Bobby Flay's Spicy Topping Takes Fried Chicken Sandwiches From Good To Great - Tasting Table

"Bobby Flay says that he blends an aji amarillo chili pepper puree with mayonnaise for a quick, knockout condiment to add flavor to fried chicken. According to Flay, "It's hard to get them fresh, but they sell it in a jar that's completely pureed. So you just scoop it out and add it to mayonnaise [...] So, so good. I've been using that a lot.""

"Clocking in at 30,000 to 50,000 on the Scoville scale (Cayenne-adjacent), these spicy, fruity peppers marry intense heat with a distinct mango-meets-passionfruit sweetness for natural dimensionality. Meanwhile, the mayo helps quell the chili pepper's heat to a more accessible level. It's no wonder that Flay chooses these impressive beauties to elevate a fried chicken sandwich ("Boy Meets Grill" won an Emmy, after all)."

"Complex and distinctive, this South American chili pepper is such a staple of Peruvian cuisine that it is considered part of the country's revered, mirepoix-esque trio of garlic, red onion, and aji amarillo. In fact, in Spanish, the pepper's name literally translates to "yellow chili pepper," further emblematic of its iconographic status (all the more impressive considering Peru's world-renowned pepper agriculture)."

Bobby Flay blends aji amarillo chili pepper puree with mayonnaise to create a quick, flavorful condiment for fried chicken sandwiches. Jarred aji amarillo paste is available when fresh peppers are hard to find. Aji amarillo peppers register 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units and combine intense heat with a fruity, mango-and-passionfruit-like sweetness that adds dimensionality. Mayonnaise moderates the chili heat for broader accessibility. Aji amarillo functions as a staple of Peruvian cuisine, often paired with garlic and red onion, and its name literally means "yellow chili pepper," reflecting its central culinary role.

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