Peruvian chicken sandwiches with green sauce have a similar flavor profile to my Peruvian roasted chicken with aji verde recipe, but in sandwich form. Marinated overnight in spiced and a touch of vinegar, the chicken is super flavorful. Combine that with a chewy roll, crisp lettuce and red onion, and amazing green sauce and you will want to make these over and over.
Green sauce (or aji verde) is made from blending mayo, sour cream, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, salt, pepper and if you have it, aji amarillo. Aji Amarillo is yellow pepper sauce that adds heat and flavor to the sauce, and I love the extra kick it gives, but you can just use the jalapenos alone if you don’t have it.
These sandwiches would be amazing on telera rolls, or on ciabatta. I most often serve them on my homemade sandwich rolls, which have a similar texture to telera. I always have some in the freezer so that makes it easy. Any store bought roll you like could be used as well as long as it is sturdy (not hamburger bun texture).
Grilling the chicken in these would make this sandwich extra good. I’m usually not inclined on weeknights to start up the grill, so I just pan fry mine in a tiny bit of oil. They still get nice and browned and delicious.
This recipe has been on repeat in my kitchen for years. Hope you enjoy it too.
Peruvian Chicken Sandwiches with Green Sauce
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 3 boneless chicken breasts halved horizontally and pounded to 1/4 inch thick
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp oil
For the sauce:
- 3 jalapenos seeded and stemmed
- 1 tbsp aji amarillo optional
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp white vinegar or more to taste
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
To serve:
- 4 sturdy rolls
- 2 ripe avocados sliced
- red onion thinly sliced
- romaine lettuce leaves
Instructions
For the chicken:
- The day before you plan to serve, halve the chicken breasts horizontally and pound each piece to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Add chicken to a plastic bag with all the marinade ingredients and rub into the chicken breasts. Allow to sit in the fridge overnight.
- Heat a pan with 2 tbsp oil over medium high until very hot. Add the chicken and allow to brown nicely. Reduce the heat and flip the chicken to the other side. Continue to cook on med/med-low until the chicken is fully cooked, flipping as needed.
For the sauce:
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Adjust the seasoning and if it is too thick, add a little water. Place in the fridge in a jar until you are ready to serve. It with thicken up a bit more in the fridge.
To serve:
- Toast the inside of the buns on the stove top or grill or oven. Place chicken on the roll and top with lettuce, avocado, onion and plenty of sauce. Serve with extra sauce on the side.