You will want to put this sauce on EVERYTHING. Fries, salads, toast, roasted veggies, rice, beans….
Peruvian Roasted Chicken with Aji Verde
You will want to put this sauce on EVERYTHING. Fries, salads, toast, roasted veggies, rice, beans....
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 lemons 1 zested and quartered, the other juiced.
- 1 4-4 1/2-pound whole chicken
Aji Verde:
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2-3 jalapeño or 7 serrano peppers
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat to 400F with the oven rack in the center of the oven.
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Add the garlic, cumin, olive oil, paprika, pepper, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, lemon zest, and 2 tbsp lemon juice to a small bowl.
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Butterfly the chicken by cutting out the backbone with kitchen shears, and cracking the breastbone with your palms to flatten the chicken. Clean and pat dry.
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Rub the chicken with your 2 leftover lemon quarters squeezing the juice on the chicken and rubbing the whole bird with the rinds. Take your spice mixture and rub it all over the chicken including under the skin. Be careful not to rip the skin.
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Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining 1 tsp salt.
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Transfer the chicken, butterflied, skin side up, to a sheet pan.
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Roast 20 minutes. Baste. Roast 20 minutes. Baste. Roast 10-20 minutes until cooked. Juices should run clear and/or internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh should read 165F.
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While your chicken is in the oven, make your aji verde: Add all ingredients to a food processor. Yup, that's it!
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Let rest 15 minutes before cutting into it.