Peruvian Chicken - Pollo a la Brasa

This Peruvian chicken recipe is one of my favourite ways to serve chicken.

Pollo a la brasa, also known as rotisserie Peruvian chicken, is a popular and delicious dish in Peru. It is characterized by its flavourful and crispy skin, juicy meat, and unique marinade.

The chicken is traditionally cooked on a rotisserie over fire but you could also cook it over indirect heat on your barbecue or in you oven. All is explained below. 

About this recipe

This dish could not be easier to prepare and you can cook it in many different ways, not just on rotisserie. This time I opted to cook it over indirect heat on my barbecue. Following are the key features of pollo a la brasa:

1. Marinade: The chicken is marinated in a mixture of various ingredients such as garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, cumin, paprika salt and pepper. The marinade also includes aji amarillo paste which is a procuce of a  mild yellow chilli that from Peru.

2. Cooking Method: The marinated chicken is traditionally cooked over charcoal or wood, which imparts a smoky flavour.

3. Seasoning: The seasoning often includes ingredients like ají panca (a type of Peruvian red pepper) and/or aji amarillo, (a type of Peruvian yellow pepper) garlic, black pepper, and sometimes oregano and paprika.

4. Accompaniments: Pollo a la brasa is typically served with French fries, a fresh salad, and various dipping sauces such as ají sauce (a spicy, creamy sauce made from Peruvian peppers), mayonnaise, ketchup, and chimichurri.

5. Popularity: This dish is widely enjoyed in Peru and has gained international recognition, with many Peruvian restaurants around the world serving their own versions of pollo a la brasa.

6. Cultural Significance: Pollo a la brasa is more than just a meal; it is a social food often shared among family and friends, making it a staple in Peruvian culinary culture.

How do you cook Peruvian Chicken - Pollo a la Brasa?

This recipe is traditionally cooked on a rotisserie but you can cook it over indirect heat on your barbecue at 200°C/400F. If you have a rotisserie, you will find instructions on how to use it for this recipe in my rotisserie Vietnamese recipe. The cooking process is the same. 

You could also cook Peruvian chicken in your oven at the same temperature for the same length of time. 

What exactly is aji amarillo paste?

Aji amarillo paste (<-- Affiliate Link) is a flavourful and mildly spiced paste made from the aji amarillo pepper, a staple ingredient in Peruvian cuisine.

The aji amarillo pepper, which translates to "yellow chilli," has a bright orange-yellow colour when mature and offers a fruity, slightly smoky flavour along with a medium heat level. It's by no means spicy in my opinion.

Can you make aji amarillo paste?

That depends on where you live and the availability of the chillies. I live in the UK so I purchase it in jars here. When I'm visiting family in California, I make it myself.

How do you make aji amarillo paste if you do have the chillies available?

• Seed and de-vein the chillies: Remove the seeds and veins of the chillies to reduce bitterness.
• Blanch: Blanch the chillies in boiling water for about a minute to often them.
• Blend: Blend the softened chillies to a smooth paste, often with the addition of a small amount of water, oil, vinegar, or lime juice to achieve the desired consistency. When I do it, I add just enough water to blend to a paste and add light olive oil and lime juice to taste.

Can you work ahead?

Yes. For best results, leave the chicken to marinate for 24 hours, though you can get away with a shorter marinating time of three hours. 

There is lime juice in the marinade and you should not leave lime juice or any acid such as vinegar on meat for longer than than three hours. 

So go ahead and marinate the chicken but leave the lime juice out at first if you want to marinate it overnight. Then add the lime juice to the chicken before cooking. 

Step by step photographs.