You’ll love everything about this Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) with Aji Verde Sauce! It’s easy and bursting with flavor; this can be made in under an hour, baked in the oven or cooked on the grill- perfect for weeknights or special gatherings. Vegan adaptable. Video.
Row row row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.~
This flavorful, juicy Peruvian Chicken with Aji Verde Sauce is one you’ll need to make soon! Cook it on the grill or roast it in the oven, either way, you’ll love it. The Peruvian Green Sauce called Aji Verde is bursting with so much flavor, You’ll want it on everything! We pair the chicken with a simple avocado-tomato salad for a light and lean dinner. The recipe can easily be adapted for vegans (see the recipe notes).
how to make Peruvian Chicken | Video
How to make Peruvian Chicken
Step one: Make the Marinade.
The easy flavorful Peruvian Chicken marinade is made with olive oil, garlic, spices, and lime juice. Just mix it up in a bowl.
Step two: Marinate the chicken.
Marinate the Peruvian chicken while the grill or oven heats up. Or marinate overnight for even more flavor!
Here I’m using boneless skinless chicken thighs, but breasts and bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces would work too. Remember that boneless breasts cook the fastest.
For a vegan option, substitute Portobellos!
Portobellos can be sliced or cooked whole. Be sure to brush the marinade on lightly because mushrooms are porous and can actually soak up too much if you are not careful.
Step three: Make the Aji Verde Sauce.
The creamy delicious Peruvian Green Sauce ( called Aji Verde) truly makes the meal- so don’t skip this part! See recipe notes for a vegan version! Blend the Aji Verde Sauce ingredients in the blender. So easy!
Step four: Grill or Roast.
Grill the chicken over medium heat until internal temp reaches 170F for thighs and 165 for Breasts. Grill optional portobellos until tender and juicy.
Alternatively, you can roast on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a 425F oven until thighs reach 170F or breasts reach 165f.
Step five: Make the Salad.
As the chicken cooks make the Avocado Tomato Cucumber 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.
Step six: Serve!
Serve the Peruvian Chicken with the Aji Verde Sauce on the side, and the fresh Avocado Salad, either separately or in wide bowls. Add Cilantro rice for a heartier meal.
What to serve with Peruvian Chicken
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Perfect Quinoa
- Black Beans
- Pinto Beans
- Peruvian Green Sauce (Aji Verde)
- Pico de Gallo
This Peruvian- style meal is such a great combination of flavors! Pollo a la Brasa is one of my favorite recipes on the blog- please tell us what you think in the comments below!
xoxo
More recipes you may like:
- Cuban Mojo Chicken
- Peruvian Burritos with Aji Verde Sauce (Vegan!)
- Peruvian Green Sauce (Aji Verde) Vegan-Adaptable
- Peruvian Seafood Stew with Cilantro Broth
- Peruvian Minestrone Soup
- Peruvian Ceviche Recipe
- Our best 35 Grilling Recipes for Summer
Hope you like this Peruvian Chicken with Aji Verde Sauce as much as we do. Let us know in the comments below!
xoxo
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Peruvian Chicken
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6
- Category: Main, chicken recipe,
- Method: Marinated
- Cuisine: peruvian
Description
You’ll love everything about this Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) with Aji Verde Sauce! It’s easy and bursting with flavor; this can be made in under an hour, baked in the oven, or cooked on the grill- perfect for weeknights or special gatherings.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 –2 pounds chicken (thighs or breast, boneless, skinless- see notes) Or substitute portobellos!
Marinade:
- 4 garlic cloves- finely minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons honey, agave or sugar
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano ( or 1 tablespoon fresh) or sub thyme or marjoram
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce ( optional)
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
- 1–2 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
- Preheat Grill to medium-high, or preheat OVEN to 425F.
- If making rice, start this now on the stove.
- 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.)
- Make Peruvian Green Sauce by placing all the ingredients in a blender and blending until relatively smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.
- Grill: 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.
- Bake: Place the chicken on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake until cooked through; 165F for chicken breasts and 170F for chicken thighs.
- 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.
- 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
Chicken: Feel free to use bone-in, skin-on chicken, although cooking time will increase. Traditionally, in Peru, a whole chicken is marinated then roasted in the oven, which you can also do!
