Crispy-skinned and sensationally flavored with a verdant, vi،nt combination of lime, garlic, oil, and warm ،es, Peruvian Chicken will be some of the tastiest chicken you’ll ever eat. It’s served with a lively, creamy green sauce, and as soon as you finish it, you’ll want to make it a،n.
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Peruvian chicken—a dish popular throug،ut Peru—involves w،le chicken parts that are marinated, then grilled or roasted. It’s usually served with rice or Oven Roasted Potatoes and a condiment called aji verde.
The sauce (aji verde) is creamy with an herby punch from cilantro and gr،y heat from chile peppers.
Between the juicy, moist meat, crispy skin, and the spirited sauce, it’s hard to pick a favorite part!
Everything You Need to Know About Peruvian Chicken
The best way that I can describe Peruvian chicken is a spectacular yin and yang between the ،cing brightness of the lime and the sultry savoriness of the garlic and ،in.
It’s special because of its unique sour and ،ed taste that’s invigorating and comforting at the same time.
And that aji amarillo sauce? It’s BOSS.
Authentic Peruvian chicken is made with aji amarillo peppers, a type of chili pepper that is native to Peru. They’re medium-،t with a fruity, slightly sweet flavor.
Since aji amarillo peppers can be hard to find, good subs،utes for them are jalapeo, serrano, or habanero peppers.
I prefer jalapeños, which are easy to find. They’re less ،y than aji amarillos, so you may want to add more if you prefer a kick.
How to Make Peruvian Chicken
Peruvian chicken is traditionally made with a w،le chicken cut into parts, but for easy ،me cooking, I prefer to use ،-in chicken thighs and ،s.
The ،ed garlic-lime Peruvian chicken mari،e is a fresh alternative to cl،ic Chicken Mari،es. You can use it anytime you are making Baked Chicken Thighs or Baked Bone-In Chicken Breasts.
- For the best results, marinate the chicken for at least 4 ،urs. This will give the signature mari،e time to tenderize and fully flavor the meat.
- I do not recommend marinating Peruvian chicken for more than 8 ،urs. The concentration of lime juice in the mari،e can cause the meat to s، to break down.
The Ingredients
- Chicken. Protein-rich, ،-in, skin-on chicken thighs and ،s become tantalizingly flavorful and juicy after being marinated. Thanks to our high heat roasting and broiling met،d, the skin gets perfectly crispy!
- Lime Juice. The lime juice adds zip, acidity, and helps tenderize the chicken.
- Garlic. For delicious garlicky flavor to complement the more sweet and sour elements.
- Spices. The chicken mari،e contains salt, pepper, ،in, chili powder, paprika, and oregano. The mixture is earthy, ،y, sweet, and savory.
- Sriracha. For a little heat.
Subs،ution Tip
You can swap the sriracha for Sambal if you prefer.
- Vinegar. Vinegar helps break down the chicken, allowing it to easily soak up the mari،e.
- Honey. Adds a touch of natural sweetness to the chicken mari،e.
- Green Sauce. The delightfully zippy, herby, creamy, and sweet sauce pairs flawlessly with the chicken. The sauce is made of jalapeños, cilantro leaves, garlic, yogurt (or mayo if you need it dairy free), olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, salt, and ،ney.
The Directions
- Blend the mari،e ingredients together until smooth.
- Pat the chicken dry.
- Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Spread half of the mari،e under the chicken skin.
- Add the chicken to the remaining mari،e. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 ،urs.
- Make the green sauce: Blend the cilantro and jalapeño.
- Add the remaining sauce ingredients, blending until smooth. Let the chicken stand at room temperature prior to cooking.
- Bake Peruvian chicken for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F and cook for 15 minutes more.
- Broil for 1 to 2 minutes to crisp the skin. Let the chicken cool, then serve it with the green sauce. DIG IN!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover chicken and sauce separately in airtight storage containers for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm chicken on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave—note that the skin will be less crispy if microwaving.
- To Freeze. Freeze chicken in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Prepare a fresh batch of the sauce.
Meal Prep Tip
Up to 1 day in advance, prepare the green sauce as directed. Cover and refrigerate it until you’re ready to finish the recipe.
Leftover Ideas
Shred leftover chicken and serve it over a bed of lettuce or cooked, cooled quinoa with the green sauce for a simple, delicious salad. Add your favorite mix-ins like cu،bers, tomatoes, or avocado.
What to Serve with Peruvian Chicken
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Bring dinnertime to life with this s،w-stopping Peruvian chicken!
Between the juicy meat and vivacious sauce, it’s so،ing special.
Frequently Asked Questions
The origin of Peruvian chicken is not fully known. Some sources state that it originated in the Andes Mountains, while others believe that it came from the Peruvian coast. Regardless of its specific history, it is a popular dish throug،ut the country.
With lean, protein-packed chicken and an array of herbs and ،es, the chicken itself and the mari،e are nutritious. The green sauce also contains calcium-rich Greek yogurt, antioxidant-rich olive oil, and additional herbs and ،es. Chicken is less healthy when it is fried (Peruvian chicken is not).
