Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce

Why You’ll Love My Peruvian Chicken Recipe

This popular Peruvian-style chicken dish, also known as pollo a la brasa, is known for its succulent texture, bold flavors, and aromatic seasonings. The beloved dish featuring marinated chicken cooked over an open flame yields a juicy and flavorful bird with crispy skin.

The authentic Peruvian flavors often feature an exciting spice mixture with fresh pepper, vinegar, and soy sauce. Ultimately, there is so much to love about this delicious recipe with a spicy green sauce, it’s destined to become one of your favorite chicken recipes. If you want to check out some of my other favorite chicken leg recipes you can find them in my The Best Chicken Leg Recipes round up article!

Ingredients for Butterflied Peruvian Chicken Drumsticks

• The Chicken – For this recipe, we’ll butterfly whole drumsticks. You can also make the recipe with whole chicken cut into pieces, chicken breasts, or Peruvian chicken thighs. 
• The Marinade – The seriously flavorful marinade comes together easily with fresh cilantro, garlic, and zesty lime juice. To balance out the tanginess, soy sauce, aji amarillo paste, and aji panca paste add that distinctive Peruvian kick. To deepen the flavors, we’ll sprinkle in ground cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper.
• Creamy Green Sauce – This sauce with olive oil and aji amarillo paste combines fresh cilantro, the creamy richness of mayonnaise, and then the fiery kick of serrano peppers, all balanced by the savory touch of parmesan cheese. A drizzle of honey sweetens the sauce, while a squeeze of lime adds zest. 

The Simple Way to Make Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce

DAy 1 prep

We’ll start by prepping the chicken drumsticks. For this step, make sure to grab a super sharp knife and a large cutting board. You’ll need them to slice one side of each drumstick lengthwise from top to bottom, all the way down to the bone.

Once you’ve made that cut, gently pull apart the two sides to lay the meat flat, while making sure to keep a bit of meat on the opposite side intact. Then, go ahead, and repeat this step for all your drumsticks.

The Marinade

Now, let’s make the best chicken marinade. Throw all the marinade ingredients into a food processor and then blend until smooth. I love marinating chicken because it imparts so much flavor into (what can be) a relatively bland protein. If you like marinades, my Grilled Mojo Chicken and Lemon Chili Rye Rotisserie Chicken are two other fantastic chicken recipes that utilize marinades.

Next, grab a food-safe bowl or a resealable bag, toss in your drumsticks, and then submerge. Don’t forget to reserve a little marinade in a small bowl for basting later. Place chicken in the fridge, and let it marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.

Day 2 of Cooking Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce

Alright, it’s the next day and it’s finally time to fire up the grill. Get it to medium-high heat, somewhere around 350-375° degrees F, for direct cooking.

Aji Verde Sauce

While that’s heating up, let’s make the delicious green sauce to throw over our chicken. Add the green sauce ingredients to the food processor and blend until it’s nice and smooth. Set it aside.

For more vibrantly green sauces, check out my Cast Iron Green Chile Chicken Recipe and Grilled Filets with Chile Vinegar Sauce.

Grilling Time

Now, take those chicken drumsticks out of the marinade and shake off any excess liquid. Transfer chicken onto the grill and cook the drumsticks for about 20-25 minutes.

While the chicken cooks make sure to flip the chicken pieces every few minutes to avoid any extra charring. Keep an eye out for hot spots on your grill and adjust accordingly.

Just before they’re ready, give them a good basting with that reserved marinade. Once they hit an internal temperature of 170° degrees F on your instant-read thermometer, then they’re good to go. Take them off the grill and then let them rest for a few minutes on a wire rack layered with paper towels. 

Assembly

Finally, drizzle that vibrant green sauce over your drumsticks or serve it on the side, and voila! You’ve got yourself some tasty Peruvian-style chicken drumsticks. Enjoy!

What to Serve with Peruvian Chicken Drumsticks

As for the perfect choice of sides, there is no right answer. You can serve Peruvian chicken drumsticks with traditional accompaniments like French fries, which complement the flavorful spices and juicy meat of the drumsticks perfectly. Additionally, consider serving them with refreshing side dishes like a crisp green salad, grilled vegetables, or rice and beans.

More Chicken

Smoked Hanging Chicken

Honey Bacon BBQ Chicken Lollipops

Smoked Chicken Thighs with Spicy Peach Glaze

Maple Hot Chicken Lollipops

Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla

Smoked and Fried Sticky Wings

Leftovers & Reheating

If you have any leftover butterflied chicken drumsticks, go ahead and wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and then store them in an airtight container for 3-5 days. You can reheat them inside aluminum foil over a medium-high heat grill for about 12-15 minutes.

FAQs for Butterflied Peruvian Drumsticks