A note on Peruvian Green Sauce ( Aji Verde): Mayo is traditional. I prefer 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
Wow, all the glowing reviews are spot-on, this was SO easy and SO delicious! The marinade and sauce each came together in just a few minutes and everything was spectacular. My husband just asked that we put it at the top of the recipe rotation! Truth be told, I don’t like to cook, but your recipes are easy and delicious and they make it fun again. Thank you!
Love hearing this Heidi! Really appreciate the review.
This is by far in my top 5 favourite meals of all time. Everyone I have made this for has asked me for the recipe, and then told me how much their friends and family have loved it and asked for the recipe too! Thank you very much indeed. A tremendous culinary and flavour delight. I can’t think of another recipe I’ve found online that comes close to how exceptional this is.
Thanks so much for sharing Lucy!
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe. I never cooked on my life before the pandemic and your dish was the first one that I made for a large party. I marinated the chicken thighs the weekend before of the party and I froze them. Everyone was a amazed about the flavor I made papa a la huancaina and the salad to complete the feast. Easy and wonderful. Thank you
Just love hearing this Alba! So glad you gave it a try.:)
Woah, this was absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed Desiree! Thanks for the review.:)
Oh my gosh- a flavor boom. Amazing
Great to hear you liked it!
Thank you for having so many awesome recipes.
Made this recipe a few times, and it’s delish.
Q:
Would you consider making it into tacos? Or, using naan bread instead of rice? Not a fan of rice as a side dish (yes, I know!) though I like risotto and jambalaya.
Sure! Both options sound great.
I made this recipe for my family and everyone love so much that I made it for my mom’s birthday, since it was for 40 people, I marinated it the weekend before and freeze until the night before of the party. It was a hit. Thank you so much. I followed exactly the recipe and bring me great memories of Peru.
So happy to hear this! Great to know about freezing.
This recipe is such a crowd pleaser! Gluten-free as written (if you sub the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos), and really simple to deconstruct the meal for for picky eaters. Everything can be prepped in advance, which makes it an easy choice for entertaining, and chicken thighs are more forgiving which means more time enjoying your company and less time hovering over the BBQ or oven.
Thanks Crystal!
This recipe has so much flavor. We stumbled upon it as we were looking for a marinade for boneless chicken thighs to grill. The marinade and the sauce… pure perfection. We will be making this again and again!
So happy to hear this Angie!
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe.
I went more than 2 days marinated and it was amazing.
I am doing for my mother’s birthday party.
Great to hear!
I use this recipe for chicken AND for Cauliflower — I prep either a whole head, or process it into steaks. Delish!
Great to hear Lisa!
Made several times. Fantastic.
Would you say subbing the chicken with grilled salmon or shrimp skewers would work? Also, with flank steak?
Thank you in advance.
I bet they would all taste great- I’ve even made this with tofu. 🙂
Made several times. Fantastic.
This chicken is INCREDIBLE. it is so flavorful and our family can’t get enough! The sauce isn’t even necessary, but it is delicious also. We stumbled upon this recipe years ago and without fail it never lets us down!
Glad you are enjoying Catherine! Thanks!
Ahhh, so fresh and delicious! What a wonderful flavorful dish and the colors make a beautiful plate. Just taking the first tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden and what a great dish to show off the golden, orange and red. Delicious and beautiful! Another winner! You never fail to disappoint! Cheers!
I am so happy this worked for you! A beautiful way to use your garden veggies!
I cooked the chicken in my air fryer and it came out perfect! What a delicious yet easy to make dish!
Great idea Robert! Love it.
The trio of the chicken, aji verde (ambrosia per my wife) and cucumber/avocado salad is easy to assemble and restaurant-level delicious and beautiful. It’s healthy and the flavors have sufficient depth to linger. It is a family favorite and go-to when hosting. Highly recommended. Thank you for sharing.
What a beautiful description. So happy you enjoyed Dan!
Hi Sylvia, I’ve made this recipe several times and we love it! I’m making for a family party tomorrow. Can I make the green sauce the day before?
Great to hear Beth! Yes, of course!
Hands down our favorite chicken recipe. I’ve cooked it on the grill, roasted it in the oven, either way it’s excellent and I could just drink the Aji Verde Sauce. Thanks for another home run recipe, Sylvia.
Appreciate this so much Robert- glad you enjoyed it. Do you have a preference between the grill and oven? Just curious. 😉
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?
Glad you enjoyed this one Sara! I think Baba and Hummus sounds good! We do have a Peruvian Ceviche if you are feeling adventurous. 😉