This Peruvian chicken recipe is an easy, oven-baked version of the classic Pollo a la Brasa, packed with smoky spices, garlic, and lime. It’s perfect for those looking for a simple chicken recipe that’s a bit different and unexpected. The simple chicken marinade uses Greek yogurt, lime, garlic, and an incredible spice mix to flavour the chicken thighs before they’re baked in the oven for crispy skins and juicy succulent chicken.
FAQ
Peruvian chicken is a South American style of rotisserie chicken with spices and fragrant aromatics like lime and garlic. It’s traditionally served with a green sauce called ‘Aji Verde’. I tried to simplify this into the marinade in my recipe, so I’ve combined the traditional spice mix with Greek yogurt to get the Aji Verde vibe, without making a completely separate sauce.
Peruvian chicken is traditionally cooked on a rotating grill just like any other rotisserie chicken. My recipe uses chicken thighs, and they are baked, but you can also cook them in the air-fryer or barbecue. Just make sure to use a meat thermometer to check for doneness (165°F or 74°C)
Yes! You could use chicken breast instead – I recommend using skin-on chicken breast if you’re going to do this, but you could use skinless too. Just keep in mind if you use skinless chicken breast the final result will be less juicy and succulent. You can also use a whole chicken, place the marinade between the meat and the skin as well as all over the bird. Follow the package instructions to roast the chicken until cooked.
Ingredients for Peruvian Chicken
I prefer to use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs when making baked chicken thighs because I love the taste of crispy skin (also hello collagen!). Cooking meat on the bone results in more flavour and helps stop the meat from drying out.
Ingredients and Swaps for the Peruvian chicken marinade
Greek Yogurt – adds a tang and some creaminess. It also acts as the base of this simple marinade to add flavour to.
Mayonnaise – to add a bit more creaminess to the yogurt. You can swap this for more Greek yogurt if you don’t want to use mayonnaise.
Olive Oil – a bit of fat to help the chicken get deliciously crispy in the oven. You can use any liquid fat.
Lime Juice – for its vibrant acidic flavour, it also helps to tenderise the meat while it marinates
Garlic – Garlic adds great flavour, and is also very anti-inflammatory! Bonus!
Herbs and Spices – cumin, paprika, and oregano add an amazing fragrant flavour that’s so moreish!
Honey – A little honey is added to balance out the tanginess of the yogurt and lime. You can substitute this with any kind of sweetener – maple syrup, cane sugar, coconut sugar, etc.
Salt and Pepper – to taste.
How to Make Peruvian Chicken
Step 1. Preparing the Marinade and Chicken Thighs
I start by making the simple chicken marinade first, and I like to make it directly into the bowl I’ll use for marinating. Add all the Peruvian chicken marinade ingredients to a large bowl (use a bowl large enough to add 1kg chicken thighs to with room to mix)
Tip – Whenever I make baked chicken thighs, I always like to go through each piece of meat and trim off any excess skin and fat – it makes the cooking process a bit neater, and I prefer the final result when it isn’t too fatty.
Step 2 – With your chicken thighs trimmed, add them to the bowl with the marinade and give it a good mix. Cover with cling film (saran wrap) and put in the fridge.
You can marinate the chicken for anything between 30 minutes and 24 hours. This is great to prepare the night before, but if you don’t have very long, don’t worry about it too much. You can make the chicken and marinade, then cook straight away if you don’t have time.
Step 2. Baking the Peruvian Chicken Thighs
I think the best way to bake chicken thighs is using a wire cooling rack over a roasting tray. That’s because you get air circulating around the entire piece of meat and the result is a deliciously crispy chicken thigh, with no soggy bottoms!
Using this method, you can also add in some vegetables to the roasting tray beneath, like cherry tomatoes, courgette, and bell pepper to cook beneath the chicken. They will taste amazing as they’re collecting all the delicious flavour that drips off the chicken thighs.
Add the chicken thighs to the wire rack and place them on top of a roasting tray. Pop in the oven at 200 degrees C / 400 degrees F for 1 hour, flipping each chicken thigh at 45 minutes to make sure it’s evenly crisped up.
If you’re using the air-fryer, cook at 180 degrees C / 360 degrees F for 20 – 25 minutes, flipping the chicken thighs over halfway through.
Step 3. How to Serve Peruvian Chicken Thighs
You can serve the chicken thighs immediately with a sprinkling of fresh coriander, green chilli and a fresh squeeze of lime juice.
These baked Peruvian chicken thighs go well with roasted vegetables, rice, roast potatoes, or salad.
Storage
If you have leftovers, you can store them in an air-tight container for 3-5 days.
You can also freeze the leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Ensure you allow the chicken thighs to cool down before adding to a freezer-safe container and storing in the freezer.
Do not let the chicken sit at room temperature for more than a couple of hours before freezing or refrigerating.
If you want to meal-prep this recipe, you can make everything the night before and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
Or, to make it in advance, prep the simple chicken marinade separately and marinate a few hours before you want to serve.
Did you make this recipe? If so, leave a comment down below! If you have photos, tag me in them on Instagram #oneappletwopears and @oneappletwopears
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Peruvian Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 kg skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed.
Marinade
- 3 tbsp Greek Yogurt
- 1 tbsp Mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Green Chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
To Serve
- 1/4 Lime
- 1 tbsp Fresh Coriander, chopped
Instructions
- Add the marinade ingredients to a large bowl and mix well to combine.
- Add the trimmed chicken thighs and mix well before covering with cling film (saran wrap) and refrigerating between 30 mins – 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees C / 400 degrees F around 10 minutes prior to cooking.
- Place the marinated chicken thighs on a wire cooling rack above a roasting tray before putting in the oven.
- Cook for 1 hour in total, flipping the chicken over at 45 minutes to ensure the bottoms get crispy.
- Serve immediately with an extra squeeze of fresh lime juice and a sprinkle of fresh coriander.