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pollo a la brasa recipe peruvian roast chicken peru bbq barbecue grilled authentic traditional aji verde sauce huacatay

Pollo a la Brasa (Peruvian Chicken)

By Kimberly Killebrew
The famous and phenomenally delicious roast chicken from Peru served with a homemade aji verde sauce! 
4.99 from 64 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Marinating Time 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes
Servings 6

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

* For all you BBQ'ers, this chicken is also fantastic barbecued over coals and wood chips!
* 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

Calories: 308kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 24gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 671mgPotassium: 292mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 261IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 2mg
Course Main Course
Cuisine Peruvian
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