Peruvian Roast Chicken Delight (Print)
Aromatic Peruvian-spiced roast chicken served with a creamy cilantro jalapeño sauce for a bold and satisfying meal.
# What You’ll Need:
→ For the Chicken
01 - 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), butterflied
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
05 - 5 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon ground cumin
07 - 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
08 - 1 tablespoon dried oregano
09 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - 1 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
→ For the Green Sauce (Aji Verde)
12 - 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
13 - 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, seeds removed
14 - 2 garlic cloves
15 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
16 - 1/4 cup sour cream
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
18 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
19 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
20 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# How To Make:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, minced garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, black pepper, salt, and chili powder until well combined.
02 - Pat the butterflied chicken completely dry with paper towels. Rub the marinade generously over the entire surface and carefully under the skin. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight for maximum flavor penetration.
03 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and set a wire rack over it. Place the chicken skin-side up on the rack.
04 - Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the skin is deeply golden and crispy and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.
05 - While the chicken rests, combine the cilantro leaves, jalapeño or serrano chile, garlic cloves, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Carve the rested chicken into serving pieces and arrange on a platter. Drizzle generously with the green sauce and serve any remaining sauce on the side.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The marinade does all the heavy lifting, so you get incredible depth of flavor with very little hands-on work once its in the oven.
- That green sauce, called aji verde, will become your new condiction obsession and you will start putting it on everything from sandwiches to roasted vegetables.
- Butterflying the chicken means it cooks evenly and every single bite gets that crispy, golden skin you dream about.
02 -
- Marinating overnight in the refrigerator rather than just a couple of hours transforms the flavor from pleasant to extraordinary, and I learned this the hard way after impatiently skipping this step once and tasting the disappointment.
- Butterflying the chicken properly is the single most important technique here since a whole uncut bird will not cook as evenly or develop that uniformly crispy skin that makes this dish legendary.
03 -
- Run your hand loosely under the chicken skin before marinating to create a pocket where the spice paste can sit directly against the meat, which guarantees flavor in every single bite rather than just on the surface.
- Let the blended green sauce rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving because the garlic and cilantro need time to marry and the texture improves dramatically as it chills.