Believe it or not, I was a picky eater as a kid. I have no idea why as I love food and will eat pretty much anything now. There were not a lot of things I liked growing up, but chicken was one thing I would always eat. And I still love it. I’m always looking for new or interesting chicken recipes to add to my collection. Peruvian roasted chicken is easy and healthy and delicious. I hope you like it too.
Peruvian roasted chicken starts with marinated chicken pieces. You can use bone in breast pieces, thighs, legs or a mix. I broke down 2 whole chickens into pieces because it is so much cheaper that way. I like to make chicken broth with the remaining parts of the bird too. You can buy the pre cut up whole chickens too.
The chicken is marinated in soy, cilantro, garlic, and spices overnight for maximum flavor and then roasted in the oven. Aji verde sauce makes this meal, and it is SO delicious. It is a creamy, spicy, flavorful sauce with cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, and lime.
I decided to serve this with a side salad. You could also serve it with rice on the side and that would be great too. Store any leftover sauce and chicken in the fridge. The sauce keeps well for about a week if refrigerated.
Peruvian Roasted Chicken with Aji Verde Sauce
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1-2 whole chickens broken down into breasts, wings, thighs and drumsticks or packages bone in thighs or breasts
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1-2 tbsp kosher salt depending on how much chicken
- ground pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
For the Aji Verde:
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 bunches cilantro
- 2 jalapenos
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup cotija or parmesan cheese
- 1-2 limes juiced to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Blend the marinade ingredients for the chicken in the blender until smooth. Pour over the chicken pieces and rub marinade around on them. Let sit overnight in the fridge.
- Line 2 baking sheets with foil and spray with oil spray. Heat oven to 350. Place chicken pieces onto the foil and allow to sit out at room temp for 30 min.
- Bake chicken for 40-75 minutes, depending on the size and cuts of chicken you use. Bone in breasts and legs will take longer to fully cook. Test the thickest pieces near the bone with a meat thermometer. When chicken in 165 or above it is done.
For the sauce:
- Add ingredients to the blender and puree until mostly smooth. Adjust the seasoning with lime and salt. Thin a little with water if it is too thick. Store extra sauce in the fridge.