Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Green Sauce
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Enjoy tender, juicy Peruvian-style roast chicken drizzled with a spicy and irresistibly good green sauce.
This is my take on Pollo a la Brasa, the delicious roast chicken made popular by so many Peruvian restaurants. The chicken is first marinated in olive oil, lime juice, garlic and spices, and then oven-roasted until tender, juicy and crisp-skinned. The accompanying green sauce, which gets its color from cilantro and jalapeño peppers, is spicy, creamy and downright delectable. You can put it on virtually everything, and it even doubles as a fabulous dip or salad dressing.
What you’ll need to make Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken
Before we get to the recipe, a few words on buying a whole chicken. In the poultry department, you’re likely to find birds labeled “broilers,” “roasters” and “fryers.” These labels are based on the weight of the bird, and are meant to suggest a method of cooking. This recipe calls for a four-pound chicken, which is typically considered a “fryer.” This might seem strange since we’re roasting but don’t worry about it — all of these chickens can be used in recipes interchangeably.
How to make Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken
Begin by making the marinade. Combine the lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, cumin, and oregano in a blender or mini food processor.
Blend until smooth.
Using your fingers or a wooden spoon, loosen the skin over the breasts and legs of the chicken.
Spoon 2/3 of the marinade under the skin.
And rub the rest over top. Place the chicken in a bowl and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and set the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. I like to tuck the wings underneath the bird and tie the legs together so the bird holds its shape.
Roast the chicken for 20 minutes, until the skin is golden, and then turn the heat down to 375 degrees and roast for about an hour and ten minutes more. Let the chicken rest, covered with foil, for about 20 minutes before carving.
While the chicken marinates, make the green sauce (recipe adapted from the Serious Eats Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt).
Simply combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, lime juice salt and pepper in a blender or food processor.
And process until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. It will seem thin at first but, don’t worry, it will thicken up as it sits.
Keep in mind that the heat in the sauce comes from the ribs and seeds in the jalapeño peppers. I use about half of the seeds and ribs for a medium-hot sauce. If you’re worried about the heat, you can always leave them out at first and then blend them in to taste. (Also, be sure to wash your hands well after handling hot peppers, and do not touch your eyes while working with them.)
Transfer the sauce to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish the sauce with a sprig cilantro, if desired, and serve with the roasted chicken.
Note: The green sauce in this recipe is adapted from one of my favorite columns, the Serious Eats Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.
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Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Green Sauce
Enjoy tender, juicy Peruvian-style roast chicken drizzled with a spicy and irresistibly good green sauce.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice, from 2 limes
- 4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 pound whole chicken
For the Green Sauce
- 3 jalapeño chili peppers, seeded if desired (I use about half the seeds for a medium-hot sauce), and roughly chopped (see note)
- 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from one lime
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Combine all of the ingredients except the chicken in a blender or mini food processor, and blend until smooth. Remove the giblets from the inside of the chicken and pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels; place in a bowl, breast side up with the legs facing you. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or your fingers, loosen the skin from the flesh over the breasts and legs, being careful not to tear the skin or push all the way through (you want the marinade to stay inside the bird). Spoon about ⅔ of the marinade evenly underneath the skin, and spread the remaining ⅓ evenly over the skin. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Spray a rack (preferably a v-shape) with non-stick cooking spray and place the chicken on top. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Roast for 20 minutes, until the skin is golden. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees, and continue to roast for about an hour and ten minutes more, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. (Keep an eye on it -- if it's browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.) Tent the chicken with foil and let rest for about 20 minutes. Tilt the chicken over the roasting pan to release the juices, then transfer to a cutting board. Carve the chicken and serve with green sauce.
For the Green Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender or food processor and blend into a smooth sauce. With the motor running, open lid and slowly drizzle in olive oil. It will seem very runny at this point but, don't worry, it will thicken up as it sits. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Note: Be sure to wash your hands well after handling hot peppers, and do not touch your eyes while working with them.
