Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce
This Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) is marinated with garlic, lime, and spices, then roasted until the skin is golden and crisp. Serve it with the vibrant ají verde sauce—fresh, spicy, and so addictive you’ll spoon it over everything from chicken to potatoes.
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Equipment
- Food Processor or Blender
Ingredients
Marinade
- 10 garlic cloves, minced 1 heaping tablespoon
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika sweet or smoked
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 10 bone-in chicken thighs
Aji Verde (Green Sauce)
- 1 cup cilantro leaves rough chopped
- 1 Serrano pepper rough chopped
- 3 green onions
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Aji Amarillo
- 2 tablespoons lime juice and zest
- ½ cup mayonnaise
Instructions
Marinading the Chicken
- Mix the Marinade: Mix together 1 tablespoon avocado oil, ½ cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire, 2 tablespoons lime juice1 teaspoon lime zest, 10 garlic cloves, minced, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons honey2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- Coat the Chicken: Put 10 bone-in chicken thighs in a plastic bag or large container with a lid. Pour the marinade on top and squish it around to coat each piece of chicken
- Refrigerate Overnight: Refrigerate for at least four hours, preferably overnight and flip the container every so often to coat evenly
Baking the Chicken
- Take chicken thighs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before you want to cook it
- Preheat the oven to 425°F
- Place chicken thighs on a sheet pan with parchment paper about two inches apart
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F, then turn the heat up to 450° and cook for 30 minutes until the thighs reach 175-185°F.
- If the skin isn’t crisp to your liking, you can broil it for 2-3 minutes
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before eating so that the juices can redistribute.
Make the Aji Verde Sauce
- In a food processor, add 1 cup cilantro leaves, 1 Serrano pepper, 3 green onions, and 3 garlic cloves and pulse to give it an initial chop
- Add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon Aji Amarillo,2 tablespoons lime juice and zest and blend until it’s chopped very finely
- Add ½ cup mayonnaise and blend until smooth
- If using a blender, just put all of the ingredients in and blend until smooth.
Notes
Make sure your oven is clean and you’re prepared for some smoke. This is a smoky recipe and we don’t want the fire alarm going off.
Be sure to give the chicken thighs space so that they crisp up instead of steam in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 1338mg | Potassium: 405mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 433kcal