This Peruvian Chicken is succulent, juicy, flavorful, and very easy to make! It’s marinated, then roasted, and is good enough to eat on its own, or with a side of Cilantro Jalapeño Sauce.

This might be my favorite chicken of all time.

And yes, I did peruse through the chicken section of my recipe index just to make sure I can stand behind such a statement. Peruvian chicken is just so flavorful and tender and delicious!

Peruvian Chicken - Cut Into Pieces on White Platter with Green Sauce

My obsession with Peruvian Chicken started when I lived in New York City, where there were numerous restaurants serving this staple roast chicken with green sauce.

As I wrote in my Where to Eat in NYC post, I ate at over 500 places during my time living in Manhattan, and I rarely repeated restaurants because I always had a list of new places to try.

But I went to Peruvian restaurants like Pio Pio and Chicken Festival over and over again, because their chicken and sauce was just so. darn. good.

Peruvian Chicken Recipe - Plated on White Dish with Bowl of Green Sauce

And though I have left the city, I still enjoy what I’ve been able to replicate at home. As I discuss in the post, Cilantro Jalapeño Sauce is not quite the same but we enjoy it as a pairing for this chicken.

How to Make Peruvian Chicken:

There’s nothing complex about this recipe, and basically all we do is marinate a whole chicken and then roast it.

Spatchcock the Chicken

While not required, I highly recommend spatchcocking the chicken, which means we cut the backbone out so we can flatten it.

This chicken cooks more evenly, more quickly, and is much easier to carve. 

I have step-by-step pictures for how to Spatchcock Chicken and it only takes a couple minutes.

Pat the Meat Dry with Paper Towel

Before I do anything else with the meat, I always remove excess moisture. Particularly with chicken that comes out of a plastic shrink bag, there can be quite a lot of excess liquid. 

Patting a Whole Spatchcocked Chicken Dry with a Paper Towel

Peruvian Chicken Marinade Needs Aji Amarillo

One ingredient that’s important to get is Aji Amarillo Paste. This is a hot pepper that’s grown in Peru, and it has a really unique, delicious flavor that’s important for the marinade.

To me, it tastes like a cross between habanero and hatch chile with a hint of fruitiness.

It’s blended up into a paste that has a bright orange color:

Aji Amarillo Paste in a Jar with Spoon

While you may be able to find it at the store, this is an item I order on Amazon (affiliate).

I know it’s a little annoying to get unusual ingredients, but it’s essential here, and the opened jar keeps well in the fridge for repeat batches of chicken.

Make the Marinade

Combine avocado oil (or olive oil), the aji amarillo paste, fresh lime juice, garlic, salt, cumin, dried oregano, and black pepper in a bowl:

Aji Amarillo Paste with Spices, Herbs, and Salt in Mixing Bowl

Stir the ingredients together, and it will look like this:

Peruvian Chicken Marinade - In Glass Bowl

Add the Marinade

Once the chicken is patted dry, pour the marinade on top:

Pouring Peruvian chicken Marinade On a Whole Chicken

Rub it all over, and know that the marinade will pool around the chicken a little bit. This is fine.

Rubbing the Aji Amarillo Paste Marinade On the Chicken

Marinade for 1 Hour at Room Temperature

1 hour is plenty of time for the chicken to absorb the flavors of the marinade. I let the chicken sit at room temperature for an hour, which takes the chill off the chicken and helps it cook more evenly as well.

If you want to marinade longer, you can do this up to 1 day in advance. Just make sure you marinate it in the fridge. Meat should never be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Roast the Chicken

All that’s needed now is a 40-45 minute roast in the oven, with a little basting toward the end.

Brushing the Peruvian Chicken Sauce Drippings On the Chicken During Cooking  

Do not worry about the burned bits on the pan. I assure you that even though the chicken can look dark in parts, it does not taste burned whatsoever. There are some natural sugars in the marinade from ingredients like the lime juice that are going to caramelize and darken no matter what.

When the chicken has cooked through, let it sit for a few minutes, then you can carve it up. We enjoy it with a side of Cilantro Jalapeño Sauce.

Peruvian Roasted Chicken - Cut Up and Plated with Fresh Green Sauce

Cilantro Lime Rice is a compatible side dish for this recipe, and you can make it lower carb with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice. Enjoy!

Peruvian Chicken FAQ and Tips:

Other Cuts of Chicken: You don’t have to do a whole chicken here. You can get your favorite cut, like a pack of drumsticks or chicken thighs, and make this recipe with specifically that cut.

How to Store Leftovers: Keep the chicken in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezing: You can freeze chicken leftovers for up to 2 months. Do not freeze the green sauce.

Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce

Peruvian Chicken

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Marinating Time + Rest Time: 1 hr 10 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs
This flavorful Peruvian Chicken is marinated with aji amarillo, cumin, oregano, and more.
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Ingredients

For the Peruvian Chicken:

  • 3.5 lb* whole chicken spatchcock recommended**
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
  • 2 tbsp aji amarillo paste***
  • 1.5 tbsp lime juice
  • 3 large garlic cloves pressed or minced
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Side Dishes that Go Well:

Instructions 

  • While it's not required, I highly recommend you spatchcock the chicken. All this means is you cut the backbone out so it lays flat on the roasting pan. Spatchcock chicken cooks more evenly, more quickly, and is much easier to carve. My Spatchcock Chicken post shows you how do to this.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the avocado oil, aji amarillo paste, lime juice, garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, and black pepper.
  • Place the chicken on a sheet pan and pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Then rub the marinade all over the chicken. Let sit at room temperature for one hour. Alternatively, you can marinate this up to 24 hours in advance in the fridge. Note: never leave meat out of the fridge for more than 2 hours.
  • 15 minutes before cooking, preheat the oven to 425F.
  • Roast the chicken for 40-45 minutes, basting the chicken in its own juices after 30 minutes, and again at 40 minutes. When the chicken is done, the breast should register at 160F when measured with a thermometer.
  • Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes after roasting, so the juices don't run out while carving. Enjoy!

Notes

*It's okay to use a bigger chicken, but you'll need to cook longer. The breast should measure 160F.
**My Spatchcock Chicken post shows you how to cut the backbone out of the chicken so it lays flat on the roasting pan. Spatchcock chicken cooks more evenly, more quickly, and is much easier to carve.
***This is an essential ingredient here. I order mine on Amazon but you may be able to get it at your local grocery.
If you do not spatchcock the chicken, the cooking time will be longer, around 60-75 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 143mg, Sodium: 1297mg, Potassium: 385mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 276IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Peruvian
Author: Joanne Ozug