Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce

This Peruvian chicken recipe is bold, juicy, and packed with garlic-lime flavor. A whole chicken is marinated with soy sauce, aji amarillo paste or your favorite hot sauce, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, lime, and olive oil, then roasted until the skin is golden and the meat is tender. Serve it with creamy aji verde green sauce for a spicy, tangy drizzle that makes the chicken, rice, potatoes, fries, and leftovers taste incredible.

A Home Oven Take on Pollo a la Brasa

This is my home-oven version of pollo a la brasa, the Peruvian rotisserie-style chicken that’s usually served with creamy green sauce. While the chicken roasts, make the aji verde and let it chill until dinner is ready. The sauce thickens a little as it sits, and you’ll want it ready for spooning over the chicken, rice, potatoes, fries, or anything else on the plate.

The Chicken, Marinade, and Green Sauce

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Whole chicken: A 3-4 pound chicken works well here. Spatchcocking helps it roast more evenly, so the breast meat and dark meat finish closer together.
• Soy sauce: This seasons the chicken, adds savory depth, and helps the skin take on a beautiful color in the oven. Use tamari or certified gluten-free soy sauce if needed.
• Aji amarillo paste or hot sauce: Aji amarillo is a Peruvian yellow chile with fruity heat and a warm golden color. If you can’t find it, use any hot sauce you enjoy. The flavor will be a little different, but the chicken will still be bold, tangy, and delicious.
• Garlic, lime, and spices: Garlic and lime give the marinade its punch, while cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and black pepper make it warm, smoky, and savory.
• Aji verde: The green sauce is made with cilantro, jalapeños or serranos, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, cotija, salt, and mayonnaise. It’s creamy, spicy, bright, and exactly what this roasted chicken needs. You can make the quick version in the recipe card below, or use my full Peruvian green sauce recipe for more tips.

A Few Roasting Notes

For the best flavor, marinate the whole chicken overnight if your schedule allows. Shorter marinating time still works, but a whole chicken benefits from more time than smaller pieces. Before roasting, remove the chicken from the bag, pat it dry with paper towels, and drizzle it lightly with olive oil so the skin can brown instead of steam.

Spatchcocking helps the chicken roast more evenly, with the breast and dark meat finishing closer together. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the thickest part of the chicken; it should reach 165°F/74°C before resting. I use my Thermapen here because it gives a quick reading without cutting into the chicken. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving so the juices settle back into the meat.

This marinade also works with chicken pieces, including bone-in thighs, drumsticks, wings, boneless thighs, and chicken breasts. Arrange the pieces in a single layer, marinate for less time than you would a whole chicken, and start checking early since they will cook faster. For boneless skinless chicken breasts, marinate for 1 to 4 hours, then bake at 425°F/220°C for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the thickest part reaches 165°F/74°C. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

How to Make the Aji Verde Creamy and Smooth

The green sauce is quick to make, but the texture matters. You want it smooth, creamy, and pourable, with enough lime to taste bright and enough jalapeño or serrano to give it some heat.

I like to blend the cilantro, peppers, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, cotija, and salt first so everything breaks down evenly. Then add the mayonnaise and blend on low just until the sauce comes together. This keeps it creamy instead of thin. Chill it while the chicken finishes roasting, then stir before serving. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

For a milder sauce, use seeded jalapeños. For more heat, use serrano peppers or leave some seeds and membranes in the peppers. After blending, taste and adjust: more mayo makes it creamier and milder, more lime makes it brighter, and a pinch of salt brings the whole sauce together.

Serve It with Fries, Rice, Salad, and Sauce

Peruvian chicken is often served with a generous amount of green sauce and simple sides that balance the bold, garlicky chicken. Fries are classic with pollo a la brasa, and white rice is great for catching extra aji verde. Add a simple salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion, dressed with lime juice or a light vinaigrette, and you have a full meal without much extra work.

