Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce (Printable)
A succulent roast chicken marinated in Peruvian spices, served with creamy cilantro aji verde sauce.
# What You Need:
→ For the Chicken
01 - 1 whole chicken (about 3 to 4 lb), butterflied
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
05 - 5 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon ground cumin
07 - 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
08 - 1 tablespoon dried oregano
09 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - 1 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
→ For the Green Sauce (Aji Verde)
12 - 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
13 - 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, seeds removed
14 - 2 garlic cloves
15 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
16 - 1/4 cup sour cream
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
18 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
19 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
20 - Salt and pepper to taste
# How-To:
01 - In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper, salt, and chili powder until well combined.
02 - Pat the butterflied chicken thoroughly dry with paper towels. Rub the marinade generously over and under the skin, ensuring even coverage. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight for deeper flavor penetration.
03 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and set a roasting rack on top. Place the chicken skin-side up on the rack.
04 - Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the skin is deeply golden and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
05 - While the chicken rests, combine the cilantro, jalapeño or serrano chile, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, Parmesan, and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Carve the rested chicken into serving pieces and arrange on a platter. Drizzle generously with the green sauce, passing additional sauce at the table.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The marinade doubles as a flavor bomb for roasted potatoes, so you get a side dish almost for free.
- That green sauce is genuinely addictive, and people will ask for the recipe every single time you serve it.
02 -
- If you skip the drying step before marinating, the skin will steam instead of crisp and you will wonder what went wrong.
- Overnight marinating is not optional if you want the flavor to penetrate to the bone, anything less tastes like chicken with paint on top.
03 -
- Run your blender longer than you think is necessary for the green sauce, grainy sauce is fine but silky sauce is unforgettable.
- Spoon some of the pan drippings over the carved chicken right before serving for a richness that no sauce can replicate.