Pollo a la Brasa (Peruvian Chicken)
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The famous and incredibly finger-licking delicious Peruvian chicken known as Pollo a la Brasa! A variety of spices and ingredients come together to create a mouthwatering flavor combination. The skin is perfectly crispy and the chicken is served with an amazing homemade aji verde sauce. This Peruvian chicken recipe is a guaranteed winner!
Did you know that Peruvian cuisine was listed among the top 3 of the nation’s hottest foods this year? And did you know that Pollo a la Brasa was ranked #1 as the most popular dish in Peru? There is even a designated national day for it in July! Yes, Peruvians love their famous roast chicken, and so do we!!
What is Pollo a la Brasa?
Pollo a la brasa, or Peruvian chicken, is a dish of roast chicken commonly served with aji verde sauce. It was created back in the 1940’s when a Swiss immigrant to Peru named Roger Schuler started breeding chickens and in an effort to make extra money decided to start roasting some of them and selling them to the public at a low cost and on an all-you-can eat basis. Delicious food + low cost + all you can eat….it was bound to make him wildly popular! He eventually opened a restaurant at his farm and as far as I am aware it is still in operation today, either by his descendants or others.
My Peruvian chicken recipe came by way of special request years ago from one of my readers, Lajoiedu, who wanted a recipe that imitated the Pollo a la Brasa she and her husband enjoy at a local restaurant. Her description of this dish is beautiful:
“It is the most delicious chicken I have ever eaten…The marinade is full of spices and herbs. I can tell it’s been brined/marinated. The coating/marinade also seems to stick to the skin even through the roasting process. It is fragrant, too. I would loosely describe this as herbaceous, savory, well spiced (without being overly spicy from capsicum), somewhat salty, and just as juicy as one can imagine. The skin is beautifully crisp, too.”
Who wouldn’t want to eat that? With such detailed specifications – everything from flavor to texture to fragrance to appearance – I’ll admit I kind of gulped for a second at the thought of such an undertaking. But you know how I love challenges and this one left me feeling inspired! So with my two little ones running around me, finger-painting the kitchen window, squashing Play-Doh on the floor, and banging pots and pans, I got to work. I did a lot of research, consulted with two Peruvian friends, and experimented to ensure I got the most authentic flavor possible. The end result? It’s phenomenal! This Peruvian chicken recipe has become a favorite in our home and you’ve tasted it I’m confident you’ll feel the same.
Tips for Making Peruvian Chicken
Besides a great marinade, the key to great Pollo a la Brasa is the actual cooking method which involves a rotisserie over wood coals to give it that sublime smoky flavor. Most of us don’t have the equipment necessary for that, so this recipe uses a regular oven to achieve that perfectly crispy skin while leaving the meat delicately tender and juicy.
- Use the convection setting on your oven if you have one. It really made the skin crispy while leaving the meat tender and moist. Just be sure to keep an eye on the chicken because it cooks much faster using convection than the conventional setting.
- Use a roasting rack. That is an absolute must. That allows the air and heat to circulate under and around the chicken to prevent the chicken getting from soggy sitting in its juices and to produce that crispy skin and even cooking.
- Make the homemade Aji Verde Sauce, aka “Peruvian Green Sauce”, the traditional accompaniment.
Pollo a la Brasa Recipe
Let’s get started!
You’re going to need 3 key Peruvian ingredients (2 chili pastes and a black mint paste from an herb indigenous to Peru). I picked these up at a local Mexican grocery store. If you don’t have one, you can purchase them online here: Aji Panca Paste, Aji Amarillo Paste, Huacatay Paste. (You’ll need the aji amarillo paste to make the aji verde sauce for serving with the Peruvian chicken.)
Combine all of the marinade ingredients.
In a food processor, blend it to a smooth puree. Yes, this is the magical concoction here.
The marinade is enough for one whole chicken (you can either roast it whole or cut it in pieces). But you can use whatever bone-in/skin-on chicken pieces you want. This time I just used two leg quarters and a breast.
Loosen the skin and rub some of the marinade under the skin. Then put the chicken pieces in a large ziplock bag (or you may need to divide it in two bags) and pour the rest of the marinade over them. Swish around to coat. Marinate the chicken for at least 6 hours or overnight, turning it every now and then evenly marinate the chicken.
