How to Make Slammin Peruvian Chicken

 

Peruvian Chicken or Pollo a la brasa is a fixture now across the east coast. Peruvian chicken joints have popped up all across Maryland and for good reason, this stuff is delicious.

The rich smokey flavors combine with the juiciness of a rotisserie chicken to create some sort of unholy delicious alliance. The story behind Pollo a la brasa though is interesting to say the least. If you don’t feel like clicking to read the long story, here’s a quick rundown of how this tasty chicken came to be.

So the inventors of Peruvian Chicken are….you guessed incorrectly… SWISS! Roger Schuler and Franz Ulrich were down on their luck chicken farmers who lived outside of Lima, Peru. On the verge of going broke the two men decided to sell chicken on the side of road, in order to speed up their cooking process they made a rotisserie that served as the genesis for Pollo a la brasa. The chicken was a hit and by the 1970’s this style of preparing chicken spread all over Peru. Since then with the help of immigration of Peruvians to the States, Pollo a la brasa has morphed into something slightly different than the original. How is it different? It’s all in the seasoning.

The creators claimed to only use salt in their seasoning while others use a variety of blends in their seasoning. Some have said that the original variety that comes from the Lima area of Peru uses only salt, while the variety that comes from the Andes region has more spices.

I prefer the variety of spices as it creates a really unique and delicious flavor. I could eat this dish every day, the rich smokey flavor that comes from the cumin, paprika, and garlic is addicting. Once you make chicken this way, you’ll never want to try it any other way again.

For the Chicken

1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp. Lemon or Lime Juice (preferably Lime)

5 Cloves of Garlic

2 Tsp. Cumin

2 Tsp. Coriander

1/2 Tsp. Oregano

2 Tsp. Smoked Paprika

1/2 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper

1/2 Cup Diced Onion

1 Whole  Chicken

 Depending on your level of spicy preference 1 whole green jalapeno for super spicy, I used just a little bit of one jalapeno for just a kick.

1 Cup of Fresh Cilantro

1 Clove of Garlic

2 Tbsp. Lime Juice

1 Tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup of Mayo

1/2 Tsp. Salt

First mix all of your chicken ingredients together (except the chicken) into a blender. Run the blender so you have a smooth mixture.

Pat the chicken down, and rub all over with the mixture.

Pre-heat your oven to 325F, place the chicken in the oven and cook until the internal temp reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 2 hours).

Rotate your pan (if you can)  every 30 minutes in the oven.

In the last 30 minutes, prepare your Aji sauce. Take all of your ingredients, toss them into a blender, run the blender, and voila you have tasty green sauce.

Once your chicken is done, serve with your sauce and enjoy!