fairly meaty. Average length of the Aji Amarillo chilis is about 4-5″ in length and an inch or so in diameter at the thickest portion. Scoville rating for these chilis ranges from 30,000 to 50,000 SHU, about the same as a Cayenne pepper. These very prolific plants can grow as tall as five feet high and will produce about 40 peppers.

You’ll notice that the flavor is subtle and slightly fruity with hints of mango and passion fruit. In Peruvian cuisine the Aji Amarillo pepper is most commonly used to make a sauce (crema de aji) or a paste mixed with a little garlic and red onion, the holy trinity mentioned above. If making a paste, the Aji Amarillo chilis can be used fresh or frozen. Personally, we feel that these chilis pair best with chicken. Excess harvest can also be dehydrated and ground into powder for use in a spice mix.

Although the plants grow fairly tall, they can be grown in containers, we’d recommend a 10-gallon minimum. Aji Amarillo pepper seeds can be started the same as any other chili. Just be sure and use a high-quality seed starting mix and provide enough warmth while germinating. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a newbie pepper grower, you may be interested in taking a look through our guide about starting pepper plants indoors.