This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

 Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) with Peruvian Green Sauce (Aji Verde) and Avocado Tomato Cucumber Salad. Can be made in 40 minutes- perfect for weeknights! Vegan adaptable! 

Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) with peruvian Green Sauce and Avocado Tomato Cucumber Salad. Can be made in 40 minutes- perfect for weeknights!Row row row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.~

Mildly spicy and citrusy Peruvian Chicken with Aji Verde Sauce is flavorful and juicy and paried with a simple Avocado-Cucumber- Tomato Salad.  If you are a fast chopper and a multitasker, the whole meal can be made in about 45 minutes. Seriously!

To simplify this recipe, instead of roasting a whole chicken in the traditional way I used boneless, skinless breast and thighs and grilled them instead of firing up the oven- making the cooking process faster, cooler (during the summer months) and without the skin, a bit lighter and healthier.

For mixed households, vegans can substitute portobellos for the chicken using the same flavorful marinade- it’s very easy to grill up both the chicken and portobellos.

 Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) Video

How to make Peruvian Chicken

Grilled Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) with Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce)and Avocado Tomato Cucumber Salad. Can be made in 40 minutes- perfect for weeknights!

Step one: Make the Marinade.

The quick and easy Peruvian Chicken marinade is made with olive oil, garlic, spices and lime juice.

 Peruvian Chicken Marinade with cumin, paprika, lime juice,

Step two: Marinate the chicken thighs (or portobellos).

Marinate the Peruvian chicken while the grill heats up. Or marinate overnight for even more flavor!

Simple, delicious Grilled Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce and an Avocado Tomato Cucumber Salad. Can be made in 40 minutes- perfect for weeknights!

Here I’m using boneless skinless chicken thighs, but breasts would work too, as well as bone-in, skin-on chicken. Keep in mind that boneless breasts cook the fastest and are the leanest, not including these portobello mushrooms.

For a vegan option, substitute Portobellos!

marinated portobello mushrooms

Portobellos can be sliced or grilled whole. Be sure to brush the marinade on lightly, because mushrooms are porous can actually soak up too much, if you are not careful.

Step three: Make the Aji Verde Sauce.

This Peruvian Green Sauce ( also called Aji Verde) truly makes the meal- so don’t skip this part! See recipe notes for a vegan version! Simply blend the ingredients together in the blender. So easy!

 Peruvian Green Sauce or Aji Verde

Step four: Grill.

Grill the chicken over medium heat until internal temp reaches 170F for thighs and 165 for Breasts. Grill optional portobellos until tender and juicy.

Chicken thighs grilling on a grill.

Step five: Make the Salad.

As the chicken thighs and portobellos grill, make the Avocado Tomato Cucumber salad.

making the avocado salad

Avocados and cucumber are diced, and cherry tomatoes are halved. Then it’s simply drizzled with olive oil, lime juice and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Very simple.

Avocado salad with tomatoes and lime

Step six: Serve!

Serve the Peruvian Grilled Chicken with the Aji Verde Sauce and the fresh Avocado Salad, either separately or in wide bowls.  Add Cilantro rice for a heartier meal.

Grilled Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) with Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce)and Avocado Tomato Cucumber Salad. Can be made in 40 minutes- perfect for weeknights!

This Peruvian- style meal is such a great combination of flavors!

Grilled Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) with Spicy Green Sauce and Avocado Tomato Salad! | www.feastingathome.com

Pollo a la Brasa is one of my favorite recipes on the blog!

 Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) with Aji Verde ( Peruvian Green Sauce) and an Avocado Tomato Cucumber Salad. Can be made in 40 minutes- perfect for weeknights!

More recipes you may like:

Hope you like this Peruvian Chicken with Aji Verde Sauce as much as we do. Let us know in the comments below!

xoxo

Sylvia

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Grilled Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce and Avocado-Tomato Salad |www.feastingathome.com

Peruvian Chicken ( Pollo a la Brasa) Recipe w/ Aji Verde

  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Main, chicken recipe,
  • Method: Grilled
  • Cuisine: peruvian
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

A simple recipe for Peruvian Chicken with spicy Peruvian Green Sauce is bursting with flavor and can be made with either chicken or portobellos (a tasty vegetarian option) or both for mixed households. Served with Spicy Cilantro Sauce, Avocado Cucumber & Tomato Salad and optional rice, these can be made into individual Bowls, or served separately.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 1/22 pounds chicken (thigh or breast, boneless, skinless- see notes) Or substitute portobellos!

