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This Peruvian chicken rivals the juicy, crisp-skinned roast chicken from your favorite Peruvian spot. And the creamy, zesty green sauce? You’ll want to put it on everything!
This Peruvian chicken recipe 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 and juicy with super crispy skin. 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.
“I don’t know I’ve ever eaten a better roast chicken. The rub alone is wonderful, but the sauce??? Oh man, puts it over the top…This recipe is as good as it gets!”
Choosing a Chicken
Look for a whole chicken weighing about 4 pounds, and don’t worry too much about whether the package says “fryer,” “broiler,” or “roaster.” The weight matters more than the label here. A much larger bird will need more time in the oven, so choosing one close to the recipe’s size makes the timing easier to follow.
HOW TO MAKE Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce
Begin by making the marinade. Combine the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, 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 about two-thirds of the marinade under the skin. Then rub the rest of the marinade over top. Place the chicken in a bowl and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425°F, 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°F 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 spicy green sauce. 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 it will thicken up as it sits.
Transfer the sauce to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Carve the chicken and serve with green sauce.
How Spicy Is the Green Sauce?
With about half the jalapeño ribs and seeds included, the sauce has a medium-hot kick. For a milder version, remove them all before blending, then taste and add a little back if you’d like more heat. Jalapeños can vary quite a bit, so starting mild gives you more control.
Make-Ahead, Freezing & Reheating
The long marinade does some of the planning for you: get the chicken ready the night before, blend the green sauce, and the next day you can concentrate on roasting and sides.
- Prep ahead: Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight, as directed. You can make the green sauce a day ahead, too; keep it covered in the fridge and stir before serving.
- Store: Refrigerate leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days, keeping the green sauce separate.
- Freeze: Freeze the cooked chicken in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. I’d make the green sauce fresh rather than freeze it, since its creamy texture can change.
- Reheat: Place the chicken in a baking dish with a splash of water, cover with foil, and warm in a 325°F oven until heated through to 165°F. Uncover toward the end to help the skin crisp up. Serve the green sauce cold alongside.
Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Green Sauce
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice, from 2 limes
- 4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 lb 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 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Combine the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, paprika, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and sugar in a blender or mini food processor. 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 your fingers or the handle of a wooden spoon, gently loosen the skin over the breasts and legs, being careful not to tear it (you want the marinade to stay underneath the skin). Spoon about two-thirds of the marinade evenly under the skin, then spread the remaining third over the outside of the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position, and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Spray a rack (preferably a V-shape) with non-stick cooking spray, then place the chicken on it.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Roast for 20 minutes, until the skin is golden.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue roasting for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. If the chicken is 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 the jalapeño peppers, cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and blend into a smooth sauce.
- With the motor running, open the lid and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. It will seem runny at this point; it will thicken up as it sits. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Be sure to wash your hands well after handling hot peppers, and do not touch your eyes while working with them.
- The nutritional information does not include the green sauce.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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.
What To Serve With Peruvian Chicken
For the full chicken-dinner treatment, add Mexican rice and black bean salad with corn and avocado, and let everyone help themselves. Crispy potato wedges are another great option—especially with extra green sauce for dipping.
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I made this and the meat was rubbery and the skin was not too crispy. I did use “convection” setting on my oven…was this the problem? i otherwise followed the instructions. I’ve read that marinating too long with citrus makes the meat “mushy”, and too long with salt, dries out the meat. Why does this overnight marinade work? I’m trying it again tomorrow night but using brown sugar instead of regular sugar for a little more flavor. hopefully the brown sugar won’t make a mess.
Hi Tina, that’s a bit of a head-scratcher. The way you described the meat as rubbery and the skin as not crispy, makes it sound like it was undercooked. But…because you used the convection setting, I would typically think that the chicken could get overcooked (I don’t recommend using the convection setting for cooking meat). It may have been that you just didn’t get a great chicken (unfortunate, but it does happen). And regarding marinating the chicken overnight, I find that chicken on the bone (particularly a whole chicken) can stand up nicely to a marinade with citrus without a problem. And I’ve never had an issue with the salt in a marinade drying out the meat. Hope that clarifies and that you have better luck the second time around!
Hi Tina, I find when I use my convection setting on my oven, I need to extend the cooking time for any roast chicken. If I follow the time in the recipe and use “convection” my chicken is undercooked and rubbery. I have to “eyeball” it until the skin is crispy enough. Maybe it’s our ovens? Mine is an LG stove. Anyway, better luck next time. I have made this recipe several times, and now I do chicken pieces in the same marinade and either put it in the oven or do it on the grill.
5*****So good! Made with chicken breasts, thighs and drumsticks. Think it would be great w/just wings & drumsticks for super bowl party! Green sauce is delish!
This was the first of your recipes that we tried and it is still a family favorite. We got hooked on Peruvian chicken after visiting El Pollo Inka in Southern California. Your recipe is even better! I love their Saltado de Vegetables and make a slightly different version to go with your chicken; sauteed cauliflower, green beans, and red onion with french fries sprinkled in. I always make extra green sauce and mix some in with the vegetables before serving. This chicken is to die for!!!!
This recipe is on the money. Easy to make and everyday ingredients. Tried this at a local restaurant and loved it then found your recipe and it was even better. Thanks for sharing….it was delish!!! Will be making this more often. 🤗
This is in rotation at our house cause it delicious. I refer to it as “bomb chicken with “crack sauce. Seriously. Speaking of… It’s been a while since I made this now that my mouth is watering.
I LOVE this recipe. It’s very easy and sooooo delish. The sauce is amazing, it can be used for many other dishes as well.
Wonderful recipe! I don’t usually roast whole chickens, but this marinade kept the chicken moist and juicy. The green sauce is delicious with the chicken. I served this with couscous and the whole family gave it a hearty thumbs up!
This is one of my favorite dishes. Thanks Jenn!
I did make an alteration, however. I broiled the jalapeños along with a poblano pepper until soft and charred. I also peeled the skin of the poblano, and blended that up with the rest of the green sauce ingredients. The roasting of the peppers added a wonderful texture to the sauce.
This is the latest hit recipe at my parties! I use legs and thighs instead of a whole chicken, but the beautiful and bold flavors come through just as well and the spicy-kick you get from the sauce is the perfect compliment. At times I grill the marinaded chicken instead of roasting it and is just as good!
One of my favorite recipes on your site!!
This one is a staple in our home. Before our little ones came along, I used to make this recipe as is; and it’s absolutely delicious! However, these day I’ve made it a bit more family friendly, if you will. This is a simple change! I follow the recipe as is, however, I use 4 bone in, skin on chicken breasts in lieu of a whole roaster. This allows for more white meat, which my family loves! As for the green sauce, I follow the recipe as is, and I don’t add any of the jalapeño seeds. This sauce is still flavorful and delicious, just not spicy for little mouths. I always save my leftover green sauce and use throughout the week as a quesadilla dip and as a dip for fresh veggies. Yum!