Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce
Why You’ll Love My Peruvian Chicken Recipe This popular Peruvian-style chicken dish, also known as pollo a la brasa, is known for its succulent texture, bold flavors, and aromatic seasonings. The beloved dish featuring marinated chicken cooked over an open flame yields a juicy and flavorful bird with crispy skin. The authentic Peruvian flavors often feature an exciting spice mixture with fresh pepper, vinegar, and soy sauce. Ultimately, there is so much to love about this delicious recipe with a spicy green sauce, it’s destined to become one of your favorite chicken recipes. If you want to check out some of my other favorite chicken leg recipes you can find them in my The Best Chicken Leg Recipes round up article! Ingredients for Butterflied Peruvian Chicken Drumsticks The Chicken – For this recipe, we’ll butterfly whole drumsticks. You can also make the recipe with whole chicken cut into pieces, chicken breasts, or Peruvian chicken thighs. The Marinade – The seriously flavorful marinade comes together easily with fresh cilantro, garlic, and zesty lime juice. To balance out the tanginess, soy sauce, aji amarillo paste, and aji panca paste add that distinctive Peruvian kick. To deepen the flavors, we’ll sprinkle in ground cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper. Creamy Green Sauce – This sauce with olive oil and aji amarillo paste combines fresh cilantro, the creamy richness of mayonnaise, and then the fiery kick of serrano peppers, all balanced by the savory touch of parmesan cheese. A drizzle of honey sweetens the sauce, while a squeeze of lime adds zest. The Chicken – For this recipe, we’ll butterfly whole drumsticks. You can also make the recipe with whole chicken cut into pieces, chicken breasts, or Peruvian chicken thighs. The Marinade – The seriously flavorful marinade comes together easily with fresh cilantro, garlic, and zesty lime juice. To balance out the tanginess, soy sauce, aji amarillo paste, and aji panca paste add that distinctive Peruvian kick. To deepen the flavors, we’ll sprinkle in ground cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper. Creamy Green Sauce – This sauce with olive oil and aji amarillo paste combines fresh cilantro, the creamy richness of mayonnaise, and then the fiery kick of serrano peppers, all balanced by the savory touch of parmesan cheese. A drizzle of honey sweetens the sauce, while a squeeze of lime adds zest. The Simple Way to Make Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce DAy 1 prep We’ll start by prepping the chicken drumsticks. For this step, make sure to grab a super sharp knife and a large cutting board. You’ll need them to slice one side of each drumstick lengthwise from top to bottom, all the way down to the bone. Once you’ve made that cut, gently pull apart the two sides to lay the meat flat, while making sure to keep a bit of meat on the opposite side intact. Then, go ahead, and repeat this step for all your drumsticks. The Marinade Now, let’s make the best chicken marinade. Throw all the marinade ingredients into a food processor and then blend until smooth. I love marinating chicken because it imparts so much flavor into (what can be) a relatively bland protein. If you like marinades, my Grilled Mojo Chicken and Lemon Chili Rye Rotisserie Chicken are two other fantastic chicken recipes that utilize marinades. Next, grab a food-safe bowl or a resealable bag, toss in your drumsticks, and then submerge. Don’t forget to reserve a little marinade in a small bowl for basting later. Place chicken in the fridge, and let it marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results. Day 2 of Cooking Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce Alright, it’s the next day and it’s finally time to fire up the grill. Get it to medium-high heat, somewhere around 350-375° degrees F, for direct cooking. Aji Verde Sauce While that’s heating up, let’s make the delicious green sauce to throw over our chicken. Add the green sauce ingredients to the food processor and blend until it’s nice and smooth. Set it aside. For more vibrantly green sauces, check out my Cast Iron Green Chile Chicken Recipe and Grilled Filets with Chile Vinegar Sauce. Grilling Time Now, take those chicken drumsticks out of the marinade and shake off any excess