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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Really, really delicious. I served it with parboiled rice and black beans. Licked my plate, yes I did!
How many days will the green sauce last?
Gabby
Hi Gabby, it should keep for 4 – 5 days in the fridge.
If you plan on quartering the chickens at butcher shop then marinating and roasting his would you adjust cooking times?
Also, out of curiosity do you have a favorite warming plate brand to use for parties to keep the chicken warm?
Hi JR, If you’re using chicken quarters, I’d preheat the oven to 450 degrees and roast for 35-40 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees; continue to roast for 15-20 minutes more, or until done. Chicken should be done in less than an hour; do not overcook. And I don’t have a warming plate, so unfortunately, I don’t know enough about them to recommend one — sorry!
Jenn-
This turned out amazing for our event! Your cooking times were perfect and everyone loved this meal. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Yay!
Hi Jen,
I’ve been making this excellent recipe on repeat but with thighs and drumsticks, my picky toddler devours this, do you think it would freeeze and thaw well ?
Thanks so much
Hi Liz, Glad you (and your toddler) like this! I haven’t frozen this, so I can’t say for sure, but I think it would work.
This roast chicken turned out perfectly delicious. Next time I will double the recipe for the marinade and the chicken so I have more leftovers. I had plenty of extra green sauce which was a good thing. It’s a perfect dressing on salads, veggies and wraps.
This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. Every time I make this- tons of compliments! I want to prepare this for large group dinner around 20 people. Any tips? Do you think smaller chicken works better with flavors? Any suggestions would be great! Planned on making with sides Mexican rice, green beans, with your coconut flan and tres leches cake. Any other sides you think would be stellar?
Glad you like this Jennifer! Yes, I would suggest going with several smaller chickens. I suspect that only two will fit in an oven at a time, so if you only have one oven, you’ll need to make some of them a little ahead of time. Just reheat them a bit before serving to crisp up the skin. And I think your sides are right on! If you want to start with an appetizer, you could go with the guacamole or roasted tomato salsa. Hope everyone enjoys the meal! 🙂
Awesome recipe! Taste just like the Peruvian chicken I had on a recent trip to Panama. The dipping sauce as my hubby calls it, “This sauce is the truth” 😛 I made it earlier this week (used a whole chicken) and now making it again by the end of this week. It’s currently marinating and will be for dinner tmrw! Thank you!!
Such a great recipe. The flavors were delicious. I used thighs and legs and it worked out great.
And the sauce is simply amazing. Drizzled it on a poached egg this morning and it was so yummy. Thanks for never steering us wrong.
How long should I cook a three and a half pound chicken?
Hi Lesley, the cooking time won’t be significantly different – it may take about 10 minutes less. Just check the chicken to make sure the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh – when it does, you’re good to go. Hope you enjoy!
I made this recipe for a dinner party and it was absolute perfection as is. The green sauce was amazing. We had about a pint leftover and I used it the rest of the week on almost everything I made. I used chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken for ease of serving but would definitely make a whole chicken for a weekend dinner for my family
Holy moly, this chicken (and its accompanying green sauce) were phenomenal. I followed the recipe to a tee (I like the try the “base” version first before I start altering!), and wouldn’t recommend changing a thing. The green sauce is delicious and could easily be used for just about anything (salad dressing, vegetable dip, chip dip!), which is great because it makes quite a lot. I served this dish with Jenn’s recipe for ‘Roasted Corn on the Cob with Lime-Basil Butter’ (also super easy and delicious) and a light green salad. Five stars!