Peruvian Spatchcock Chicken with Aji Verde Sauce

Peruvian spatchcock chicken with creamy cilantro jalapeño sauce (aji verde) has perfectly seasoned, crispy skin and juicy meat! The tangy cilantro jalapeño sauce is addictingly delicious and fresh tasting!

Peruvian rotisserie chicken recipe

If you love whole chicken recipes, check out this herb and lemon roasted chicken, white wine and fresh herb roasted chicken, or these lemon pepper chicken wings!

This chicken is fixin’ to knock your socks off.

First, you have to cut the chicken just right so it grills perfectly and evenly. Spatchcock. There, I said it. It’s a weird word, but it’s a terrific way of cutting and cooking a whole chicken and honestly, it’s a total game-changer.

The chicken marinade is super delicious smelling and infuses and tenderized the chicken meat, so when it cooks, it’s already loaded with flavor!

The chicken is then grilled while being brushed with some saved marinade. The flavors are super fresh and so delicious. Mouthwatering! While the chicken is grilling, you can go ahead and make the creamy cilantro jalapeño sauce.

The sauce comes together quickly in a blender, and by quickly, I mean within 30 seconds. How’s that for easy?!

The best part about this dinner is that it is super cheap to make (under $10!) and feeds a whole Army. Ok, by Army, I mean a family of 5 with three ravaging, famished, feral children. So, yes, it feeds a lot!

This chicken is juicy, flavorful, filling, and healthy! It really is the perfect summertime grilling recipe, but I’ve included all the tips on how to make it in the oven since…should I say it… winter is fast approaching. Sorry, it hurt my heart to even say that. So sorry.

Spatchcock Peruvian chicken ingredients

Whole chicken

This chicken will be spatchcocked, which is a way of cutting and butterflying the whole chicken so it cooks tenderly and evenly.

Look for a chicken that is between 2-3 lbs. This will feed about 6 people

Peruvian chicken marinade

The marinade is critical for this delicious tasting Peruvian chicken. Jalapeño, fresh cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, worcestershiresauce, cumin, oregano, salt, and the secret ingredient- aji amarillo paste.

Aji Amarillo paste can be found in well-stocked grocery stores, Hispanic grocery stores, or online. I highly recommend this ingredient because it’s flavor is really hard to replicate the flavor with just simple pantry spices.

The chicken will marinate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight to really let those flavors soak into the meat.

Aji verde- creamy cilantro dressing

The sauce is seriously so irresistible! It’s packed with delicious Latin flavor and is so fresh! It’s made quickly in a blender with a bunch of cilantro, mayonnaise, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, and aji amarillo paste. If you like a thinner sauce, you can add a bit of olive oil, too.

Chef’s tips

How to get the most out of your marinade

The marinade is made quickly in the blender. Just add the marinade to the blender, give it a good 30 seconds until its a purée, then you’re ready!

Scoop out a 1/3 cup of the marinade and set it to the side. This marinade will be used to brush on the chicken while it’s on the grill.

So before you go ahead and slather the chicken with the marinade, you will need to spatchcock the chicken, which I’ll explain how to do. After you cut the chicken, separate the skin from the meat, especially on the breasts.

Place the chicken in a Ziplock bag, then pour the marinade over the chicken. Use your fingers to rub the marinade directly on the breast meat under the skin. Close the bag tightly, pressing any extra air out.

Place the chicken in the fridge and allow it to marinade for at least 2 hours, but it’s even better if left overnight!

Don’t skip out on the sauce

This traditional Peruvian rotisserie chicken is not complete without the sauce! Like most Latin cultures, dishes are always greatly enhanced with the sauce because it adds in complementary flavors that blend oh so well!

The chicken is really delicious on its own, but the sauce really does kick it up a notch. Since you will already be buying these ingredients (the marinade ingredients mimic the sauce ingredients) it can’t hurt to just grab a little extra, right?

What if I cant find aji amarillo paste

Aji amarillo pasta is a yellow pepper paste that adds an indescribably delicious layer of flavor. It’s hard to replicate the flavor with just spices.

You can find aji amarillo in well stocked grocery stores, Latin grocery markets, or online (Amazon has it). It’s a fairly cheap product, about $4.00.

If you cannot find aji amarillo, the closest pepper you can find in a common grocery store would be fresh habanero or serrano peppers. You can remove the seeds in ribs if you would like the flavor without the heat.

I would also recommend adding 1/2 tablespoon to the marinade and sauce each with the habanero or serrano pepper. The aji amarillo flavor is unique, but chicken bullion will add that warmth to the overall flavor.

How to spatchcock a chicken

1. Cut the backbone out of the chicken. Use a very sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut the backbone out of the chicken. Make sure to cut both sides of the back bone to remove it completely.
2. Cut the breastbone. To flatten the chicken, you will need to cut the breastbone. Locate the breastbone, then cut an incision deep enough to break it, but not enough to separate the chicken completely. You could also just press down on each side of the chicken near the wings until the bone breaks.
3. Clip the wings. You can cook the chicken with the wingtips, or you can trim them off since they will likely burn and will be inedible anyway. Use your kitchen shears to cut off the wingtip, then discard.

How to make Peruvian spatchcock chicken and aji verde sauce

1. Make the marinade. Combine the olive oil, jalapeño, cilantro, lime zest and juice, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, oregano, salt, and aji amarillo paste in a blender, then blend until it’s smooth. Save 1/3 cup of marinade for later.
2. Spatchcock the chicken. Use the directions above to spatchcock the chicken. Make sure to separate the meat from the skin so the marinade can touch the meat directly.
3. Marinade the chicken. Put the chicken in a Ziplock bag, then pour the marinade over the chicken. Brush the marinade between the skin and meat on the breasts. Close the bag and release any extra air, then place the chicken in the fridge for 2-24 hours.
4. Grill the chicken. Heat the grill on medium high heat. Brush the grill with olive oil, then place the chicken on the grill. Discard the bag and used marinade. Brush the chicken every 10 minutes with the extra marinade that was set aside when it was made. Grill the chicken for about 45 minutes, until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
5. Make the aji verde sauce. Combine the bunch of cilantro, mayonnaise, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, and aji amarillo paste in a bender and blend until smooth.
6. Serve. Cut the chicken along the bones to serve individual portions. Plate with the sauce, and mangia!

How to bake spatchcock chicken

If grilling season is over by the time you reach this recipe, no worries! Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place the marinated chicken on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and discard the used marinade. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 1 hour, until the chicken has reached the internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Baste the chicken with the marinade that was set to the side when it was made. Use a pastry brush to brush the skin with the marinade every 10-15 minutes.

What to serve with Peruvian spatchcock chicken

• Grilled pineapple jalapeño margaritas are made with fresh ingredients that are bursting with smoky, sweet flavors! Sweet and tangy pineapple, spicy jalapeño, and fresh lime make it delicious!
• Authentic key lime pie is a recipe straight from the Florida Keys! The key lime base is topped with delicious meringue and uses easy to find ingredients!
• Take a trip to Mexico with this delicious pineapple peach agua fresca. This lightly sweetened and fruity drink is so refreshing and non alcoholic!
• Mango and Tajin paletas are a perfect combination of Mexico’s classic sweet and spicy flavor mixture. Juicy, fresh mango are pureed, then combined with spicy tajin and frozen into Mexican paletas, or popsicles.
• Frozen hibiscus lemonade is made with fresh squeezed lemons, hibiscus tea, and lots of ice! This icy and delicious drink takes lemonade up a notch and tastes just like summer!

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