Roasted Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce (dairy free sauce!)

Roasted Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce

If you’re looking to switch up your dinner routine with something bold, flavorful, and easy to make, this Peruvian chicken with aji sauce is exactly what you need. It’s juicy, perfectly spiced, and served with a vibrant, creamy green sauce that you’ll want to drizzle over everything.

Jump to Recipe ▼

Why you’ll love this Peruvian chicken recipe

I have been making this recipe, or some variation of it, for a while and my family loves it. While it’s not authentic in any way, but the recipe pulls its flavor inspiration and sauce from the traditional Peruvian pollo a la brasa.

To keep things simple, I’ve created a simple spice blend – really a wet rub – that gets slathered over the chicken and seasons it while cooking. No need to marinate. Just season, roast, and enjoy.

I’ve paired it with my own dairy-free version of an aji verde – which I’m just calling a green sauce because I simply can’t find the key ingredient aji amarillo paste that would make it a real aji verde.

Ingredient notes:

Whole chicken – I’ve listed 1 whole cut up chicken for this recipe, but you can use any kind of chicken pieces for this. You want bone-in, skin-on chicken for this recipe. It gives you a juicier, more flavorful result.

Soy sauce – I used reduced-sodium soy sauce because that’s what we normally have in the fridge, but if you want to use regular, just adjust your salt amount a bit. If you want to make this gluten free, you can use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Champagne Vinegar – This adds brightness to the spice rub. If you don’t have it, you can substitute white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or even lemon juice.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

Melissa’s tips & tricks

Don’t skimp on the salt. It might seem like a lot, but I promise it isn’t. You’re seasoning an entire chicken, and the right amount will bring out all the flavors.

Adjust the heat. If you like things spicier, add an extra pepper. If you’re not into the heat, remove the seeds or use a little less.

Let it rest. Don’t cut into your chicken right away. Let it rest for at least 5 – 10 minutes before serving to allow the cooking juices to be reabsorbed.

Want to speed things up? Try making your spice mixture and sauce ahead of time. The sauce can last in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Frequently asked questions

What temp should chicken be cooked to?

Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165˚F (73.9˚C). I really recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure you’ve reached a food safe temperature, but if you don’t have one, you can tell that the chicken is done with the juices from the chicken are clear rather than cloudy.

Can I grill my chicken instead?

Yes! Grilling this Peruvian chicken would be absolutely delicious and would add an extra smoky depth of flavor. Sear the chicken over medium-high direct heat for about 5 minutes per side, then move to indirect heat and continue to cook for about 30 – 40 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F.