Peruvian Chicken Delight (Printable Version)
Aromatic spiced roast chicken paired with a creamy cilantro jalapeño sauce for a bold Peruvian-inspired meal.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken and Marinade
01 - 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), butterflied
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
05 - 5 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon ground cumin
07 - 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
08 - 1 tablespoon dried oregano
09 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
11 - 1 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
→ Aji Verde (Green Sauce)
12 - 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
13 - 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, seeds removed
14 - 2 garlic cloves
15 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
16 - 1/4 cup sour cream
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
18 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
19 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
20 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper, salt, and chili powder until well combined.
02 - Pat the butterflied chicken thoroughly dry with paper towels. Rub the marinade generously over and under the skin, ensuring even coverage. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight for deepest flavor penetration.
03 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and set a wire rack inside. Place the chicken skin-side up on the rack.
04 - Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the skin is deeply golden and crisp. Insert a kitchen thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; it should register 165°F. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving to allow juices to redistribute.
05 - While the chicken rests, combine the cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, Parmesan, and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Carve the chicken into serving pieces and arrange on a platter. Drizzle generously with the aji verde and pass additional sauce alongside.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The marinade does all the heavy lifting so your actual hands on time is barely twenty minutes.
- That green sauce is genuinely addictive and you will want to put it on everything for the rest of the week.
02 -
- Do not skip the drying step because wet skin steams instead of crisping and you will end up with pale rubbery skin.
- I once forgot the parmesan in the green sauce and it tasted noticeably thinner and less complex, so that tablespoon matters more than you would think.
03 -
- Take the chicken out of the fridge thirty minutes before roasting so it comes closer to room temperature for more even cooking.
- If your blender struggles with the cilantro, chop the stems and leaves roughly first to give the blades something to grab onto.