Marinade:

Peruvian Green Sauce (Aji Verde) : 

  • 1/2 cup sour cream or mayo (see notes for vegan option)
  • 1/2 jalapeño (use less for less spicy)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro- thin stems ok.
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • a squeeze of lime ( 1 tablespoon, save other half for salad)

Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad

  • 2 cups diced or sliced English or Turkish cucumber
  • 12 perfectly ripe avocados, diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes ( yellow and red are nice )
  • cilantro leaves for garnishing
  • olive oil for drizzling
  • generous, 5 finger pinch kosher salt
  • squeeze of lime

Optional Bowl Additions- cooked Cilantro Lime Rice or Mexican Pinto Beans…. or both.


Instructions

  1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
  2. If making rice, start this now on the stove.
  3. Make the marinade in a small bowl. Using a garlic press, finely mince the garlic and place it in the bowl. Add oil, lime juice, honey,  cumin, paprika, coriander, oregano and salt and optional soy sauce. Stir. Toss it with the chicken in a bowl, coating all sides well, and/ or brush it onto the portobellos. Marinate while the grill heats up or overnight for more flavor. (The portobellos will soak up the marinade so if marinating overnight go lightly, reapply before grilling.)
  4. Make Peruvian Green Sauce by placing all the ingredients in a blender and blending until relatively smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.
  5. When the grill is hot, grill the chicken and/ or portobellos, searing both sides well ( using a metal spatula to flip) then turn the heat down or move to a cooler side of the grill to allow the chicken to cook through. Portobellos will cook faster, so plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
  6. Make the salad by placing the diced cucumber in a wide shallow bowl. Add avocado, spacing it out evenly. Add a few cherry tomato halves. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Squeeze with lime juice. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
  7. Serve with the Cilantro Lime Rice. If making bowls, place ¾ cup rice on the bottom of the bowl, add sliced chicken or portobellos to one side, avocado salad on the other side and drizzle with the cilantro sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Feel free to use bone-in, skin-on chicken, although cooking time will increase on the grill.

Instead of grilling you can also roast boneless, skinless thighs, in the oven at 400F for roughly 20 minutes (internal temp 165-170)  or pan-sear ( bone-in, skin-on thighs) then finish in the oven. Traditionally, in Peru, a whole chicken is marinated then roasted in the oven, but to save time here, I used boneless, skinless thighs, and breast would work just as well.

A note on Peruvian Green Sauce ( Aji Verde): Mayo is traditional. I prefer sour cream, or a blend of sour cream and mayo.

***This can easily be made vegan by subbing vegan mayo, or instead of mayo, using 1/4 cup raw cashews and 1/4 cup water, with a tablespoon of lime juice and upping the salt to 1/2 teaspoon, blending in a high-powered blender. If your blender is not “high-powered” soak the cashews for 4 hours first, so they soften.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: -with chicken breast, one avocado and the green sauce
  • Calories: 241
  • Sugar: 2.1 g
  • Sodium: 146.5 mg
  • Fat: 17.7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 4.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 8.5 g
  • Fiber: 3.1 g
  • Protein: 14 g
  • Cholesterol: 48.4 mg

Keywords: Peruvian Chicken, Pollo a la Brasa Recipe, Peruvian Chicken Recipe, Grilled peruvian chicken, Peruvian Green Sauce, peruvian green sauce recipe

Share this with the world

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating

Comments

  1. AMAZING!!!! A family favorite that so many love. I never leave reviews on blogs, but this is a perfect dish with lots of flavor and no one element is too overpowering. Chicken by itself is amazing. We always make extra sauce. Sauce will be lovely over grilled carrots or other veggies. So excited for a yummy GF dish (but I love my gluten). Do you have any suggestions for appetizers before? Even though it’s ‘Peruvian’ I was considering going more mediterranean with baba ganoush/hummus and veggies?

    1. Glad you enjoyed this one Sara! I think Baba and Hummus sounds good! We do have a Peruvian Ceviche if you are feeling adventurous. 😉

Hi, I'm Sylvia!

Chef and author of the whole-foods recipe blog, Feasting at Home, Sylvia Fountaine is a former restaurant owner and caterer turned full-time food blogger. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest and shares seasonal, healthy recipes along with tips and tricks from her home kitchen.

Subscribe
to get recipes via email