I'll start this post by saying that this Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce is probably in my Top 10 list of all-time favorite chicken recipes. (I'm the only person in the world mentally keeping track of/ranking exceptional ways to cook chicken, but I think I'm okay with that.)
The magic of this recipe occurs on two different levels: 1) the marinade and 2) the sauce.
The marinade is full of cumin, paprika, garlic, oregano lemon juice, and vinegar. The combination is slightly citrusy from the lemon, tangy from the vinegar, earthy from the oregano, and spicy––from the cumin, paprika, and garlic. The green sauce is similarly multidimensional––jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, lime, vinegar…these are flavors that were meant to go with roast chicken.
You'll see some Peruvian chicken recipes that involve spatchcocking the chicken (a weird word for butterflying it, basically), but I don't actually know how to do that. And I didn't want to––although spatchcocking does allow the chicken to cook faster, roasting it whole ensures that it stays juicy and perfectly cooked every single time.
With a side of oiled rice and beans, it's NEXT. LEVEL.
Pro-Tip…when you make your black beans (my method is super lazy and easy––Add oil to a medium pot, along with some chopped onion and garlic. Pour in a can of drained black beans, add chicken stock to cover, and season with salt to taste), try pouring some of the juices from the roasting pan into the pot of beans. It will make you happy to be alive.
For the chicken:
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 lemon
- 1 4-pound whole chicken
- 1 medium onion, sliced
For the green sauce:
- 2 whole jalapeño chilies, roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Arrange a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, and both the zest and juice of the lemon.
Rinse the chicken, remove any giblets, and pat the bird dry with paper towels. Place the chicken over the sliced onions in an enameled baking dish, and use your fingers to gently spread the spice mixture under the skin, on the outside of the chicken, and inside the cavity, until it is thoroughly seasoned. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours.
When you're ready to roast the chicken, remove it from the refrigerator, and allow it to come back up to close to room temperature (it shouldn't be ice cold from the fridge). Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Roast the bird in the oven for 15 minutes and then baste it with any juices in the roasting pan. Reduce the heat to 375ºF (190°C) and continue to roast, for 45 to 60 more minutes, or until the juices of the chicken run clear when the thigh is pierced with a fork and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165ºF (74°C). You can baste it a couple times as it continues to roast. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes after you remove it from the oven.
While the chicken is roasting, prepare the sauce. Combine jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, lime juice, and vinegar in the jar of a blender. Blend on high speed, scraping down as necessary, until smooth. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Serve the chicken alongside the green sauce. Pour the juices and the onions from the roasting pan over the chicken and the beans when serving. Rice and beans are mandatory.
Peruvian Chicken & Green Sauce
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
1 hour 15 mins
Total time
1 hour 30 mins
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 lemon
- 1 4-pound whole chicken
- 1 medium onion, sliced
For the green sauce:
- 2 whole jalapeño chilies, roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, and both the zest and juice of the lemon.
- Rinse the chicken, remove any giblets, and pat the bird dry with paper towels. Place the chicken over the sliced onions in an enameled baking dish, and use your fingers to gently spread the spice mixture under the skin, on the outside of the chicken, and inside the cavity, until it is thoroughly seasoned. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours.
- When you're ready to roast the chicken, remove it from the refrigerator, and allow it to come back up to close to room temperature (it shouldn't be ice cold from the fridge). Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Roast the bird in the oven for 15 minutes and then baste it with any juices in the roasting pan. Reduce the heat to 375ºF (190°C) and continue to roast, for 45 to 60 more minutes, or until the juices of the chicken run clear when the thigh is pierced with a fork and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165ºF (74°C). You can baste it a couple times as it continues to roast. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes after you remove it from the oven.
- While the chicken is roasting, prepare the sauce. Combine jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, lime juice, and vinegar in the jar of a blender. Blend on high speed, scraping down as necessary, until smooth. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.
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