Peruvian Roast Chicken

Enjoy succulent and tender Peruvian Roast Chicken drizzled with a spicy green sauce.

This is my version of Pollo a La Brasa – the popular roasting chicken served by many Peruvian restaurants. This recipe calls for roasted chicken marinated in olive oil, lime juice and spices. When cooked, the chicken should be juicy, tender and have a crispy skin. The green sauce is a mixture of cilantro and peppers jalapenos. It has a creamy, spicy flavour. This sauce can be used for almost anything. It is also great as a dip or salad dressing.

You will also need the following ingredients to prepare Peruvian-style roast chicken.

Here are some tips on buying a whole chicken. In the poultry section, you’ll see a range of birds labelled “broilers”, roasters”, or “fryers”. The labels indicate the type of cooking based on weight. This recipe uses a 4-pound “fryer chicken”. It may seem strange since we’re roasting the chicken, but this isn’t true.

How to cook Peruvian Style Roast Chicken

Make the marinade first. Combine the paprika, olive oil, sugar, salt, and lime juice in a blender or mini-food processor.

Blend until smooth.

You can use your fingers or a wooden spoon to remove the skin from the legs and breasts.

Spoon 2/3 of the marinade under the skin.

Rub the rest of the mixture on top. Place the chicken in a bowl and refrigerate it for six hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425degF. I like to tuck the wings in and tie the legs so the bird maintains its shape.

Roast the chicken for 20 minutes or until its skin is golden. Continue roasting the chicken for an additional hour and ten minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Cover the chicken for 20 minutes with foil to allow it to rest.

Prepare the green sauce while the chicken marinates. Recipe adapted from Serious Eats Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez Alt.

In a food processor or blender, combine the mayonnaise and sour cream with jalapenos, garlic and chile peppers.

Continue to process until the oil is smooth. Pour the olive oil while the motor is running. It will appear thin at first but will thicken over time.

The seeds and ribs from the jalapeno peppers give the sauce its heat. For a medium hot, I use only half of the seeds and ribs. If you’re worried about the heat, you can leave out the seeds and add them at a later date. Wash your hands well after handling hot peppers, and do not touch your eyes.

Serve the chicken with the sauce. Serve the sauce over the chicken with cilantro if desired.