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 roasted chicken, and so do we!!
Now you can make it at home and it’s so simple! Make the marinade, let the chicken marinate, roast the chicken in the oven…that’s it! Oh, and take an extra 5 minutes to make a lovely Peruvian Aji Verde Sauce to accompany the chicken (recipe provided). SATISFACTION GUARANTEED.
This recipe comes by way of special request from Lajoiedu (“Make a Request!“) 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 and no aspect left out – everything from flavor to texture to aroma 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.
Now, I have no idea whether this tastes anything like Pollo a la Brasa at that particular restaurant she described. And really, it’s not going to taste the same without the special wood-coaled rotisserie’s they use. But is the end result authentic Peruvian in its flavor profile? Yes. And does it taste good? Yes.
It tastes phenomenal!
And let me add this: I have never seen my 3 year old devour chicken as fast as he did this Pollo a la Brasa! And he kept asking for more and more! And get this: For 4 consecutive days thereafter he kept asking for more Pollo a la Brasa and was bitterly disappointed (to the point of throwing a tantrum once) when offered a substitute chicken dish! We’ve created something of a Pollo a la Brasa addict in our son and he has since been suffering withdrawal symptoms!
So yes, it looks like Pollo a la Brasa is going to be a regular in the Killebrew home from now on.
And once you’ve tried it, I’m confident you’ll do the same.
So let’s get down to business, shall we?
IMPORTANT NOTE: 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 conventional oven to achieve that perfectly crispy skin while leaving the meat delicately tender and juicy. So this is the best it’s going to get without a wood-coaled rotisserie – and it’s really good!
Two quick things: I used the convection setting on my oven. It really made the skin crispy while leaving the meat tender and moist. You don’t have to use a convection oven, but if you do, be sure to keep an eye on the chicken because it cooks much faster than in a conventional oven (see instructions). The other thing: You must use a roasting rack. That allows the air and heat to circulate under and around the chicken to prevent the chicken from sitting in its juices and to produce the crispy skin and even cooking.
And of course, for all you BBQ’ers, barbecuing is another great alternative!
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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 for the Aji Verde Dipping Sauce that is traditionally served with the 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!). You can get a good, inexpensive roasting pan HERE.
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.
Perfect in every way!
Serve with Peruvian Aji Verde Sauce (click on link for recipe). There are often two additional sauces served with Pollo a la Brasa, but Aji Verde is the standard. Traditional side dishes include a leafy green salad and thickly cut French fries.
- 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
- Juice of 2 limes
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- ¼ cup dark beer
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoons huacatay paste
- 1 tablespoon aji panca paste
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon ground annatto, for the red color
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less according to heat preference)
- Peruvian Aji Verde Sauce, for serving
- 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 used): Note: 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 Peruvian Aji Verde Sauce.
- Traditional sides include a leafy salad and thickly cut French fries.
* 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.
MJ says
This recipe sounds amazing but I was wondering if it is spicy at all? As I don’t want to give it to my three year old.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi MJ, no, it really isn’t very spicy at all. Aji panca is a chili paste but you only use a tablespoon and it’s a pretty mild chili to begin with. I actually made this for my kids when they were 3 years old and they didn’t fuss at all :)
Anonymous says
Yo también soy peruano y me gusta prepara el pollo a la brasa de diferentes maneras (hay muchas recetas y se respeta) y tu receta me gusto y el vinagre balsámico le dió un toque distinto y me salió riquísimo.
Mauricio says
I used two Cornish hens and the recipe turned out delicious. Everything was gone, eaten to the bone.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Mauricio, thank you so much!
La Cocinera Novata says
Hi, in the list of ingredients for the marinade you didn’t indicate amount of ají amarillo.
Thanks for sharing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi, there is no aji amarillo in the marinade, it’s for the dipping sauce which I link to in the recipe.
La Cocinera Novata says
Thank you for your answer!! :)
Genesis Davila says
I just wanted to say thank you so much, I make your recipe for my husband (he born in Peru) and we live in the USA and where we live there are no restaurants with Peruvian food (not pretty close) so thank you so much for this, everything is so amazing and delicious! I’m from Venezuela and I love to cook, God bless you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that, Genesis, thank you! :)
Kim says
I tried this for the first time last night and it was amazing! I used bone in, skin on split chicken breasts and the meat was juicy and the skin crisped up nicely. I made the sauce as well and it was fantastic but i have quite a bit left over. Any ideas what else the sauce would go with? I was thinking swordfish steaks.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy you made and enjoyed this, Kim, thank you! I’ve been craving it myself and just rounded up the ingredients to make it again. I think swordfish steaks is a great idea! :)
Karen Jane says
This is cooking right now. Smells awesome. However, I did as instructed and did convection on 475 for 10 min and 325 for 15 and it was not at ALL done cooking. We are currently at 45 minutes at 325 and it’s starting to look done.
