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Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce in a bowl with avocado salsa, brown rice and lime. Napkin underneath the plate

Peruvian Roast Chicken with Green Sauce

Juicy oven roasted chicken marinated in garlic, lime, tamari and warm spices, served with a creamy Peruvian green sauce known as Aji Verde.
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Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:1 hour
Marinating Time:8 hours
Total Time:9 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Peruvian, South American
Keyword: Aji Verde, Green Sauce, Peruvian chicken, Roast Chicken
Servings: 4
Author: Kate Brodhurst

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 (optional)

  • Steamed rice of choice 
  • Diced avocado, tomato & red onion
  • Lime wedges or cheeks
  • Coriander sprigs
  • Jalapeños, sliced

Instructions

SPICED CHICKEN

  • Place chicken pieces in a large zip lock bag.
  • In a bowl whisk tamari, garlic, honey, lime juice, olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano and salt. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Remove excess air from the bag and seal. Massage the bag well so the chicken pieces coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Overnight gives the best flavour.
  • Heat oven to 220℃ (200℃ fan forced). Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Remove chicken from the marinade and arrange on the tray with space between each piece. Spoon a little marinade over each piece. Roast for 25 minutes until the skin turns golden and begins to char.
  • Remove the tray from the oven. Brush the chicken with the pan juices. Return to the oven and reduce the temperature to 180C (160C fan forced). Roast for another 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken cooks through and reaches 75C internal temperature.
  • Remove from the oven and brush once more with the tray juices. Rest the chicken for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with the Green Sauce and sides of choice. Brown rice with tomato and avocado salad works well. Finish with sliced jalapeño and coriander sprigs.

GREEN SAUCE

  • Place jalapeños, coriander, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
  • Transfer to a bowl or jug. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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: Use a whole chicken cut into eight pieces or buy about 1.3 to 1.5 kg of pre cut chicken pieces from the butcher or supermarket. Using a whole chicken gives a mix of cuts including breast, thighs, wings and drumsticks.
    You also have the option to cook one cut only. Chicken thigh cutlets, marylands, drumsticks or wings all work well.
  • Green Sauce: Aji Verde works as more than a sauce for this chicken. Use it with grilled meat, seafood, roasted vegetables or as a salad dressing. It also works well as a dipping sauce for foods such as chicken wings, fish bites, calamari, samosas or pakoras.
  • Gluten Free: This recipe is gluten free when tamari is used. If gluten free does not matter, replace the tamari with regular soy sauce.