liquid. Transfer chicken onto the grill and cook the drumsticks for about 20-25 minutes. While the chicken cooks make sure to flip the chicken pieces every few minutes to avoid any extra charring. Keep an eye out for hot spots on your grill and adjust accordingly. Just before they’re ready, give them a good basting with that reserved marinade. Once they hit an internal temperature of 170° degrees F on your instant-read thermometer, then they’re good to go. Take them off the grill and then let them rest for a few minutes on a wire rack layered with paper towels. Assembly Finally, drizzle that vibrant green sauce over your drumsticks or serve it on the side, and voila! You’ve got yourself some tasty Peruvian-style chicken drumsticks. Enjoy! What to Serve with Peruvian Chicken Drumsticks As for the perfect choice of sides, there is no right answer. You can serve Peruvian chicken drumsticks with traditional accompaniments like French fries, which complement the flavorful spices and juicy meat of the drumsticks perfectly. Additionally, consider serving them with refreshing side dishes like a crisp green salad, grilled vegetables, or rice and beans. More Chicken Leftovers & Reheating If you have any leftover butterflied chicken drumsticks, go ahead and wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and then store them in an airtight container for 3-5 days. You can reheat them inside aluminum foil over a medium-high heat grill for about 12-15 minutes. FAQs for Butterflied Peruvian Drumsticks Can I make this recipe with other cuts of chicken? Yes! Try making this recipe with skin-on chicken thighs or even a rotisserie chicken. No matter what, it’s the Peruvian green sauce that takes center stage in this recipe. How does butterflying drumsticks make a difference? Butterflying allows the drumsticks to cook more evenly as they lay flat on the cooking surface. This helps prevent undercooked or overcooked spots, resulting in uniformly cooked and tender meat. Genius, Brad! Are you really friends with Brad Prose? Yup, it’s a fact. Brad is one of the founding members of the creator-owned live fire cooking brand I started, FYR. We share a passion for helping people build confidence with bold flavors while cooking over the fire. Get stoked for life This sauce is FYR! an all-new line created for live fire cooking Born from a deep passion for food and flavor. Whether you’re grilling in the backyard or live fire cooking around the world, we have what you need to transform every meal into an adventure. Chicken: ▢ 12-15 Chicken Drumsticks ▢ 12-15 Chicken Drumsticks Marinade: ▢ 1 cup Cilantro▢ 8-10 Garlic Cloves▢ 4 medium Limes juiced▢ 2.5 tbsp Soy Sauce▢ 1.5 tbsp Aji Amarillo Paste▢ 1.5 tbsp Aji Panca Paste▢ 1 tbsp Ground Cumin▢ 1 tbsp Kosher Salt▢ 1 tbsp Black Pepper▢ 1 tbsp Canola Oil ▢ 1 cup Cilantro ▢ 8-10 Garlic Cloves ▢ 4 medium Limes juiced ▢ 2.5 tbsp Soy Sauce ▢ 1.5 tbsp Aji Amarillo Paste ▢ 1.5 tbsp Aji Panca Paste ▢ 1 tbsp Ground Cumin ▢ 1 tbsp Kosher Salt ▢ 1 tbsp Black Pepper ▢ 1 tbsp Canola Oil Green Sauce: ▢ 1 cup Cilantro▢ ½ cup Mayonnaise▢ 2 Serrano Peppers stemmed▢ 2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese▢ 1 tbsp Olive Oil▢ 1 tbsp Aji Amarillo Paste▢ 1 tbsp Honey▢ 2 medium Limes juiced ▢ 1 cup Cilantro ▢ ½ cup Mayonnaise ▢ 2 Serrano Peppers stemmed ▢ 2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese ▢ 1 tbsp Olive Oil ▢ 1 tbsp Aji Amarillo Paste ▢ 1 tbsp Honey ▢ 2 medium Limes juiced Begin prepping your chicken drumsticks. Using a really sharp knife, slice one area on the drumstick from top to bottom all the way down to the bone. Pull apart the two sides of the slice and begin separating the meat from the bone so that the chicken drumstick is flayed open and flat. Make sure to leave some part of the meat, on the opposite side of the first cut, still connected. Repeat this for all of your drumsticks.In a food processor, add all the ingredients for the marinade and blend until smooth. Add all of your chicken drumsticks to a food safe bowl or bag and pour the marinade over top (make sure to save 2-3oz of marinade for basting later). Mix together thoroughly, cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.The following day, preheat a medium-high heat fire (around 350-375 degrees F) for direct cooking.In a food processor, add all the ingredients