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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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Made this last week the whole family absolutely love it! Quick question though, can this also be grilled/broiled rather than roasted?
Glad everyone enjoyed it! The grill would work nicely too. 🙂
I made this last night for dinner. I marinated the whole 6lb chicken for about 8 hours and put it in my rotisserie. This came out so juicy and flavorful. It was magnificent. The green sauce is a must do as well. I paired it with some black beans and rice. Fantastic recipe – fantastic dinner!
I tried this recipe on 4/18/18 and it was PHENOMENAL!!! Hands down better then any I’ve had in a restaurant. I used an organic fryer and although I only marinated for an hour it was THE BOMB!!! I can’t wait to try it out with wings on the grille…. The only problem with this dish is that I had to hide a little from my girlfriend so I’d have a bit for dinner the next night. She absolutely LOVED it! Thank you!
This is a wonderful set of recipes. Marinating the chicken overnight helped to make cooking day a bit easier. I had been looking for a green sauce recipe and am grateful to have found it here. Your efforts are a blessing to those of us lucky enough to come across your site. Thanks soo much, Shawn
❤️
Jenn, I love this recipe and have made it numerous times using a whole chicken and also with skin-on/bone-in pieces. I want to bring it to a get together later this week, but want to make it more of a finger food, as it is a cocktail party. Suggestions? My rating is easily 10 stars!
Hi Deanie, glad you like the chicken! Wings would be a good option for finger food — You can oven roast them; I’d put them on a rack over a cookie sheet at 400° for approximately 50 minutes, flipping halfway through. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Peruvian chicken was ‘slap yo mama’ gooood and DA BOMB with your green sauce!!! Green sauce works as a great salad dressing too!
Hi Jenn!
I just made your green sauce and I almost put a straw in the blender to drink it all!!! This reminds me so much of the green sauce they serve with breakfast burritos down in Houston and you can eat it with chips or anything Mexican or just drink it! Lol! It is sooooo good! Cilantro is my second favorite herb! Greens onions are #1. I can sniff both all day! Clearly I need help for sure! Hahaha! I am going to add some avacado to this and make a dip! My chicken is marinating for tomorrow but am afraid I will have to make another batch of sauce by tomorrow! STOPPIT with these sensational recipes! Am about to make your Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies!
This Peruvian roast chicken was absolutely amazing. I call it whole day chicken. It was a lot of work…but oh my gosh this is outstanding. It will definitely be made again. And I bet this summer I will make it even more using chicken pieces and grilling it instead of roasting. I served it with roasted beets and it was one of the best meals I have made in a while.
Perfect Sunday dinner. Will definitely use for company. I realize that I didn’t read any of the reviews and that’s a first Jenn:
that’s how much I trust your recipes. I used a 6.5# chicken and subbed Greek yogurt for the sour cream so added more lime juice for a bit more tartness.
I have made this multiple times and it is perfection so thank you!! Do you know how best to to adjust the cook time for an 8 pound chicken?
Hi Bridget, I’d probably count on an additional 30-40 minutes, but you’ll have to keep an eye on it. You’ll know it’s fully cooked when the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. (If it’s browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.) Enjoy!
This recipe is a real keeper. I made it using a cut up chicken and I had to hide what remained after dinner so that there would be some leftovers for another night. The marinade made for wonderful meat and the dipping sauce was delectable. It would make for great game-day fare.