Peruvian Roast Chicken with Green Sauce is truly one of the best roast chicken dishes you will ever eat. Chicken pieces are marinated in a mixture of soy, honey, garlic, lime and spices. It is then baked till tender and juicy with a golden skin. The chicken then becomes a vehicle for the amazing creamy spicy Green Sauce (Aji Verde) that accompanies it. Totally MOUTH WATERING food here! You must try it….
This Peruvian-inspired Roast Chicken with Green Sauce captures the essence of the renowned roast chicken found in Peru and Peruvian eateries worldwide. Boasting a perfect balance of crispy skin, succulent meat, and an explosion of flavours, this dish is a culinary masterpiece that you’ll crave over and over.
The accompanying Aji Verde, a vibrant green sauce, elevates the experience to unparalleled heights. Rich with creaminess from mayonnaise and sour cream, a zesty kick from lime juice, fragrant notes from coriander, and a hint of spice from jalapeños, the sauce doubles as a versatile dressing for salads or condiment for grilled meats and veggies. Its robust flavor profile adds a punch to any meal.
Choosing between the flavourful tenderness of the chicken and the bold, fiery heat of the green sauce is a delightful dilemma. Try it for yourself and let me know which aspect steals your heart. It’s a tough decision!
Step-by-step
This is really a simple dish to prepare. Chicken pieces are marinaded in a mixture of tamari (or soy), honey, garlic, lime and spices. After marinating in the fridge overnight the pieces are then baked to perfection. To finish the dish off it is served with a really easy Green Sauce which takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.
Expert tips
- Use a whole chicken – I much prefer to use a whole chicken which I cut myself into serving pieces. You get the a good carcass for making stock, its cheaper plus you get ALL parts of the chicken, not just one or 2 different portions. I have added a video below from Everyday Food showing the steps if you want to do this at home. It’s very easy once you know how.
- Marinate for long as possible – the longer you marinate the chicken for the better deeper flavour it develops. 8 hours minimum but anywhere up to 36 hours works well.
- Leave room between the chicken pieces – when baking the chicken, make sure to leave room around each piece so that it’s not touching one another. It helps get an even bake all over the chicken and makes it crisp up.
- Make extra sauce – if your anything like me, I love sauce and plenty of it. It’s keeps for 1-2 days and is doubles up as a great ‘Green’ dressing for salads and other grilled meats.
- Leave the seeds in the Jalapeno for a spicy kick – if you love a bit of heat, leave the seeds in the jalapeños. If they are not very spicy, add a little cayenne or chilli flakes or powder to increase the heat to your liking.
Serving suggestions
Peruvian roast chicken with green sauce, also known as “pollo a la brasa con salsa verde,” is a delicious and popular dish. Here are some serving suggestions to complement this flavourful dish:
- Peruvian Rice
- Quinoa Salad
- Grilled Vegetables
- Corn on the Cob
- Potato Wedges
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Avocado Salad
Peruvian Roast Chicken with Green Sauce
Ingredients
SPICED CHICKEN
- 1.8kg whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or buy ready cut pieces)
- 2 tablespoons tamari (or use soy sauce)
- 6 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon honey
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
GREEN SAUCE
- 2 jalapeños, deseeded and roughly chopped
- 1 cup packed coriander leaves and stems
- ½ cup good quality mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- juice of 1 large lime
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
TO SERVE
- Steamed rice of choice (optional)
- Diced avocado, tomato & red onion (optional)
- Lime wedges or cheeks
- Coriander sprigs
- Jalapeños, sliced
Instructions
SPICED CHICKEN
- Place chicken pieces into a large zip-lock bag and set aside.
- Combine all remaining ingredients together for the chicken in a bowl and whisk to combine to make a marinade. Add the marinade to the bag with the chicken and expel as much air as possible then seal the bag. Using your hands, massage the marinade into the chicken pieces by rubbing the bag well and turning to coat. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours but longer if time permits. Overnight is ideal.
- Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan forced). Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Remove chicken from marinade and arrange on the tray, without pieces touching each other, then drizzle each piece of chicken with a little of the excess marinade from the bag. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden and starting to char slightly. Remove, then using a pastry brush, brush chicken pieces all over with the excess liquid that has formed on the baking tray to coat each piece roughly.
- Return chicken pieces to the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 180C (160C fan forced) and continue to bake for a further 25-30 minute or until chicken is cooked through. Chicken should read 75C internal temperature when tested with a temperature probe. Remove from oven and brush excess liquid from tray over chicken again. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Serve the chicken pieces with the Green Sauce and sides of your choice. I served with brown rice and a basic tomato and avocado salsa. Garnish with sliced Jalapeno and coriander sprigs.
GREEN SAUCE
- Place all ingredients for the Green Sauce into a blender, food processor or Nutri-Bullet. Blend until really smooth. Transfer to jug or bowl, cover and chill until required.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - CHICKEN
You can use a whole chicken cut into 8 serving size pieces or you can buy 1.3-1.5kg pre-cut chicken pieces from the supermarket or your butcher. I prefer using a whole chicken so you get every piece of the chicken then people can choose which cut to eat. When buying pre-cut pieces they don’t usually have every cut in it i.e breast, wings, thighs, drumsticks
You could also use just one cut of chicken – choose from: chicken thigh cutlets, marylands, wings or drumsticks if your prefer. - GLUTEN FREE
This dish is gluten free. If however you are not gluten free, feel free to substitute the Tamari with regular or light soy sauce instead. - GREEN SAUCE
The Green Sauce can be used on so many other meals as well. It is a great condiment all round and goes well with any grilled meats, poultry, fish or vegetables. Also makes a wonderful salad dressing or dipping sauce for fried or baked finger foods such as chicken wings, calamari, fish bites, pakoras, samosas etc.
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