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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Made this last night and it was so flavorful. The green sauce is amazing as well. Thanks for another 5 star recipe Jenn.
Absolutely delicious! Thank you
Hi Jenn
Can this recipe be grilled? Either as a whole chicken on a beer can type apparatus or in cut pieces? Also, if so, how long and at what temp should I grill it? We love this recipe but it’s been so hot here I’d love not to have my oven heat up the house! Thanks for all your great recipes and responses to everyone’s questions. It’s so helpful!
Hi Jan, if you want to grill it, I’d suggest cutting it into pieces and using the cooking instructions from this recipe. I’ve never grilled a whole chicken, but if you prefer to go that route, this beer can chicken recipe provides some guidance. Hope that helps! 🙂
I have used this recipe with spatchcocked chicken on the grill and it’s terrific.
I have always grilled for this recipe, just be sure to use indirect heat to cook it, then place over direct heat to finish.
No changes necessary! Absolutely PERFECT! The chicken is delicious and that green sauce gives me life! I will be adding this recipe to my regular list of dishes to make for the family. Thank you so much!
My summer goal is to make delicious family dinners for my college aged kids, my husband and myself as a way to entice everyone to eat at home more. We absolutely love everything I’ve made from Once Upon A Chef- (I have your cookbook and use your website). Tonight’s Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce came out amazingly delicious. All of the recipes have been easy to follow, are healthy and make me look like a great cook 🙂 My plan is working- everyone comes home for dinner and can’t wait to see what I’ve made from Once Upon a Chef. I give all of the credit to you Jenn. Thank you.
💕
Jenn,
The recipe is fantastic, my finicky daughter loves it, she ate most of the chicken. The next time I made it, I made two, so everyone could have enough. I have also used your recipes to make chicken tacos. I cut up pieces of chicken thighs for the marinade, refrigerated overnight and then grilled it. The flavor was outstanding! I used a slaw along with avocado slices and topped with the green sauce. Couldn’t ask for better. Thanks for sharing!!
Will the marinade work for boneless skinless chicken breasts?
Hi Annmarie, I wouldn’t recommend it – I think they’ll turn out tough – sorry!
Well, this was just fantastic! And that green sauce is a must. I’ve made it a couple times now, and it’s always good. I’ve seen many different Pervian Style marinades for chicken before and I’m making it again today, but I’m adding some hoisin as 90% of Peruvian chicken recipes contain hoisin or soy sauce. I’m hopeful it doesn’t ruin such a great marinade. But there’s no way I would change or alter that green sauce. NEVER!!!!! Thanks for such great recipes Jenn.
First I should say I have never written a review for anything before. I have been following and making different recipes of yours for a couple of years now and have loved every single one of them. Purchased your cook book about 6 months ago and finally made this chicken it was outrageously good. I made it using bone in split chicken breast it was moist and delicious the compliments just keep coming from my family. The sauce was just as you described it, you want to drink it!!! We had leftovers of the rice you recommended and chicken so we made rice bowls. Used the sauce and some black beans, lettuce, tomatoes and avocado they were amazing. Thank you for all the instruction and making incredible food that is family friendly!!
❤️
Hello Jennifer, I made this chicken for a dinner party and it came out great, I got lots of compliments. Thank you for another fabolous recepe. I would like to use the same recepe for boneless skinless chicken breast. What temp and time should I use?
Hi AK, Glad you enjoyed the chicken! I wouldn’t recommend this recipe for boneless, skinless chicken breast–I think it will turn out tough – sorry!