Anonymous says
So so so delicious! And the sauce too is amazing. My only criticism is that there is no nutritional info provided. I’m feeding my grandfather and I need to monitor his caloric intake as well as sodium and other nutritional info for his health. Any chance you could provide nutritional information for this recipe and for the sauce as well. It would be much appreciated 🙂🙂🙂
Leslie Pinto says
Hola soy peruana , y como sabras nuestra comida, ingredientes y forma de prepararlas es netamente tradicion , te aconsejo que visites una tienda peruana y veas realmente los ingredientes del pollo al horno , tengo entendido que se uso lima o limon , e imagino fue para reemplazar el vinagre tinto, pero solo el limon local de peru por la concentracion y sabor del acido podria , prueba sin vinagre balsamico :)
Cathy Turner says
We recently attended a wedding weekend in Durham, NC. “Alpaca Peruvian Chicken” (name of a local restaurant – no alpaca involved) was served at the relaxed rehearsal dinner. The Best Chicken I’ve ever had! I’m hoping this recipe produces a similar result.
Anonymous says
Finally made this after getting the ingredients off Amazon. What an awesome recipe! Chicken was delicious and the green sauce was spot on. Will definitely be my go to recipe for rotisserie from now on. Thanks for sharing!
Roger Mielec says
I have eaten a lot of different Peruvian roasted
chicken a la brasa. This recipe is Grrrrrrrrrreat.
I would recommend one minor addition that I
developed via roasting turkeys. Normally, the
wings of the chicken become almost BURNT
and exceptionally DRY because the wing volume
is so small for the amount of given heat. So, I
cover the “wings” only with aluminum foil for about
the first 2/3 ‘s of the cooking time and then take the
foil off. Wings, then, are not as BURNT and DRY.
Jun 22, 2018.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this, Roger, thank you and thanks also for the tip!
Nanette Bosman says
This was incredible chicken! I followed your recipe, used organic thighs & marinated them about 5 hrs. Also made the aji dip…awesome! Thank you for a wonderful experience into Peruvian cooking.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Nanette, thank you!
Vaughn Adams says
One of my favorite food carts in Portland, OR is called chicken and guns, they serve chicken roasted over an open fire along with crusty lemon potatoes. Since the first time I’ve been obsessed with finding a recipe for Ahi Verde sauce, and this is the best I’ve tried. I’m making it again tonight!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Vaughn, I’m so happy to hear it, thank you!
Tina says
Thank you for your response. What type and brand is to be used?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tina, no not really. I don’t drink beer, I just use it in cooking so I’m not terribly familiar with a lot of the brands. My only recommendation though is to use one that has a good flavor and that just comes down to personal preference.
Tina says
Hello,
I just came across your recipe after having some of this chicken at a church gathering. I was wondering if you have to use the alcohol that is mentioned. Is it necessary to use? Also, would it be possible for it to be left out and still have a great taste and or substitute it with something else of the non alcohol beverage arena. If so, I would greatly appreciate the name of what to use.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tina, the beer is an integral ingredient in Pollo a la Brasa and contributes a distinctive flavor for which there really is no comparable substitute (incidentally, the alcohol does largely burn off in the cooking process). While the chicken will still taste good without it, it obviously won’t taste quite the same and for anyone familiar with this dish there will be something “missing.”
Emilia says
Tina, if you can’t cook with alcohol (I can’t either), see if you can find a Russian store and use wheat Kvass instead. It’s like wheat soda, ever so slightly sweet, but very grainy like the flavor you’d get from beer. I use it in place of beer for batters all the time. My Peruvian son-in-law is allergic to alcohol, and he said the kvass worked well.
I leave out the huacatay as I’ve had sone weird allergies to mint. Son-in-law said he’s not used to having it in there anyway. As has been said, there are regional variations.
Deborah R Maldonado says
Emilia, huacatay is actually a type of marigold, not a mint. So, you might try it. If you have a green thumb, I suggest you get some seeds and grow. You will only actually need 1 plant as it gets pretty big (up to 6 feet!). Not sure where you live, but they LOVE the heat, too. I cannot tell you how much BETTER fresh tastes when you make the sauce! The jarred stuff just does NOT compare to the fresh stuff. And, you only need a few leaves to make the sauce. You can find seeds on Etsy – Tagetes minuta/huacatay. They weren’t hard to start in small pots and they took off when I planted them outside.