Peruvian-Style Grilled Chicken With Green Sauce
Adapted from Serious Eats on May 1, 2025
Prep:
30 minutes
Cook:
45 minutes
Inactive:
10 minutes
Total:
1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients
Serves/makes 4
Sauce
All
Instructions
1.
Combine the jalapeños, ají amarillo (if using), cilantro, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and vinegar in the jar of a blender. Blend on high speed, scraping down sides as necessary, until smooth.
2.
With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The sauce will be quite loose at this point but will thicken as it sits.
3.
Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.
4.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place it on a large cutting board, breast side down. Using sharp kitchen shears, remove the backbone by cutting along either side of it. Turn the chicken over and lay it out flat. Press firmly on the breast to flatten the chicken. For added stability, run a metal or wooden skewer horizontally through the chicken, entering through one thigh, going through both breast halves, and exiting through the other thigh. Tuck wing tips behind the back.
5.
Combine the salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, garlic, vinegar, and oil in a small bowl and massage with fingertips until homogeneous. Spread the mixture evenly over all surfaces of the chicken.
6.
Light a chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals evenly over half of the coal grate. Alternatively, set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set the cooking grate in place, cover the grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.
7.
Place the chicken skin side up on the cooler side of the grill, with the legs facing toward the hotter side. Cover the grill, with vents on the lid open and aligned over the chicken. Open bottom vents of the grill. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 110°F (43°C).
8.
Carefully flip the chicken and place it skin side down on the hotter side of the grill, with breasts pointed toward the cooler side. Press down firmly with a wide, stiff spatula to ensure good contact between the bird and the grill grates. Cover and cook until the skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 145 to 150°F (63 to 66°C), about 10 minutes longer. If the chicken threatens to burn before the temperature is achieved, carefully slide to the cooler side of the grill, cover, and continue to cook until done. Do not leave the lid off for longer than it takes to check the temperature, or the chicken will burn.
9.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Carve and serve with the sauce.
Related
Misc.
Notes
I used the avocado-tomato salad, potatoes, and rice from related recipe