for the Green Sauce and blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.Pull your drumsticks out of the marinade and discard any excess marinade. Place them onto the fire and cook them for 20-25 minutes until they reach 170F internal. Make sure to flip them every 3-4 minutes to prevent burning, and move the chicken around in case you have a hotter spot on your grill. Right before they are done, baste the outside of the meat with the reserve marinade. Once done, pull them off and let them rest for 5-6 minutes.Drizzle the green sauce over the top of the drumsticks or serve on the side. Enjoy! Begin prepping your chicken drumsticks. Using a really sharp knife, slice one area on the drumstick from top to bottom all the way down to the bone. Begin prepping your chicken drumsticks. Using a really sharp knife, slice one area on the drumstick from top to bottom all the way down to the bone. Pull apart the two sides of the slice and begin separating the meat from the bone so that the chicken drumstick is flayed open and flat. Make sure to leave some part of the meat, on the opposite side of the first cut, still connected. Repeat this for all of your drumsticks. Pull apart the two sides of the slice and begin separating the meat from the bone so that the chicken drumstick is flayed open and flat. Make sure to leave some part of the meat, on the opposite side of the first cut, still connected. Repeat this for all of your drumsticks. In a food processor, add all the ingredients for the marinade and blend until smooth. In a food processor, add all the ingredients for the marinade and blend until smooth. Add all of your chicken drumsticks to a food safe bowl or bag and pour the marinade over top (make sure to save 2-3oz of marinade for basting later). Mix together thoroughly, cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight. Add all of your chicken drumsticks to a food safe bowl or bag and pour the marinade over top (make sure to save 2-3oz of marinade for basting later). Mix together thoroughly, cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight. The following day, preheat a medium-high heat fire (around 350-375 degrees F) for direct cooking. The following day, preheat a medium-high heat fire (around 350-375 degrees F) for direct cooking. In a food processor, add all the ingredients for the Green Sauce and blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use. In a food processor, add all the ingredients for the Green Sauce and blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use. Pull your drumsticks out of the marinade and discard any excess marinade. Pull your drumsticks out of the marinade and discard any excess marinade. Place them onto the fire and cook them for 20-25 minutes until they reach 170F internal. Make sure to flip them every 3-4 minutes to prevent burning, and move the chicken around in case you have a hotter spot on your grill. Place them onto the fire and cook them for 20-25 minutes until they reach 170F internal. Make sure to flip them every 3-4 minutes to prevent burning, and move the chicken around in case you have a hotter spot on your grill. Right before they are done, baste the outside of the meat with the reserve marinade. Once done, pull them off and let them rest for 5-6 minutes. Right before they are done, baste the outside of the meat with the reserve marinade. Once done, pull them off and let them rest for 5-6 minutes. Drizzle the green sauce over the top of the drumsticks or serve on the side. Enjoy! Drizzle the green sauce over the top of the drumsticks or serve on the side. Enjoy! Calories: 708kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 222mg | Sodium: 2839mg | Potassium: 803mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 808IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 4mg Derek Wolf Derek is the driving force behind Over the Fire Cooking. He started cooking with live fire in 2016 and decided to start a social media page so his friends and family could follow the journey. Fast forward to today and Over the Fire Cooking has spread across multiple platforms with millions now following Derek's fire cooking journey. He's a southern fellow who enjoys everything from classic BBQ to Central and South American inspired dishes. Whatever he's cooking up, it's guaranteed to be so freakin' delicious!