Grilled Peruvian Chicken and rice bowls with Green Sauce
You’re going to love this juicy grilled Peruvian Chicken served with Aji Verde (green sauce) and rice. Such a simple dinner recipe but absolutely packed with flavor.
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What is Peruvian Chicken?
Peruvian Chicken or Pollo a la Brasa is an aromatic, spiced chicken dish. The chicken is traditionally cooked rotisserie-style or over the fire but it can be roasted or cooked in a grill pan too, for convenience. The chicken is served with an incredibly delicious Aji Verde or green sauce which consists of cilantro/coriander, jalapeños and a few tablespoons of mayo. Aji Amarillo paste (a spicy chilli pepper paste) is traditionally used but as it’s not super easy to find, I just use fresh jalapeños but habaneros can also be used. This sauce is seriously addictive and is delicious on all kind of meat and vegetables. It’s even fantastic drizzled over scrambled eggs.
Ingredients needed
- Chicken. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs however you can use any cut of chicken you like. Boneless chicken (thighs or breasts) is great if you’re serving the chicken in a rice bowl like I did.
- Extra-virgin olive oil.
- Lime juice. Lemon juice can be substituted.
- Fresh garlic cloves.
- Smoked paprika.
- Cumin.
- Oregano.
- Salt and black pepper.
For the green sauce
- Fresh jalapeños.
- Fresh cilantro/coriander.
- Garlic.
- Mayonnaise.
- Sour cream. Greek yogurt is a great substitute.
- Lime juice.
- Olive oil.
- Salt and pepper.
To serve
- Rice.
- Lime wedges.
- Extra cilantro/coriander.
How to make Peruvian chicken
- Marinate the chicken: Stir together the olive oil, lime juice and spices in a small bowl then pour over the chicken. Allow to marinate for at least 20 minutes but ideally overnight in the fridge.
- Make the green sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to an airtight container or jar. The sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.
- Grill the chicken: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat then add the chicken and cook for 7-8 minutes per side until cooked through. You can cook the chicken on an outdoor grill or roast in the oven too.
- Serve: Serve the chicken over cooked rice with a generous drizzle of the green sauce with lime wedges and extra coriander/cilantro.
What to serve with Peruvian style chicken
This chicken is delicious served with anything from rice to potatoes. A simple tomato salad is also a great side dish.
Grilled chicken recipes
Ingredients
- 500 g (1lb) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
For the green sauce
- 2 fresh jalapeños
- 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sour cream / Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
To serve
- cooked rice
- lime wedges
- fresh coriander/cilantro
Instructions
- Stir together the olive oil, lime juice, paprika, cumin, oregano, minced garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl then pour over the chicken.
- Allow to marinate for at least 20 minutes but ideally overnight in the fridge.
Make the green sauce
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Transfer to an airtight container or jar. The sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.
Grill the chicken
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat then add the chicken and cook for 7-8 minutes per side until cooked through.
- You can cook the chicken on an outdoor grill or roast in the oven too.
- Serve the chicken over cooked rice with a generous drizzle of the green sauce with lime wedges and extra coriander/cilantro