I’ve never been to Peru, but when I heard about Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce, I knew I had to try it! I love anything spicy, and this aji verde green sauce was calling my name. This roasted Peruvian chicken recipe delivers a delicious, juicy Peruvian-style roast chicken with a spicy and utterly addictive green sauce! My whole family loves this roasted chicken dish.
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What’s in This Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce Recipe?
Also called Pollo a la Brasa, whole roasted Peruvian chicken is bathed in olive oil, lime juice, garlic, and spices, and then oven-roasted until it’s succulent with crispy skin. The green sauce, or aji verde gets its vibrant color from cilantro and jalapeño peppers… it’s so good. A mix of spicy, creamy, and downright addictive!
- Garlic: Creates a savory base of flavor for the marinade.
- Jalapeno: Adds a bit of heat to the marinade.
- Spices: Ground cumin, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika round out the flavor of the marinade, adding extra heat, warmth, and smokiness.
- Sugar: Dark brown sugar adds sweetness to balance out the spicy and savory flavors of the marinade.
- Oil: Olive oil is my favorite to emulsify the marinade, but any kind of oil will work.
- Soy Sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce enhances the umami flavor of the marinade.
- Lime: Fresh juice and zest add brightness and acidity to the marinade.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger adds a fresh and peppery flavor to the marinade.
- Chicken: When shopping for a whole chicken, you may come across different labels on the chicken – ‘broilers’, ‘roasters’, and ‘fryers’. For this recipe, we’re using a 4-pound chicken, so grab a ‘fryer’, it’ll do perfectly!
- Green Sauce: This spicy, creamy aji verde sauce is made from jalapeno peppers, aji amarillo paste, cilantro, basil, Parmesan cheese, ginger, honey, garlic, lime juice, oil, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover Peruvian chicken with green sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
How to Freeze
I recommend carving up the chicken before freezing it in individual portions for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this Peruvian chicken recipe with rice, or even with fried yuca. A great idea is to pan-fry a couple of sweet plantains, which are delicious dipped in the tart green sauce!
Frying plantains couldn’t be simpler too. Peel them, cut them into rounds and pan fry them over medium-high heat in a little vegetable oil until they’re soft and deep golden brown on both sides. Sprinkle them with a little kosher salt – done!
Notes from the Test Kitchen
Make sure to wash your hands after handling the jalapenos, and avoid touching your eyes and other sensitive parts! Trust me, you don’t want to make that mistake even once!
5-Star Review
“This is a home run – the recipe and the roasting technique. Thank a lot for sharing!” -Chris
Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper ribs and seeds removed, diced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder I prefer Penzey’s Chili 3000 or 9000
- ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons lime zest (from 1 lime)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
For the Roast Chicken
- 1 (4-pound) whole chicken
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Peruvian Green Sauce for serving (click for recipe)
Instructions
For the Marinade
- Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl.3 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeno pepper, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 2 teaspoons lime zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- Pour ¼ of the marinade into a smaller dish (you'll use this to brush the chicken).
- Divide the remaining marinade into 2 smaller dishes and reserve one dish for basting the chicken during cooking and another to serve alongside the cooked chicken.
- Keep the marinade refrigerated in airtight, glass containers until ready to use.
For the Roast Chicken
- Line a medium, rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a metal rack over the baking sheet. Cover the metal rack with foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray. (Alternately, a well-seasoned and oiled cast iron skillet can be used for roasting the chicken.)
- Remove the giblets and any excess fat or skin and leftover pin feathers from the chicken. Use paper towels to pat the entire chicken dry and set the chicken on the prepared baking sheet.1 (4-pound) whole chicken
- Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken, truss the chicken, then salt and pepper the outside of the chicken.Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Brush the chicken with ¼ of the marinade.
- Refrigerate the chicken 8-48 hours, uncovered, until ready to cook.
- When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and heat oven to 450°F.
- Turn the chicken, breast side down, onto the wire rack and set the chicken in the oven (middle rack).
- Cook the bird 30 minutes then turn it breast-side up.
- Cook an additional 30 minutes. (If the chicken is getting too brown, cover it with a piece of foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (Don’t wrap the foil around the chicken – just set the foil on top of the chicken.)
- Turn off the oven, baste the chicken with reserved marinade, and set the chicken back in the oven. Replace the foil and leave the chicken 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thighs registers 175°F-180°F.
- Transfer the chicken to a cooling rack and tent with foil. Allow it to rest 15 minutes before serving.
To Serve
- Carve the chicken and place on a serving tray. Drizzle reserved marinade and Peruvian Green Sauce over the chicken and serve.Peruvian Green Sauce
- Serve any extra green sauce and marinade in bowls alongside the chicken and cooked white rice.
Becky’s Tips
- It is best to prepare the chicken, marinade, and green sauce 1-2 days ahead of cooking/serving.
- Nutritional information does not include the green sauce. Click on the green sauce recipe to view nutritional information.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
This was delicious! I used skin on bone in chicken thighs and roasted in the oven. The green sauce is a perfect accompaniment. 5 stars!
Great chicken! Very juicy. Sauce is wonderful!
This is a home run – the recipe and the roasting technique. Thank a lot for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Best chicken ever!!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing, Christine!
WOW! The best chicken I’ve made in a long time! I made this on the weekend for friends and I was so sad because there were no leftovers. Already thinking about making it again.
That’s so awesome to hear!!
Hi I just want to make sure will their be enough marinade to divide three ways? With the measurements it doesn’t seem like a lot at all. Just wondered before making. Thank you.
You should have plenty to divide three ways!