Peruvian Chicken With Green Sauce

This Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce is loaded with so much flavor! Marinated and grilled chicken meets its match with a creamy and spicy green sauce, otherwise known as ají verde. Serve with homemade french fries or crispy roasted potatoes!

peruvian chicken with green sauce

Boring chicken dinners need to move over, because this Peruvian-style chicken is here to save dinnertime! For real, this chicken is so tender, flavorful and easy to make! You might just get addicted like I did.

You might be asking, what exactly makes this chicken Peruvian? Peru is famous for flavorful roasted chicken that is marinated in bold flavors like cumin, chili powder or paprika, lime, and soy sauce. In Peru, they generally use a whole chicken. For ease, we are using boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe. I wanted to have all of those same bold flavors of traditional Peruvian chicken but make it easier to make right at home!

Another detail that makes this a Peruvian-style dish is the inclusion of green sauce, which is commonly known as ají verde in Peru. Ají verde is a spicy, herby, and tangy sauce that perfectly complements the bold flavors of the chicken! You will want to eat this green sauce on everything!

ingredients needed

For the Chicken:

• Chicken: Boneless, skinless thighs work well for this recipe, but you can also use chicken breast or bone in chicken (just make sure to increase cook time)
• Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a lot of flavor here!
• Soy Sauce: I used low sodium soy sauce to cut back on the salt, but feel free to use regular soy sauce or coconut aminos!
• Sesame Oil: Sesame oil is slightly nutty and has a delicious aroma. A little goes a long way in this marinade!
• Smoked Paprika: The combination of smoked paprika and cooking these chicken thighs on the grill is amazing for a deep smoky flavor! If you don’t have smoked paprika regular paprika is totally fine!
• Cumin & Oregano: Cumin and dried oregano are also used to season this chicken up to perfection!
• Honey: Honey balances out the deep umami flavor of soy sauce and rounds out all of the flavors! You could also use regular granulated sugar or even agave.
• Lime: The acid in the lime helps to tenderize the chicken!

For the Green Sauce

• Jalapeños: I used two seeded jalapeños in this sauce. If you are sensitive to spicy you can just use one jalapeño instead of two!
• Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is important here. It adds a lot of flavor and the this herb goes well with all of the flavors of the chicken!
• Green Onions: Some green onions are added for extra flavor! I like to roughly chop them up before I pop them into the food processor.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is a must!
• Mayonnaise: The base of this sauce is mayonnaise. You can use low-fat mayo if you prefer.
• Cojita or Parmesan Cheese: Both cojita cheese and parmesan cheese add a nice creamy flavor here. You can use either!
• Lime: For a bit of tang, add some lime juice!
• Salt & Pepper: To taste.

how to make this recipe

1. Make the Marinade: Add garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, paprika, cumin, oregano, honey and lime juice to a food processor.

2. Blend: Pulse until blended, about 30 seconds or so.

3. Marinade Chicken: Add chicken thighs to a large ziplock bag. Pour the marinade on top. Seal the bag and toss to coat the chicken. Marinade for 1-2 hours.

4. Preheat & Grill: Preheat the grill to 400 degrees. Grease the grill with oil or nonstick cooking spray. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes a side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
5. Rest: Add the chicken to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing and serving with the green sauce.

6. Make the Green Sauce: Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds then scrape the sides of the food processor and pulse again until combined. Set aside until you are ready to serve and enjoy!

tips for success

• Substitute the mayo! You can switch out the mayo for greek yogurt or sour cream! The sauce will be tangier and not quite as thick. Adjust the lime juice to taste.
• Use any cut of chicken! You can use a whole chicken, half chicken, thighs, breast, or legs for this Peruvian chicken with green sauce!
• Check the internal temperature of the chicken! If you aren’t sure if your chicken is done, check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Chicken thighs should be cooked to at least 165 F. Also make sure to rest the chicken for 5 minutes after it comes off of the grill to seal the juices in the chicken.