Sometimes I wish I were a sample person at Costco, except I’d sneak out samples of this Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce instead of whatever was supposed to be coming out of my little oven. It’s just that I wish everyone could at least have a taste of it! But then, if you make this, you can!
Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce
It’s been a long time since I put out a recipe that was so good we started out all refined with nice slices on a plate and ended up just kinda going at it towards the end, passing around the sauce as we cut, pulled, ripped or tore the rest of the chicken with that crispy flavorful skin off the bone and tried to scrape up every bit of sauce out of that little jar…and luckily there was more of that sauce in the kitchen. Otherwise, I seriously would have gotten up from the table and made more!
About Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce:
Actually, the last time I made a recipe like that was when I made Momofuku’s Bo Ssam. But maybe the best way to “sell” this recipe to you isn’t to describe our wholesale animalistic gluttony, lol!
I’m all about the drama, and I think some of the drama in this dish comes from Spatchcocking the chicken, below, which is really the only part of the recipe that takes any effort. And when that drama is basically “free” and nothing but a bit of effort, I’m down with it. Directions for the quarters are in the recipe, too; they cook for a little less time.
The Spatchcocking adds drama, but also helps the chicken cook quickly and evenly, and gives the opportunity to slather every nook and cranny with the flavors, spices, and the Aji Amarillo paste used. (That paste is used in the green sauce served with the chicken, too.)
The chicken is fabulous with flavor for days, but it’s really flavors that anyone would fall for. You’ll have a little heat in this chicken, with flavor that’s distinctly Peruvian. It’s a bit of a sweet heat, with fruitiness from the essential flavor of Aji Amarillo Peppers, spiked with lime, garlic, and a little soy sauce (which balances all the fruitiness and adds depth to the flavor).
The Sauce:
The sauce, though, brings it all home. It’s creamy, spicy, sharp, and surprising deliciousness. If you’ve eaten at restaurants that have served Peruvian Chicken, I’m sure you’re nodding right along with me. If not, may I introduce you?
And btw, that sauce is different everywhere you eat it. There’s lots of room for the subbing in of ingredients and/or tinkering to your taste, and using what’s available where you live. In this case, the sauce is an Aji Amarillo Verde, since it’s green.
No matter what the sauce (sometimes it only uses Aji Amarillo, and it’s yellow), it will always have Aji Amarillo peppers or an Aji Amarillo paste in a jar. If bought in a jar and all of it is not used, freeze any excess for another time.
Sides:
I served this up with Sweet Potatoes that I roasted right along with the chicken; I had several colors and just tossed them on. They cooked right up in the juices and were so delectable, although next time I’ll pay a little more attention to them; some were a bit on the charred side, not that we even cared by the time we were bickering over the last bit of the chicken & sauce!
Peru grows a surprising amount and variety of potatoes – if Sweet Potatoes aren’t your thing, feel free to sub in Russet or Yukon Gold. Carrots would be a nice addition, too.
Here’s the Green Sauce with my Peruvian Soup
Spatchcocking the Chicken:
The absolutely hardest part about making this dish is spatchcocking the chicken; everything else is a piece of cake!
If you’d rather not spatchcock, you can just use chicken quarters, or if you have a butcher who will do it, that’s a huge help. I can be such a spaz in the kitchen, and if I can get through it, so can you. For me, it’s always kind of a wrestling match, and it’s an ugly thing to see!
Spatchcocking, if you haven’t done this, is just cutting the backbone out of the chicken so it lays flat and cooks evenly. I usually have to use my kitchen shears and a knife, btw, and sometimes even hit the back of the knife with my meat mallet to power through it, and in this case, I then cut through the breast, too, so it has two halves. If you want to see a pro do it, I’m going to refer you to a video on Natasha’s Kitchen.
If I had a video, I’m sure it would include a lot of messy stuff, some sighing, muttering, and grumbling, and maybe even an expletive or two! And after you saw it, you’d want to order take-out, lol! You’ll get through it one way or the other, and you can always smooth that skin back over the chicken when you’re done!
Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce
Making Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce:
After the chicken is cut, just loosen the skin and set it aside while you stir together the marinade ingredients. Depending on where you live, you may or may not be able to find the yellow Aji Amarillo Paste. You can order it if you’d like.
If not an option, another Chili Paste can sub in; the chicken will be different, but still excellent. You might want to try bit of Sambal Oelek. It might not be 100 percent authentic, but your chicken is still going to be fabulous. Another option is to try just a tiny bit of finely minced habanero, maybe a half, which has some of the same fruitiness you’ll find in the Aji Amarillo pepper. Either way, you’ll be able to get your Peruvian Chicken on the table, which is the whole point of any recipe, amirite!?
