How to make BBQ Peruvian Chicken:
To make this Peruvian Chicken on the BBQ grill, you will need to get a nice plump roaster chicken for this recipe. I always like to shoot for a 5-pound chicken because that weight includes water. Most roasters will yield 4-7 servings, but my family is big eaters so I traditionally count on one roaster feeding 4. I will make two roaster chickens per meal for my crew. There may be some leftovers but I can always use them for a salad topping the next day and I do not have to worry about not having enough!
The chicken has to be spatchcocked for this BBQ Peruvian Chicken recipe. Spatchcock is a fancy word for the process of removing the spine (deboning) from the back of the chicken so it will lay flat. This way, all chicken parts are now on the same level and will cook evenly. This technique also reduces the cooking time substantially.
This is my new favorite way to make chicken as it comes out so moist the skin is beautifully browned and crispy.
How To Spatchcock A Chicken
This is not a difficult thing to do. You have to be careful if you are going to do it using a knife, but if you have some good kitchen sheers, I am confident you will be able to remove the backbone of the chicken quickly.
Rather than walking you through the steps, there is actually an amazing video of the process by the experts at Food & Wine on spatchcock chicken. Keep in mind you can always ask your butcher to do it for you if you would rather.
Peruvian Chicken Marinade
Once you have your spatchcocked chicken ready, you want to gently separate the skin of the chicken from the meat with your fingers. This will help the marinade get under the skin and flavor the chicken as much as possible
Now whisk together the other ingredients for the Peruvian Chicken marinade, the soy, sambal, mustard, ancho powder, cumin, salt, lime zest, juice, and a pinch or two of ground pepper. Once combined, you want to add the mixture into a zip lock bag. Carefully, add the chicken into the bag and you are going to marinate it overnight.
Now, before I get a bunch of questions about if you can marinate the chicken for less time, let me just say NO. If you do not have the time to invest in the marinading process overnight, find another dish to make tonight and make this for tomorrow. These flavors are important to seep into the chicken for the best results. Do not rush the process!!
It’s A New Day For This Peruvian Chicken Dish
Time to BBQ the Peruvian Chicken that has been marinating all night! Large enough for your marinaded chicken to rest carefully on the BBQ grill, take your cast iron pan. Do not oil it. Simply put just the cast iron pan on the grill and heat your grill to 500 degrees.
While the grill is heating the pan, pull the chicken carefully from the marinading zip lock bay. Place it on a cutting board, and you want to dab the skin with a paper towel to soak up the moisture on the skin. This will ensure you get a nice crispy skin as it cooks.
Now that the pan is to temp, you will take the grill to 450 degrees. Add the oil to the pan, place the chicken breast-side down into the pan, and close the lid.
You will cook the chicken breast side down for about 30 minutes at the new setting of 450 degrees. I have to keep an eye on the grill to keep the temperature pretty consistent with little adjustments to the dials. Keep in mind, that if you keep opening the grill, the temperature will drop! So be patient, and let this Peruvian Chicken do its thing.
You will want to flip the chicken over in the pan at the 30-minute mark and cook for another 10-15 minutes until it comes to the required temp of 160 degrees. Then do not forget that all tasty meat, needs a bit of rest for the juices to settle back into the meat. In this case, a 10-minute rest on the cutting board seems just about right before serving.
Creamy Cilantro Sauce
What makes this Peruvian Chicken pop is that is served with this amazing cilantro sauce. Sweet, and tangy, the lime juice with just a bit of heat from the serrano peppers brings the familiar heat to Peruvian cuisine. Let’s get this sauce together while the chicken is on the BBQ.
You will add cilantro, oregano, honey, mustard, cumin, serrano peppers, lime zest and juice, and garlic to your food processor. You will want to pulse this, scraping down the sides to ensure evenly distribute of all ingredients. Now add the mayo, pulsing until well combined. Lastly, season with some salt and pepper and set aside for serving.
Serving Time
After the Peruvian Chicken has rested, you will want to cut the chicken up into your favorite parts and serve it with a generous serving of the creaming cilantro sauce.
I also like to serve this with lime-cilantro rice, which is easy to make and does not need a blog to share! Just make your rice as you normally would. Before serving the rice, add the zest and juice of a lime and a generous handful of chopped cilantro and combine. As a rule, 1 cup of uncooked rice to 1 lime and 1/2 cup of cilantro. Honestly, though you may prefer it a little more tart so add more lime juice, feel free to play with the ratios.
Another great addition to this dish is to serve it with my sweet and savory glazed carrots. The flavors are well aligned, I also like the punch of color that this side dish brings to the party. I even like to serve this with a beautiful r
If you are looking for other chicken recipes made on the grill, look at my Yogurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken recipe. Something more refined then head over to my delicious Chicken Piccata!
Enjoy!
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