Peruvian Chicken with Spicy Green Sauce

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Cuisine from Peru has become incredibly popular over the last few years, and with good reason. It’s vibrant, bold flavors are a tasty mix of fresh flavors inspired by Latin cultures mixed with the big flavors of open fire grilling. This Peruvian Chicken with Spicy Green Sauce is a classic representation of Peruvian Cuisine. A vibrant and fresh Green Sauce flavored with Jalapenos and Cilantro makes for the perfect topping to marinated Chicken that has been grilled and scorched over an open fire. The flavors in this dish are huge, and well worth cooking at home tonight!

What makes this dish truly special is that delicious Spicy Green Sauce

A staple of Peruvian cuisine is this spicy Green Sauce, otherwise known as Aji Verde. It’s a vibrant and delicious Green Sauce that pairs perfectly with the Grilled Chicken. Unlike other famous green sauces such as Salsa Verde and Chimichurri, this Green Sauce has a few unique ingredients which add to the flavor and body of the sauce

The Creaminess of this Sauce comes from the addition of Yoghurt and Mayonnaise into the dish. Not the kind of ingredients you would typically expect from a Green Sauce, but they are very popular ingredients in Peruvian food and sauces

You can use any kind of Yoghurt or Mayonnaise that you like, however these ingredients will significantly alter the flavor of the Sauce. For our recipe we used Japanese Kewpie Mayonnaise and Greek Yoghurt. The Kewpie Mayonnaise has a very strong, sweet flavor to it. So, we’d recommend using a little less than traditional Mayonnaise. We used Greek Yoghurt – a flavorful and healthy option which always tastes great in sauces

What makes the Sauce Green?

The vibrant green color comes to the sauce from the inclusion of fresh Cilantro and Jalapenos. Use a generous amount of Cilantro, as the freshness of this herb will shine through in the sauce. You can even use the Cilantro stems in the dish, which is great as usually these parts of the herb are discarded

Jalapenos bring heat to the sauce and are a critical component. Depending on how hot you want to go will dictate how many Jalapenos to add to the sauce. We recommend keeping the sauce quite spicy, it will mellow out when combined with the Chicken. 2 Jalapenos is a good amount. Remember to deseed them before adding to the blender with the rest of the ingredients

Finally, adding loads of Lime Juice brings freshness and acidity to the sauce, which helps to balance out the creaminess of the Mayonnaise and Yoghurt. The Lime Juice is a staple in Peruvian food, so use it generously in both the sauce and the Chicken marinade

For the best result, cook the Chicken on the Grill

We’re staunch believers here at Dinnertime Somewhere that there is simply no better way to enjoy Chicken than straight off the grill. The charred flavor you can achieve with Chicken on the grill is the best way to enjoy this wonderful protein. It is also the most authentic way to make Peruvian Chicken so if you have the means, we recommend grilling the Chicken on your BBQ

Rest assured, if you don’t have a grill, or it’s the middle of winter then you can still make this dish on the stovetop, and it’ll still taste phenomenal. The key to getting a perfect char for this dish when cooking in a frying pan over the stovetop is to cook it on a very high heat. That high heat will produce a beautiful, charred crust that adds flavor and texture to the Chicken

You don’t need the heat as high on the grill. In fact, having the outdoor grill too high may cause the Chicken to burn. All outdoor grills are different, and we recommend using a relatively high temperature that works for your grill. If you know your grill, you should have a good idea how high you can go without burning. We’d recommend setting the temperature on medium as a starting point

Outdoor Grills and BBQs also have different spots of heat on the grill. Most of them will have hot spots where the temperature is blistering hot, and other areas that are not so hot. So, play with the space when cooking your Peruvian Chicken

The goal when grilling is to achieve a lovely charred, blackened outside of the Chicken in parts by the time the inside of the Chicken is cooked at a temperature of 160F

What are some tasty side dishes to pair with your Peruvian Chicken with Spicy Green Sauce

This is quite a versatile dish so there are plenty of great sides you can pair alongside it for a full, hearty meal. When we made the dish we cooked up a simple bowl of Jasmine Rice which was flavored with Lime Juice and Salt. Rice is a great carb to pair with this dish because of how well it will absorb that delicious Green Sauce. Seriously, you could just eat Rice and the Green Sauce, and you’ll be in flavor heaven, trust us!

For something a bit lighter, a fresh side salad will also work great. We’d recommend a light Cucumber Salad such as this one, to keep with the theme of fresh, vibrant flavors in the dish. Other light and simple side salads we recommend are this wonderful Creamy Kale Salad, or this amazing Tabbouleh Salad with Couscous

Peruvian Chicken with Spicy Green Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Chicken Thighs
• 2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
• Juice of 2 Limes
• 1 tsp. Brown Sugar
• 3 Garlic Cloves, finely diced
• 2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 2 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 2 tsp. Salt
  
  

For the Green Sauce

• 2 Jalapenos, roughly chopped and deseeded
• ½ cup Fresh Cilantro
• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1 tbsp. Greek Yoghurt
• 2 tsp. Mayonnaise
• Juice of 2 Lime
• 2 Garlic Cloves, peeled
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• ½ tsp. Salt
  
  

Equipment needed: Blender

Instructions

1. Begin the dish by creating a marinade for the Chicken. Combine the Soy Sauce, Lime Juice, Brown Sugar, Garlic, Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Dried Oregano, and Salt in a small bowl and mix well
2. Place your Chicken Thighs in a large Ziploc bag then add the marinade mixture. Seal and massage the marinade into the Chicken. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight
   
   

Prepare the Green Sauce

3. Add all the ingredients except for the Olive Oil into the blender. Blend on medium for about 30 seconds until the mixture has turned into a puree / liquid. Pour in the Olive Oil while continuing to blend, then blend for a further 1 minute
4. Taste the Green Sauce and adjust if necessary for flavor and consistency, then pour into a small bowl and set aside until ready to serve
   
   

Grilling the Chicken

5. Remove the Chicken from the refrigerator and drain out any excess liquid from the bag. Leave at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking
6. Heat your outdoor grill or frying pan over the stove over a high heat with Vegetable Oil (or Spray for the Grill). Once smoking hot, place the Chicken Pieces onto the pan. Cook for 5 minutes until charred, then turn and cook for a further 4 – 5 minutes until the internal temperature of 160F
7. Once cooked, remove Chicken from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. To serve, plate the Chicken family style with the Green Sauce in a separate bowl on the side
   
   

Recipe Notes

• The Sauce will keep for up to a few days after preparing. So, you can make the sauce in advance and set at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving
• Taste your Sauce and adjust the ingredients if necessary to suit your desired flavor and texture
  
  

If you’re looking for a dinner that’s a little bit different but tastes phenomenal, we cannot recommend this Peruvian Chicken with Spicy Green Sauce recipe enough! The sauce tastes so amazing along with the Chicken, and it is especially great to mix into rice for a flavorful and hearty dinner

If you enjoyed this dinner and love things a little bit spicy, why not check out some of these fiery meals:

• Spicy Chicken Tacos
• Cumin Lamb Noodles
• Spicy Thai Beef Salad
• Red Snapper Aguachile
  
  

Happy Cooking!