Peruvian Chicken, spiced with cumin and paprika, is served with a crisp arugula-corn salad and a green sauce. It’s packed with flavor and sure to be a family favorite!
This dish has texture, color, and flavor! Instead of roasting a full chicken (pollo a la brasa), it uses boneless breasts or thighs for the same great flavors in less time.
The Best Peruvian Chicken
I have a favorite spot for Peruvian chicken, so I decided to recreate a simpler version at home. This Peruvian-inspired chicken, green sauce, and salad deliver bold flavors, perfect textures, and vibrant colors from fresh veggies.
Dry, bland food is forgettable, so this dish is anything but. The spiced chicken is paired with a flavorful sauce that’s also drizzled over a simple salad. Just writing about it makes me want to make it again!
How To Make Peruvian Chicken
- Chicken: Pound chicken to make sure it’s even thickness so it cooks evenly.
- Make Green Sauce: Make it ahead of time. Letting it sit brings out the flavors.
- Grill Chicken: Oil the grill to prevent sticking.
- Prep Salad: Add dressing just before serving to keep it crisp.
- Serve: Serve chicken with salad and green sauce.
The Best Green Sauce
- Jalapeños: Remove seeds and ribs for a milder sauce.
- Cilantro: Use some stems—they blend well and add flavor.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Olive Oil: Look for a extra virgin olive oil.
- Mayo: Regular or light mayo both work well.
- Yellow Mustard: Don’t skip—it balances the sauce.
- Lime Juice: Fresh-squeezed lime juice tastes best.
- Sour Cream: Greek yogurt can be swapped in a pinch.
How To Make It
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Let it sit for 15–30 mins to really bring out the flavor before serving.
Peruvian Chicken Tips For Success
- Mix the salad with dressing just before serving to keep it fresh. Leftover salad doesn’t keep well with dressing.
- Make the green sauce ahead if possible to let the flavors blend and get stronger (note: spiciness will increase).
- Cut and flatten chicken breasts to an even thickness before marinating. This helps the chicken soak up more flavor and cook evenly.
- Let the cooked chicken sit under foil for 5–10 mins before slicing to keep it moist.
Quick Tip
To keep grilled corn kernels from scattering, use a Bundt pan. Stand the cob in the center hole and slice downward—the kernels will collect in the pan!
Peruvian Side Dishes
- Try serving Peruvian Chicken over or alongside rice instead of with the salad!
- Add a hard-boiled egg (see my tutorial on this deviled egg recipe) to the dish.
- Add a side of beans.
- For a starchy side dish, try boiled potatoes tossed with butter and parsley (papitas al perejil).
- Another starchy side option: fries!
Storage
Store leftover Peruvian chicken, salad, and sauce separately in airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheat chicken before serving, and toss the salad fresh to keep it crisp.
More Delicious Chicken Meals
- Jamaican Jerk Tacos with a mango black bean salsa
- Mango Chicken with a simple mango salsa
- Bruschetta Chicken with fresh avocado
- Chimichurri Chicken topped with an herb sauce
- Pesto Chicken Tortellini made in one pot
Peruvian Chicken
Spiced with cumin and paprika, this juicy chicken pairs perfectly with a crisp arugula-corn salad and a tangy green sauce that’s downright addictive. Peruvian Chicken may look complex, but it’s simpler than it seems—many ingredients are used multiple times, but written out twice (or three times) for easier reading.
Equipment
- Grill or grill pan
- Blender
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
Salad
- 2 fresh ears corn
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 to 4 ounces arugula
- Cotija queso mix optional
- 1 large avocado optional, thinly sliced or chopped
Green Sauce
- 2 to 3 large jalapenos coarsely chopped, see note 1
- 1 cup cilantro lightly packed and coarsely chopped; some stems are fine
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, 1 clove of minced garlic, olive oil, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and dried oregano. Season to preference with salt and pepper; I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Halve chicken breasts horizontally. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of your frying pan, pound breasts to even thickness (not super flat, just even in thickness). Place prepared chicken in a large plastic bag and pour the marinade mix over. Seal the bag without air and knead to coat all the chicken in the marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes up to 6 hours. If possible, make the green sauce now too, so it has a chance to sit and flavors can intensify.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (about 400°F.) Generously oil the grill (I drench a rolled-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rub it over the grill grates. Don’t skip this step.) Grill pan: add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Place marinated chicken on the grill. Discard any leftover marinade. Grill 10–12 minutes, flipping once halfway through, or until chicken juices run clear and internal temperature is 165°F.
- Salad: Grill the corn on the cob and red pepper (see note 2). In a mason jar, add red wine vinegar, lime juice, honey, olive oil, and salt/pepper to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper). Shake to combine. In a bowl, toss the arugula, corn cut off the grilled cob (slightly cooled), and chopped bell pepper. Add dressing right before serving (you may not use all the dressing, but I like a generous amount). Toss to combine and taste for seasoning.
- Sauce: In a high-powered blender, add jalapenos, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, mayo, mustard, lime juice, and sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper). Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust to preference. Note: the heat increases as the sauce sits.
- Serve grilled chicken alongside a generous helping of salad. Sprinkle cheese on top. Add sliced avocado if desired. Serve with a side of green sauce or drizzle it over everything.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: This is about 1 cup chopped jalapenos. Remove ribs and seeds before adding to the blender. Adjust amount to heat preference. The sauce’s heat intensifies as it sits.
Note 2: How to grill corn: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat, around 400°F. Once hot, clean the grill grates. Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Pour about 1 teaspoon vegetable oil on each corn cob and rub that oil into all sides. Very lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of the corn. (Remember, the cotija cheese is quite salty, so you don’t want to add too much salt.) Place corn directly on grill grates and close the lid. Cook about 3 minutes per side undisturbed. Using tongs, rotate and continue cooking, about 12 minutes total. When all sides are browned, remove from grill.
To grill pepper: Rub vegetable or olive oil over the pepper and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place on grill; rotate every 3–4 minutes for a total of 10 minutes or until charred to preference. Remove all veggies and let cool before chopping.
Storage: Store the chicken, salad, and sauce separately in airtight containers. Keep the chicken and sauce in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the chicken before serving, and assemble the salad fresh to keep it crisp.
Nutrition
Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 222mg | Potassium: 206mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2166IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks for a phenomenal recipe! Making this on repeat with my own twists. In green sauce I reduce cilantro add green onion so my cilantro hater can partake and swap out the mayo for half greek yogurt half sour cream to cut back fat. For the salad I toss my corn in sweetner, salt & pepper and skip the dressing to simplify since we have the green sauce to top with and use romaine, cilantro, cucumber & cherry tomato instead of arugula & roasted pepper. For the protein I do love it with the chicken breasts as written but skinless salmon is also phenomenal prepared with this marinade for a change. I serve with roasted sweet potato wedges with flakey sea salt and rolls for my kids.
Delish! I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment Emiline! 🙂
Tasty chicken marinade. I didn’t make all the elements of this recipe, just the chicken part. It was super flavorful and such a great lime tast to it.
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Jenn! 🙂