Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa)
My popular Peruvian Chicken, known as Pollo a la Brasa, is marinated overnight with spices, herbs, and soy sauce, then roasted until the skin is crisp and the meat is full of flavor. Once you try it alongside my homemade Aji Verde sauce, you’ll see why this dish keeps showing up in my kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 12 garlic cloves
- 1/2 ” peeled chunk of fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon huacatay, or 3-4 fresh mint leaves
- 1 ½ tablespoons aji panca, or 1 dried ancho chili
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the cumin and coriander seeds to a medium-sized sauté pan and cook over low to medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes while occasionally stirring.
- Transfer them to a mortar and pestle and grind until finely ground.
- Next, add the garlic and ginger and grind using the pestle until finely minced. It’s ok if there are some bigger pieces.
- Add the rosemary, huacatay, vinegar, soy, oil, and aji panca, and mix until combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
- Alternatively, to the huacatay, grind in 3 to 4 large fresh mint leaves.
- To replace the aji panca, remove the stem and seeds from 1 dried acho chili. Next, add it to a small pan and cook it on a middle rack at 275° for 15 to 20 minutes. Let the chili cool slightly or just until it becomes crunchy, then add it to the mortar and pestle and grind until finely ground along with the other ingredients.
- Rinse and pat dry inside and outside of the chicken and place it in a large bowl.
- Pour all but 2 to 3 tablespoons of the marinade over the chicken. Reserve those few tablespoons for later.
- Coat the chicken inside the cavity, on the outside, and under the skin as best you can.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for 12 to 72 hours.
- When it’s done marinating, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to remove the chill.
- Tuck the wings behind the chicken and then tie the legs together using butcher’s twine.
- Place it on a rack in a pan and pour in 2 cups of water or chicken stock.
- Classically this would be cooked on a rotisserie. If you have one, please use it following the times and temperatures below. Alternatively, Bake it in a preheated oven on a middle rack at 400° for 70 to 75 minutes or until well browned and cooked throughout. The juices should run clear, and the thickest part of the chicken should read 162° to 163° when pulling it from the oven.
- You can also heat 1 side of a grill over high heat and cook the chicken in the pan on the other side of the grill where there is no heat underneath and cook it for the same time and temperature.
- Let the chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes uncovered. Brush with the remaining marinade. Try serving with Aji Verde Peruvian Green Sauce.
Notes
Keep in mind, the foundation of what makes this Peruvian Chicken deeply flavorful is the time it spends in the marinade. The longer it sits, the better it gets. If you’re short on time, twelve hours is the minimum. Any less, and you’ll miss the full effect.
Grill or oven: I usually cook this in the oven or on the grill, but the most traditional way would be on a rotisserie or spit over open fire.
Toasting spices: Toasting the seed spices first brings out more aroma and flavor. It’s a small step that makes a big difference.
Grinding spices: You can use a spice grinder instead of a mortar and pestle if that’s easier. Both work well.
Rotisserie option: If you’ve got a rotisserie, use it. It’s how this chicken was meant to be cooked.
No rack: Don’t have a rack? I just use six thick slices of onion to lift the chicken up in the pan. Cooking on a rack with some liquid underneath keeps the chicken moist. It gives you a result that’s close to rotisserie-style.
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 30 minutes ahead of time. Just keep it covered in a pan in the oven or in a grill at low temperatures (<200°).
How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of Peruvian chicken to a 13x9 casserole dish with ½ cup of water and cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 577kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 38gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 897mgPotassium: 564mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1811IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 3mg