Just mix all those marinade ingredients up in a big bowl, add in the chicken and massage it, working some of it under the skin; no need to be perfect. Leave it in the fridge covered for 2 to 12 hours.
No “foodie” will probably ever recommend this, but I went 2 days last time (things came up and I just didn’t have a chance to cook and/or eat it) and thought the flavor was off the hook. Better yet, and I didn’t see any harm done to the chicken; no texture change or deterioration!
Peruvian Green Sauce
Making the Green Sauce:
The green sauce is a little spicy, a little fruity, and has some creaminess. You might notice that the pic of the green sauce in the bowl looks a little different than the one in the jar with the chicken. Here are three possible variations for that creamy green sauce:
- Egg Yolk: In the bowl is Green Sauce made with an egg yolk for body; it’s a little thinner, but the flavors ring out true without being dulled by any dairy.
- Mayo or Feta: In the jar is Green Sauce made with 1/4 cup of mayonnaise. It’s a little creamier and a bit more mellow. Some use a little mashed Feta instead.
- Avocado: Another option, not shown, is to use 1/2 of an avocado. Add a touch of water if it’s too thick.
All of these variations have the Aji Amarillo Paste, but what makes this a green sauce is one jalapeno (for heat) and cilantro (or parsley or a combination) for freshness.
If you can’t get the Aji Amarillo Paste:
- Jalapeno: Try three jalapenos with ribs removed. It’s hard to judge just how hot those jalapenos can be, so you can start with one or two and add more if you want it hotter.
- Habanero: If you’re more daring, you can try a half habanero and one jalapeno; the habanero brings a lot of heat, but it also has a little fruitiness, just like the Aji Peppers.
Saving Money on This Recipe:
Chickens go on sale, sometimes once in a blue moon, at about 49 cents a pound but they will run 69 to 99 cents a pound on a good sale. A great time to buy is just after Easter, when a lot of those unfortunate layers are just no longer needed once the holiday has passed. Look for them in the few weeks following Easter and chuck a few in your freezer if you have room.
Check Aldi, if you have one for the jalapenos. You’re always going to be better off if you grow your own herbs. Bring them in during the winter if it’s too cold for them. A plant isn’t usually any more than a bunch at the grocery store; you don’t have to worry about them taking up fridge space, and if you kill it off, just dry it and use it. I can’t think of a better way to add something fresh to a meal than to use fresh herbs.
Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce
Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce
- Total Time: 1 hour + marinade
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken Main Dish
- Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 4 cloves garlic, grated or pressed
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (use less if using regular pepper)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 (3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pound) chicken, spatchcocked and halved, or an equivalent amount of chicken quarters
- Sweet Potatoes, cut about 1 1/2″ thick
- Green Sauce for serving
- additional lime for serving
For the Green Sauce:
- 1/4 white onion, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves & stems, lightly packed
- 2 tablespoons aji amarillo paste
- 1 jalapeño
- 3 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 pasteurized egg yolk, 1/4 cup mayonnaise or same of Feta cheese, or 1/2 small avocado
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Spatchcock the chicken:
Place chicken breast-side down on cutting board. Cut along both sides of the backbone with a sharp, heavy knife or kitchen shears. Remove and reserve the backbone for stock if desired. Press down on breastbone with palms until you hear it crack and chicken is as flat as possible. Using shears or knife, cut right through the breast following the crack if possible. If necessary, cover the top edge of the knife with several layers of towel to protect it and use a kitchen/meat mallet to assist getting through. (At your own risk and use good judgment.)
Loosen skin from breasts and thighs, being careful not to tear the skin and to leave it attached as much as possible. Set aside.
Mix together marinade:
In a large bowl, add the garlic, soy sauce, aji Amarillo (or substitute), lime juice, paprika, cumin, pepper, and salt. Add the chicken and turn to coat, working some of the marinade up under the skin. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours, maybe longer if desired.
Cooking:
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Transfer chicken, skin side up on to a heavy sheet tray. Surround with sweet potatoes. Drizzle with oil. Roast until skin is golden and chicken is cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes (if using chicken parts, remove the breasts after 25 to 35 minutes). Safe temperature should be 165 degrees F. so remove at 160, and the temperature will rise as it rests. Let sit, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes before serving. Watch the sweet potatoes, turning as needed, and remove when finished.
Make the Green Sauce:
Note possible substitutions in the main post.
In a blender, blend onion, garlic, aji amarllo paste, jalapeno, cilantro, vinegar, and egg yolk until very smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in oil until mixture is emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasonings adding salt and pepper as desired. Thin with a little water if desired.
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I’ll be sharing at Fiesta Friday, Weekend Potluck and What’s for Dinner Sundays.
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