This succulent Rotisserie Peruvian Chicken is infused with aji panca and aji amarillo and topped with a zesty aji verde sauce.

Peruvian chicken, known as Pollo a la Brasa, is a delicious rotisserie-style chicken dish that originated in Peru during the 1950s. This famous South American chicken has garnered global appeal, and rightfully so—it is absolutely mouth-watering. Traditionally, this chicken is topped with a vibrant green sauce and served alongside rice and vegetables, but you can pair it with any preferred sauce and sides

What you’ll need to make Peruvian chicken

• Grill with Rotisserie Attachment: Check with your grill’s manufacturer to see if they have available rotisserie kits.
• Kitchen Twine and Drip Pan: Truss the chicken securely with strong kitchen twine to keep it secure during rotation. Use a disposable aluminum drip pan to collect the drippings, making clean-up a breeze.
• Heat-Resistant Gloves: a must-have for safely handling the rotisserie system and chicken.
• Reliable meat thermometer
• Chicken: You’ll need a whole 3 1/2 pound chicken for this Peruvian chicken recipe. Remove the neck and giblets before threading it onto the rotisserie rod. This recipe requires a marinating time of 12-24 hours, so that means prepping the chicken the day before. Do not marinate longer than 24 hours.
• Aji Panca and Aji Amarillo pastes: Both items are available through local grocery chains, specialty markets, and online retailers.
• Herbs and Spices: This rotisserie Peruvian chicken calls for simple, easy to find herbs and spices.

What you’ll need

• 1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
• Cilantro
• 1 large onion

Marinade ingredients

• Limes
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Apple cider vinegar
• Aji amarillo paste
• Aji panca paste
• Soy sauce
• Ground cumin
• Smoked paprika
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt and black pepper

How to Make Peruvian chicken

• Combine all marinade ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. This marinade will infuse the chicken with delicious earthy spiced flavor and help keep the meat tender and juicy as it cooks.
• Place the chicken on a large cutting board. Trim off excess fat or hanging skin. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
• Apply the marinade all over, ensuring it gets under the breast skin and inside the cavity.
• Set the chicken into a sealable container (large bowl with plastic wrap, freezer bag, or plastic container with a lid).
• Place it in the refrigerator to marinate for 12-24 hours.

• Prepare your grill for 375 degrees F, indirect cooking (two-zone set up).
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and truss it with kitchen twine.
• Cut a hole into the onion using a paring knife to guide the rotisserie rod through. Slide the onion onto the rod and insert it into the chicken cavity. Secure the rotisserie forks.
• Place the chicken on the grill. Fill a drip pan with one cup of water and set it under the chicken. Cook for 70-90 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 175-180°F in the thigh meat and 170°F in the breast. Temp might seem high, but trust that it will be tender and delicious.

Finishing touches

• Removing the chicken: Once cooked through, use heat-resistant gloves to remove the Peruvian chicken with the rotisserie rod holding it.
• Resting: Place it on a clean cutting board—loosely tent chicken with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10 minutes. Discard drip pan.
• Carving and serving: Remove the rod and cut the kitchen twine. Carve chicken and arrange it onto a serving platter. Spritz with fresh lime juice, and garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

Aji verde sauce for Peruvian chicken

Toppings are an important addition to Peruvian chicken. As mentioned, aji verde is the traditional sauce for Peruvian chicken. It’s easy to make and super flavorful!

Aji Verde Sauce

• 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 3/4 cups chopped cilantro
• 4 medium green onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• a few pinches of salt and black pepper

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
2. Transfer the sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. Store for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Serving suggestions

Carve the chicken into individual pieces and place onto a serving platter along with a bowl of the aji verde sauce, and side dishes like grilled corn, arugula salad, yellow rice, french fries, plantains, or potato skewers. Peruvian chicken can be served for lunch or dinner, on special occasions, or for casual weeknight meals.

Alternative cooking methods

• Oven: Roast the chicken in the oven at 375 degrees F., for 70-90 minutes. See the above instructions for doneness temps.-Indoor rotisserie unit.
• Indoor rotisserie units: Follow prep instructions above, but use manufacturers guidelines for rotisserie chicken temperature settings, times, and set up.

Print

Rotisserie Peruvian Chicken

Peruvian chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) is a rotisserie-style chicken dish that originated in Peru during the 1950s. Typically, this chicken is topped with a green sauce and served with rice and vegetables.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Fusion, Latin American

Keyword grilled chicken, Peruvian chicken, Rotisserie chicken, whole chicken on the grill

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings 5 Servings

Calories 425kcal

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken about 3 pounds
• ½ cup cilantro garnish
• kitchen twine for trussing
• 1 large onion
• 1 aluminum drip pan
• For marinade:
• Juice of 2 limes
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste
• 1 tablespoon aji panca paste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper adjust to your liking

Instructions

• Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Place the whole chicken onto a large cutting board. Trim any excess fat or hanging skin that might otherwise cause flare-up on the grill. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and apply marinade all over. Make sure to get under the skin of the breast.
• Set chicken into a sealable container (large bowl with plastic wrap, freezer bag, or plastic container with a lid). Place into the refrigerator to marinate for 12-24 hours.
• Preheat grill for medium-high heat, indirect cooking.
• Remove chicken from the refrigerator and truss with kitchen twine.
• Cut a hole into the onion using a paring knife. Doing so will help guide the rotisserie rod through. Slide onion onto the rod and insert into the chicken cavity. Run the rod through and secure rotisserie forks.
• Place chicken on the grill. Fill a drip pan with one cup of water and set it under the chicken. Cook for 70-90 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 180 in thigh meat and 165-170 in the breast.
• Once cooked through, use heat-resistant gloves to remove the chicken with the rotisserie rod still intact. Place onto a clean cutting board—loosely tent chicken with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10 minutes. Discard drip pan.
• Remove the rod and cut away the kitchen twine. Carve chicken and arrange it onto a serving platter. Spritz with a bit of fresh lime juice, and top with cilantro before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe notes

This recipe calls for two different types of aji paste.

-Aji amarillo, orange in color, is the most widely used, and the easiest to find.

-Aji panca paste is made from a dark red chili and has an earthy, smoky flavor.
Look for one or both in your local supermarket, specialty markets, or online. 

Alternative cooking methods:

-Bake the chicken in the oven at 375 degrees F., for 70-90 minutes. See the above instructions for doneness temps.

-Indoor rotisserie unit. Follow prep instructions above, but use manufacturers guidelines for rotisserie chicken temperature settings, times, and set up.

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 1.01mg | Potassium: 386mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 482IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg

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