Peruvian Chicken with Aji Verde Sauce
Get ready to elevate your dinner game with this mouthwatering Peruvian Chicken drizzled in zesty Aji Verde sauce! Marinated to perfection with fragrant garlic and tangy lime, this dish bursts with vibrant flavors that will have your taste buds dancing. Don’t miss out—this is a must-try for any weeknight feast!
Prep
15
min
Cook
50
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(7)
- cayenne pepper
- cilantro
- minced and grated garlic
- garlic cloves
- lime juice
- pepper
- roasted potato wedges
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- chicken
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- sour cream
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- olive oil
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- cumin
- dried oregano
- salt
- smoked paprika
🍯Sauces & Condiments(3)
- red wine vinegar
- extra sauce for dipping
- soy sauce
📦Other(4)
- broccolini
- jalapeno
- mayo
- serrano
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add olive oil to a bowl along with soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and lime juice. Season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper. Add minced and grated garlic and give it a mix.
- 2
Add in the chicken and fully coat it in the marinade until it looks like this, then let it marinate until you lose patience.
- 3
Lay the chicken on a wire rack, pack the skin dry, bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes.
- 4
For the aji verde sauce, add mayo and sour cream to a blender along with garlic cloves, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, one jalapeno and serrano, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, then blend until smooth.
- 5
The chicken's done when the internal temperature reaches about 175 to 180.
- 6
Serve it with roasted potato wedges, broccolini, and extra sauce for dipping.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate the chicken for minimum 4 hours but ideally 12-24 hours because the acidic lime juice and vinegar break down proteins while salt penetrates at 1mm per hour through muscle fibers.timing12-24 hours
- ✓Pat chicken completely dry and let it air-dry on the wire rack for 15-30 minutes before baking to remove surface moisture, which creates steam and prevents the Maillard reaction that produces crispy skin.technique15-30 minutes
- ✓Cook chicken to 165°F internal temperature, not 175-180°F as suggested, because poultry is safe at 165°F and higher temps cause protein fibers to contract excessively, expelling moisture.timing165°F
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of mayonnaise to sour cream in aji verde because mayo's lecithin provides stable emulsification while sour cream adds tang without breaking the sauce.ingredient2:1 ratio
- ✓Remove jalapeño seeds and membranes before blending aji verde because capsaicin concentration in seeds is 16 times higher than in flesh, allowing better heat control.technique16x capsaicin concentration
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
50
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Peruvian Chicken with Aji Verde Sauce
Get ready to elevate your dinner game with this mouthwatering Peruvian Chicken drizzled in zesty Aji Verde sauce! Marinated to perfection with fragrant garlic and tangy lime, this dish bursts with vibrant flavors that will have your taste buds dancing. Don’t miss out—this is a must-try for any weeknight feast!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(7)
- cayenne pepper
- cilantro
- minced and grated garlic
- garlic cloves
- lime juice
- pepper
- roasted potato wedges
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- chicken
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- sour cream
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- olive oil
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- cumin
- dried oregano
- salt
- smoked paprika
🍯Sauces & Condiments(3)
- red wine vinegar
- extra sauce for dipping
- soy sauce
📦Other(4)
- broccolini
- jalapeno
- mayo
- serrano
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add olive oil to a bowl along with soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and lime juice. Season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper. Add minced and grated garlic and give it a mix.
- 2
Add in the chicken and fully coat it in the marinade until it looks like this, then let it marinate until you lose patience.
- 3
Lay the chicken on a wire rack, pack the skin dry, bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes.
- 4
For the aji verde sauce, add mayo and sour cream to a blender along with garlic cloves, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, one jalapeno and serrano, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, then blend until smooth.
- 5
The chicken's done when the internal temperature reaches about 175 to 180.
- 6
Serve it with roasted potato wedges, broccolini, and extra sauce for dipping.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate the chicken for minimum 4 hours but ideally 12-24 hours because the acidic lime juice and vinegar break down proteins while salt penetrates at 1mm per hour through muscle fibers.timing12-24 hours
- ✓Pat chicken completely dry and let it air-dry on the wire rack for 15-30 minutes before baking to remove surface moisture, which creates steam and prevents the Maillard reaction that produces crispy skin.technique15-30 minutes
- ✓Cook chicken to 165°F internal temperature, not 175-180°F as suggested, because poultry is safe at 165°F and higher temps cause protein fibers to contract excessively, expelling moisture.timing165°F
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of mayonnaise to sour cream in aji verde because mayo's lecithin provides stable emulsification while sour cream adds tang without breaking the sauce.ingredient2:1 ratio
- ✓Remove jalapeño seeds and membranes before blending aji verde because capsaicin concentration in seeds is 16 times higher than in flesh, allowing better heat control.technique16x capsaicin concentration