Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Peruvian

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1 15

marinade: 8

Total Time: 9 30

Servings: people

Calories: 828kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce delivers a delicious, juicy Peruvian-style roast chicken with a spicy and addictive aji verde sauce!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

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Equipment

Baking Sheet

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.

Notes

Recipe courtesy of my mom, Susie Gall.

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.

Storage: Store Peruvian chicken with green sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition