Peruvian-Style Grilled Chicken With Green Sauce Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

  • Butterflying the chicken ensures that it cooks evenly on the grill, even without a rotisserie.
  • A vinegary, spice-filled marinade evokes the best restaurant versions of the dish.
  • Using mayonnaise as a base for the spicy, tangy green sauce makes it creamy and rich. A mix of jalapeños and ají amarillo peppers brings fruity heat.

This Peruvian-style grilled chicken is a recipe I back-hacked from the awesome chicken and green sauce they serve at Pio Pio in NYC. The basics are simple: Butterflied chicken with a vinegar and spice rub gets slow-cooked on the grill, then quickly cooked directly over the coals to crisp the skin. It comes out tender and juicy, and goes perfectly with a simple spicy and creamy sauce made with jalapeños and ají amarillo peppers.

Peruvian-Style Grilled Chicken With Green Sauce Recipe (1)

Making the Green Sauce

When it comes to that kind of Peruvian roast chicken, it's all about the green sauce, right? I mean, sure, the tender chicken, kissed with the smoke of a live fire and a hint of spices and garlic, is pretty damn good on its own, but it's that green sauce—spicy, tangy, and cooling—that keeps us coming back for more, right?

Luckily, the sauce is not too difficult to make: a tangy mayonnaise base, pepped up with a squeeze of lime juice and lemon, along with the heat of fresh jalapeños and a big handful of cilantro. The key is to season it pretty heavily. When made right, it will have a powerful but balanced combination of salty, acidic, spicy, and creamy elements. It's great on grilled chicken, awesome as a salad dressing, perfect for dipping fries into, a nice accompaniment to grilled corn, and excellent drizzled over grilled chicken hash the morning after.

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Prepping the Chicken and Marinade

The best Peruvian roast chicken restaurants cook their chickens on rotisseries, slowly rotating in front of a live flame, fat rendering out from the skin and dripping around and through the meat, distributing flavor and ensuring that the chickens cook evenly. Fortunately, we already know that you don't need a rotisserie to get moist, crispy results from your home grill. All you've got to do is butterfly the bird.

Once you've perfected the basic grilled chicken recipe, the jump to a perfect Peruvian-style grilled chicken is pretty simple. The key is the right marinade. Cumin, paprika, and garlic (freshly minced, please!) are all typical ingredients, as is vinegar. I like to add plenty of salt and black pepper and a couple of tablespoons of oil to make a paste that I can rub all over the chicken.

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How to Grill the Chicken

From there, I simply follow my typicalgrilled chicken procedure—a low, slow start on the cooler side of the grill, with the skin side up, until the skin has dried out and started rendering some of its fat, then a finish over the hot side of the grill, skin side down, to crisp and char it.

Peruvian-Style Grilled Chicken With Green Sauce Recipe (4)

Make sure to make extra sauce, because you're gonna want it on everything.

August 2012

Recipe Details

Peruvian-Style Grilled Chicken With Green Sauce Recipe

Prep10 mins

Cook85 mins

Active30 mins

Total95 mins

Serves4 servings

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

  • 3 whole jalapeño chiles, roughly chopped (see notes)

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) ají amarillo pepper paste (see notes)

  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (1 ounce; 28g)

  • 2 medium cloves garlic

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) mayonnaise

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) sour cream

  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) fresh juice from 1 lime

  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) distilled white vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Chicken:

  • 1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds (1.6 to 1.8kg)

  • 4 teaspoons (12g) kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons (18g) ground cumin

  • 2 tablespoons (18g) paprika

  • 1 teaspoon (3g) freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) white vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable or canola oil

Directions

  1. For the Sauce: Combine jalapeños, ají amarillo (if using), cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and vinegar in the jar of a blender. Blend on high speed, scraping down sides as necessary, until smooth. With blender running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sauce will be quite loose at this point, but will thicken as it sits. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.

    Peruvian-Style Grilled Chicken With Green Sauce Recipe (5)

  2. For the Chicken: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place on a large cutting board, breast side down. Using sharp kitchen shears, remove backbone by cutting along either side of it. Turn chicken over and lay out flat. Press firmly on breast to flatten chicken. For added stability, run a metal or wooden skewer horizontally through chicken, entering through one thigh, going through both breast halves, and exiting through other thigh. Tuck wing tips behind back.

    Peruvian-Style Grilled Chicken With Green Sauce Recipe (6)

  3. Combine salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, garlic, vinegar, and oil in a small bowl and massage with fingertips until hom*ogeneous. Spread mixture evenly over all surfaces of chicken.

    Peruvian-Style Grilled Chicken With Green Sauce Recipe (7)

  4. Light a chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals evenly over half of coal grate. Alternatively, set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.

    Peruvian-Style Grilled Chicken With Green Sauce Recipe (8)

  5. Place chicken, skin side up, on cooler side of grill, with legs facing toward hotter side. Cover grill, with vents on lid open and aligned over chicken. Open bottom vents of grill. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 110°F (43°C). Carefully flip chicken and place, skin side down, on hotter side of grill, with breasts pointed toward cooler side. Press down firmly with a wide, stiff spatula to ensure good contact between bird and grill grates. Cover and cook until skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 145 to 150°F (63 to 66°C), about 10 minutes longer. If chicken threatens to burn before temperature is achieved, carefully slide to cooler side of grill, cover, and continue to cook until done. Do not leave the lid off for longer than it takes to check temperature, or chicken will burn.

    Peruvian-Style Grilled Chicken With Green Sauce Recipe (9)

  6. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Carve and serve with sauce.