- Note: The nutritional information does not include the green sauce.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 614
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 49 g
- Sodium: 694 mg
- Cholesterol: 340 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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Hi Jenn! I’ve been eyeing this recipe ever since I discovered your site and I’m finally ready to make it! I have a question. I just bought an Instant Pot and am wondering how I can make it in there? Thanks so much – Anita
Hi Anita, I haven’t yet purchased a pressure cooker/instant pot (although I know they have really grown in popularity)! I’m a bit of a traditionalist, so I’m not sure if/when I will be purchasing one, but these tips look like they could be useful in converting traditional recipes to ones that would work in a pressure cooker. Hope that helps!
Thanks, Jen! I’m going to go ahead and cook it in the oven. I did get a chicken that about 7lbs. How would you recommend adjusting the cook time? Thanks!
I’d stick with the 20 minutes at 425 degrees, but once you reduce the temp to 375, you’ll need to roast it for a bit longer. I’d suggest about an additional 25 – 30 minutes, but keep an eye on it. (You’ll know it’s done when the juices run clear when you cut between the thigh and leg.). Hope you enjoy!
Thank you for your input on this recipe, Jenn! I made it for my daughter’s birthday and it was wonderful! The cook time you recommended was perfect. The chicken and especially the sauce were a hit. Thanks again for another hit recipe!
This is the best recipe on the internet, hands down. My family adores this chicken. Boneless skinless chicken is typicall what we use instead of a whole chicken. And then we fold it into tortillas with lettuce and tomatoes and drizzle the green sauce over it. The best!!!!
In the green sauce recipe, it calls for “cup of fresh cilantro” does that mean to pack the cilantro or leave it fluffy in the measuring cup?
Hi Suzon, I pack them in (and will clarify in the recipe) – thanks for asking 🙂
Thanks Jenn.
I absolutely love this chicken and the green sauce. I use the green sauce on just about everything. I always get fresh checken from the butcher., already cut up. Rub it down good with the marinade and then I freeze some of it. I always have some in my freezer.
I have made this recipe over and over and over again. I just can’t express the stillness that comes over my guests as they begin to savor this most delicious dish. The only change I’ve made is to spatchcock the chicken for a quick roast. We are actually going to have this for Christmas Eve dinner. Try it – You will LOVE it.
This recipe has amazing flavor. One of my guests said it tastes better than what she’d order in a restaurant. I’m always so proud to serve it!
Here are a few tricks I’ve used: Instead of sour cream, I use Greek Yogurt, since I always have it on hand.
Also, when I roast a whole chicken, I use a Norpro vertical poultry roaster (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004UE87/ref=asc_df_B00004UE875286821/), and I use the following instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook 10 minutes per pound, plus 10 minutes (45 minutes for a 3 1/2 pound chicken, 70 minutes for a 6 pound chicken). If the bird is just out of the refrigerator, add another 10 minutes to its cooking time. Let the bird rest, covered, 10-20 minutes at room temperature.
This method yields perfectly cooked chicken with crispy skin all the way around, every time.
Love this recipe as is. Onceuponachef has become my go to site for making my weekly menu! Very tasty and easy recipes the entire family loves. The green sauce for this recipe is tasty and versital.
This recipe is perfect. It is my go to when I am having guests for dinner. I’ve grilled the chicken and done it in the oven and both ways are fabulous. And the sauce – oh my! It is SO good! If there’s any leftovers I use it on salad or whatever other leftovers I have around. Thanks for always making me look like a great cook!
Really tasty! I served the chicken with roasted baby potatoes and a radicchio salad. We usually do a high heat (Thomas Keller) style roasted chicken. This was more like a rotisserie chicken and delicious in it’s own right. My husband is still in the kitchen “snacking”. The sauce was the star for us and was great on the potatoes as well.
I made a couple of changes:
– Added butter to the chicken prior to roasting and threw baby potatoes in the pan around 40 minutes out.
– Subbed greek yogurt for the sour cream and added an extra cilantro and salt to taste when when making the sauce.
I make this chicken all the time. It’s better to let the chicken marinade overnight and uncovered, so the skin comes out crispier. I also double the paprika, cumin and pepper as we prefer a spicier mix. If the green sauce is too spicy for you, a classic chimichurri sauce tastes great with it.