Leftovers are especially good the next day. Shred the chicken and tuck it into wraps, tacos, rice bowls, sandwiches, or salads with extra green sauce.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

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Peruvian Chicken Recipe with Aji Verde

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Marinating Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Author: Diana

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This Peruvian chicken is marinated with soy sauce, lime, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and aji amarillo paste, then oven-roasted until juicy with beautifully browned skin. Serve it pollo a la brasa-style with fries, white rice, a simple salad, and plenty of creamy aji verde on the side.

4 servings

This Peruvian chicken is marinated with soy sauce, lime, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and aji amarillo paste, then oven-roasted until juicy with beautifully browned skin. Serve it pollo a la brasa-style with fries, white rice, a simple salad, and plenty of creamy aji verde on the side.

Recipe Video

Equipment

• Kitchen shears
• Gallon sized Ziploc bag or a large non-reactive dish
• Small bowl
• Measuring spoons
• Rimmed baking sheet
• Wire rack
• Paper Towels
• Food processor, or blender
• Instant-read thermometer
• Carving board
• sharp knife

Ingredients 

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For the chicken

• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (15 g) aji amarillo paste
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lime juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 3 to 4 pounds (1.4-1.8 kg) whole chicken spatchcocked, click here for instructions on how to spatchcock a chicken

For the aji verde

• ▢ 1 cup (30 g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, loosely packed
• ▢ 2 medium jalapeños seeded and roughly chopped, or serrano peppers
• ▢ 1 clove garlic peeled
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lime juice from about 1 lime
• ▢ 2 ounces (57 g) cotija or feta cheese crumbled
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¾ cup (180 g) full-fat mayonnaise

Instructions 

• In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, olive oil, aji amarillo paste, garlic, lime juice, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and black pepper.
  
• Place the spatchcocked chicken in a large sealable bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and rub the marinade over the chicken through the bag until evenly coated. Place the bag on a rimmed tray or in a bowl in case of leaks, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
  
• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the used marinade. Pat the chicken dry all over with paper towels, then place it breast side up on the prepared rack. Drizzle lightly with extra olive oil.
  
• Roast for 30 minutes. Baste with the pan juices, if desired, then continue roasting for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the thickest part of the breast and thigh reaches 165°F/74°C.
  
• While the chicken roasts, make the aji verde. Add the cilantro, jalapeños or serranos, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, cotija, and salt to a food processor or blender. Blend until mostly smooth.
  
• Add the mayonnaise and blend on low just until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with the aji verde.

Notes:

• For the best flavor, marinate the chicken for 8 to 24 hours. If you’re short on time, 1 hour still adds good flavor.
• If you don’t have a large sealable bag, marinate the chicken in a large non-reactive dish, cover it, and turn the chicken once or twice while it marinates.
• Patting the chicken dry after marinating helps the skin brown instead of steam. The extra drizzle of olive oil helps the skin crisp in the oven.
• The chicken is done when the thickest part of the breast and thigh reaches 165°F/74°C. Check with an instant-read thermometer.
• Aji amarillo paste gives the chicken its fruity Peruvian chile flavor and warm color. If you can’t find it, use your favorite hot sauce instead. The flavor will be different, but still delicious.
• For a milder green sauce, use seeded jalapeños. For more heat, use serrano peppers or leave some seeds and membranes in the peppers.
• If the sauce is too thick, blend in cold water or lime juice, 1 teaspoon at a time. If it is too thin, blend in more mayonnaise or chill it for 30 minutes to thicken.
• Aji verde can be made while the chicken roasts or up to 4 days ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and stir before serving.
• For gluten-free, use tamari or certified gluten-free soy sauce and check the hot sauce label too.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 6ounces cooked chicken, plus sauce, Calories: 816kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 73g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 27g, Monounsaturated Fat: 28g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 144mg, Sodium: 1168mg, Potassium: 461mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 976IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 3mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

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