    Peruvian-Style Grilled Chicken With Green Sauce Recipe (10)

Special Equipment

Grill, blender, instant-read thermometer, metal or wooden skewer

Notes

For a less spicy sauce, remove the ribs and seeds of the jalapeños before puréeing. Ají amarillo is a Peruvian yellow pepper paste that can be found in most Latin markets. It can be omitted.

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Peruvian-Style Grilled Chicken With Green Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Peruvian green sauce made of? ›

Ají Verde is made from cilantro, scallions, garlic, lime juice, ají amarillo paste, mayonnaise, and a touch of salt. The fresh mint in this version isn't at all traditional, but it is delicious — feel free to skip it if you'd prefer. Some versions also include cheese and/or huacatay "black mint" paste.

Why is Peruvian chicken so good? ›

What makes Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken so uncommonly delicious? It's the spice rub. Not only does it taste amazing, the thick wet rub also creates a sensational crust that seals in juices. The result is a bird that's incredibly juicy with a super-flavorful crispy crust.

What is Peruvian chicken made of? ›

The basics are simple: Butterflied chicken with a vinegar and spice rub gets slow-cooked on the grill, then quickly cooked directly over the coals to crisp the skin. It comes out tender and juicy, and goes perfectly with a simple spicy and creamy sauce made with jalapeños and ají amarillo peppers.

Is Peruvian chicken healthy? ›

With lean, protein-packed chicken and an array of herbs and spices, the chicken itself and the marinade are nutritious. The green sauce also contains calcium-rich Greek yogurt, antioxidant-rich olive oil, and additional herbs and spices. Chicken is less healthy when it is fried (Peruvian chicken is not).

Why is Peruvian food so different? ›

Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients including influences mainly from the indigenous population, including the Inca, and cuisines brought by immigrants from Europe (Spanish cuisine and Italian cuisine), Asia (Chinese cuisine and Japanese cuisine), and Africa (Maghrebi cuisine and West African ...

Is salsa verde the same as green sauce? ›

Salsa Verde, literally green sauce, is a term used to describe a number of green sauces used in various European cuisines including Italian, French and Spanish and then, of course, in Mexican cuisine.

What is the healthiest Peruvian food? ›

  • Lucuma, a popular Peruvian superfood known for its unique maple sweet potato flavor. ...
  • Aguaymanto, a Peruvian superfood that grows on the slopes of the Andes Mountains. ...
  • Kiwicha, also known as amaranth, is rich in vitamin C and fiber. ...
  • Peruvian purple corn, known for its high levels of antioxidants.
Jul 24, 2020

What is the most delicious chicken in the world? ›

Today the poulet de Bresse has the reputation of being the best quality table chicken in the world.

What is the most Peruvian dish? ›

Let me share my 5 favorite (and perhaps most famous) Peruvian dishes with you.
  • Ceviche. I have tried many versions of this Peruvian delight. ...
  • Ají de Gallina. ...
  • Rocoto Relleno. ...
  • Papa a la Huancaína. ...
  • Lomo Saltado.
Dec 19, 2022

What is Peruvian seasoning? ›

• McCormick® Culinary Peruvian Seasoning blends the warm spiciness of cumin, paprika and chili pepper with a flavorful punch of garlic and subtle lime finish for balanced heat and noticeable aromatic quality.

What is a Peruvian chicken called? ›

Pollo a la brasa, pollo asado, blackened chicken, or charcoal chicken is a variety of rotisserie chicken especially associated with the cuisine of Peru.

What country is Peruvian chicken from? ›

It all began in the 1940s when Swiss migrant Roger Schuler needed a way to rescue his bankrupt poultry farm on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. To attract customers, he set up a roadside stand peddling all-you-can-eat chicken that he'd skewered on a thick iron spit rod and roasted over an algarrobina (black carob) fire.

What is the most unhealthy meat in the world? ›

Least healthy meats

Processed Meats: Notably, there are over 200 types of cold cuts and processed meats. These include hot dogs, bologna, and Vienna sausages. Processed meat is often made of less healthy organs like the stomach, lips, and heart.

Is it bad to eat rotisserie chicken every day? ›

"Eating chicken every day as your sole protein source could result in some nutrient gaps," says Burgess. "For example, since skinless chicken breast contains very little fat, consuming it every day may lead to a lack of essential fats in your diet."

Which is healthier, rotisserie or grilled chicken? ›

Rotisserie: Cooking Style

No high-flame fire is required. Low heat in an open flame is sufficient. It is a slow cooking method and is ideal for bigger pieces cooking over a long time. Rotisserie chicken is much lower in calories due to being oven-roasted.

What is green sauce made of? ›

My last green sauce had tarragon, mint, cilantro, garlic, and a jalapeno, blended up with a good glug of white wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, and the end of a container of sour cream. The one before that had a dollop of miso, scallions, arugula, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice.

What does green sauce taste like? ›

It is believed that green sauce is not very spicy. However, as the tomatillos can be slightly sweet, the green chilies add to the heat. Some green sauce recipes will also have jalapenos and serrano which cranks up the heat. Green sauce ranges from a mild to hot spicy flavor.

What is the difference between green sauce and tomatillo sauce? ›

Green salsas usually use tomatillos. Other green salsas omit them. (New question: What are tomatillos? They're fruits similar to tiny green tomatoes, but less watery and more acidic.)

Is tomatillo sauce the same as verde? ›

Salsa verde in Mexico is a green salsa, which could be tomatillo or avocado based. However, salsas are typically referred to by ingredient, not color.

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