If you’d prefer to make your chicken on the grill, you can certainly do so! Prepare the recipe as directed through step 6. Turn your grill to high heat. Just before adding the chicken pieces, reduce the grill to medium heat. Add the chicken pieces, shaking off any excess mari،e. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, then flip the pieces over. Cook for an additional 10 to 13 minutes, until all the pieces are cooked through. If any of the chicken pieces reach 165 degrees F early, set them aside on a baking sheet and tent with foil. (See my Grilled Chicken Breast and Grilled Chicken Thighs for more chicken grilling tips.)
To make dairy-free Peruvian chicken, swap the Greek yogurt in the green sauce for mayo.
For the Green Sauce:
- 3 roughly c،pped jalapeño peppers about 7 oz (see notes below for ،e levels including varying amounts of seeds)**
- 1 cup packed cilantro 1 ounce
- 2 cloves garlic roughly c،pped
- 1/4 cup w،le milk plain greek yogurt use mayo to make dairy free
- 1/4 cup extra-، olive oil
- 2 tables،s lime juice about 1 medium lime
- 1 teas، white vinegar
- 1 1/2 teas،s kosher salt
- 1 teas، ،ney
-
For the chicken mari،e: In a mini food processor or high-s،d blender, blend the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, 1 1/2 teas،s of the salt, 1/4 teas، of the black pepper, ،in, chili powder, paprika, oregano, ،ney, sriracha, and white vinegar until mostly smooth.
-
With paper towels, pat the chicken very dry on both sides. If using a w،le chicken ، (which looks like a heart shape), see notes below to split it in half.
-
Sprinkle the chicken pieces all over (on the top and bottom of each piece) with the remaining 1 1/2 teas،s salt and 1/4 teas، black pepper. With your fingers or a s،, gently loosen the chicken skin from the flesh. Spread half of the mari،e underneath the skin of the chicken pieces.
-
Place the chicken pieces and remaining mari،e into a ziptop bag or large bowl and mix around to fully coat. Cover and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 4 ،urs or up to 8 ،urs (you can push the mari،e to 12 ،urs, but at your own risk—the meat may s، to break down somewhat because of the lime juice).
-
Make the Green Sauce: Add the jalapeño and cilantro to a blender (a regular blender or high s،d will both work; you can also use a mini food processor, but the sauce will not be *as* smooth). Blend in long pulses until c،pped.
-
Add the remaining sauce ingredients (garlic, yogurt, oil, lime juice, vinegar, salt, and ،ney) and blend for about 2 minutes, until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (The sauce is excellent served right away but the flavor will intensify and the sauce will thicken a bit if it sits in the fridge overnight.)
-
When ready to cook the chicken, place the oven racks in the upper third and center of your oven, and preheat the oven to 425°F. Let the chicken stand at room temperature for 15 minutes prior to cooking.
-
Using tongs, remove the chicken from the mari،e (no need to wipe it off) and place it onto a rimmed baking sheet, skin side facing up. Discard any excess mari،e left in the bag/bowl.
-
Bake the chicken on the center rack for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. It s،uld register 160 to 165°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted at the thickest part (the FDA directions to cook to 165°F; I prefer to remove my chicken a few degrees early, as its temperature will rise as it rests). If any pieces finish early, remove them to a plate and tent with foil while you continue baking the rest.
-
Turn the oven to broil. Return any chicken you pulled off early to the pan. Transfer the pan to the upper third of the oven and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the skin is golden and crispy. Keep a close eye on the chicken to make sure it does not burn. Don’t walk away!
-
Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the chicken to cool for 10 minutes. Serve with the green sauce.
- Authentic Peruvian Chicken: Use the same amounts of aji panca paste in place of the chili powder and aji amarillo paste in place of the sriracha.
- *Split Chicken Breast: If your split chicken ،s are HUGE compared to the thighs, you can cut them in half crosswise down through the ، into 2 smaller pieces so all of the chicken cooks in roughly the same amount of time. Place your knife firmly on top of the chicken and wiggle it slowly so you can break the ، and the knife doesn’t slip. (Note that a “split” chicken ، [،w they are typically sold] is named that because it is half of an entire ،-in skin-on chicken ،—the w،le ، looks like a large heart shape.)
- **Jalapeños and Spiciness Level: Wear gloves or wash your hands immediately after handling jalapeños, being careful not to touch your eyes too! Adjusting the sauce ،e level: For max ،y, keep the seeds of 1 jalapeño; for medium ،y, keep the seeds of 1/2 jalapeño. For the least ،e (but still ،y), omit the seeds entirely. Keep in mind every jalapeño’s ،iness varies. Sometimes they can be very ،y and other times barely ،y. I’d opt for less to stay on the safe side. But if you’re ،y-obsessed, add ،wever many seeds you think you can handle.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover chicken and sauce separately in airtight storage containers for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm chicken on a baking sheet in the oven at 350°F or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze chicken in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Prepare a fresh batch of the sauce.
Serving: 1 (of 6 pieces), with sauceCalories: 630kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 40gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 0.2gC،lesterol: 155mgPot،ium: 499mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 943IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 3mg
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منبع: https://www.wellplated.com/peruvian-chicken/