Place some foil under the rack of a roasting pan (this will make cleanup much easier!).
Lay the chicken pieces on it. Spoon some extra marinade over each piece.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (if using a convection oven, adjust the temperature and cooking time accordingly) and roast the chicken on the middle rack of the oven until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer, about an hour. If the skin begins to brown too much too fast, move the roasting pan to the bottom rack. You can also reduce the oven temperature.
Note: I used the convection setting on my oven. If you have one, use it. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F and roast the chicken for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and roast the chicken for another 15-20 minutes or until the internal temp reads 165 degrees F. I couldn’t believe how much faster the chicken cooked using the convection setting. And the results were fantastic.
It is recommended that you tent the chicken with foil for 10-15 minutes before serving. It’s not necessary but it’s often recommended.
Serve with our homemade Peruvian Aji Verde Sauce.
Traditional side dishes include a leafy green salad and thickly cut French fries.
Enjoy!
For more delicious chicken dishes from around the world be sure to try our:
- Chicken Paprikash
- Chicken Piccata
- Doro Wat
- Jerk Chicken
- Chicken Marsala
- Mongolian Chicken
Chicken Stroganoff - Tandoori Chicken
- Thai Peanut Chicken
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Chicken Machboos
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Pollo a la Brasa (Peruvian Chicken)
Ingredients
- 1 whole broiler/fryer chicken , 2-3 pounds, or bone-in/skin-on chicken pieces of your choice
- For the marinade:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (GF: use tamari)
- Juice of 2 limes
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger , minced
- 1/4 cup dark beer
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoons huacatay paste
- 1 tablespoon aji panca paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon ground annatto , for the red color
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper , more or less according to heat preference
- Aji Verde Sauce , for serving
Instructions
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Loosen the skin on the chicken and rub some marinade under the skin. Place the chicken or chicken pieces in a large ziplock bag and pour the marinade over. Swish around to even coat the pieces. Marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- If using a convection oven (that's what I use for crispier skin): Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F and roast the chicken for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and roast the chicken for another 15-20 minutes or until the internal temp reads 165 degrees F.If using a conventional oven: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and roast the chicken pieces on the middle rack of the oven until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 160 degrees F, about an 45 minutes. If the skin begins to brown too much, move the roasting pan to the bottom rack. You can also reduce the oven temperature.Remove the chicken from the oven. It is recommended that you tent the chicken with foil for 10-15 minutes before serving. If using a whole chicken, cut the chicken into serving pieces.
- Serve the chicken with our homemade Aji Verde Sauce. Traditional sides include thickly cut French fries and a leafy green salad.
Notes
* The oven-roasting instructions are for chicken pieces. If using a whole chicken, increase cooking time until internal temperature of chicken reaches 160 degrees F.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet September 26, 2013
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
This recipe is phenomenal, complex interplay of flavours that meld together perfectly. I love that the recipe uses all three peruvian pasts. Aji panca, amarillo and the huacatay. The aji verde sauce pairs beautifully with the chicken and its great with the reccomended thick cut fries and a leafy salad. Fries are great with the sauce too. This is one of my favourite recipes.
Thank you so much, Konrad, I really appreciate the feedback and am thrilled that you enjoyed it!
Making tonight but I have to say I’m not a fan of the huacatay. Luckily it doesn’t stand out when mixed with everything but by itself it’s awful in my opinion. Think I will just skip it entirely next time.
Do you have a suggestion on how best to roast a whole chicken? I started with the 475 for 10 mins and kinda burned the top. I put foil over it, so hopefully it will be OK. I’m super excited to taste it!!!
Hi Tia, I would reduce the temp to 425, position the chicken in the center of the oven, and roast for around 90 minutes. I hope you were able to save your chicken!
Put this on a high temp smoker. Amazing! The aji Verde is amazing.
What brand of beer should I get for this recipe? Can it be omitted?
Hi Anita, the brand doesn’t matter, I would just get whatever is on sale. Any brand of dark beer (e.g. stout or lager) will do. You can omit if you prefer but it really does contribute a significant and authentic flavor element to the chicken.