Peruvian Grilled Chicken

Author: Francine Lizotte

Posted on Jul 7th, 2026

by Francine Lizotte

David and I have a long bucket list when it comes to visiting countries. Europe is obviously on the list, as well as Australia, Africa, and a few tropical South Pacific islands such as Tahiti and Bora Bora 🌴 in French Polynesia, the Fijian islands, Aitutaki in Cook Islands, Upolu in Samoa, etc.

Another area we would like to explore is South America 🌎, and one country in particular: Peru. Besides the famous Machu Picchu, there’s Lake Titicaca, Vinicunca or Winikunka where the Rainbow Mountains are, the Nazca Lines, Cusco which is the ancient Incan capital, along with many other sites.

When I was living in Toronto, I went to Paracas Peruvian Restaurant a few times. I remembered ordering ceviche, lomo 🐂, and a couple of chicken dishes. During one of my visits, my girlfriends and I met two guys who were from Peru.

We hung out a few times together. Discovering my passion for trying foreign recipes, one of the two guys gave me the recipe for his favorite dish 💖. It was called “Pollo a la Brasa” with ají verde sauce served alongside salsa criolla.

I totally forgot about it until last year when I went through my box 📦 of recipes that I’ve been collecting since I was 18. Here it was, that Peruvian recipe from the man we’d met. I brought it to David’s attention, telling him that we have to give it a shot… and we’re happy we did!

This Peruvian Grilled Chicken is my take on the iconic “pollo a la brasa” 🐓. Incredibly tasty and easy to make, this dish has a lovely sweet, smoky, and tangy flavor profile. With a nice charred outer layer, the meat is juicy and tender. It pairs beautifully well with the famous Ají Verde.

I use chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken, but apart from that, I follow the recipe as is. To tenderize the meat while infusing some serious flavor, it has to be marinated in a briny-aromatic mixture for several hours, preferably overnight 🌜.

There’s soy sauce that goes in the marinade, and lots of it. I truly believe that even when it’s low-sodium, there’s no need to add extra salt 🧂 to the mixture. For those of you who are saltaholics, by all means, go ahead and add some.

Ají amarillo paste is another important ingredient in the composition of the marinade. I have never seen the actual ají amarillo peppers. I know these little buggers are hot 🧯, measuring 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units. They’re 4 to 20 times hotter than jalapeños, and have a similar spice level to serrano peppers.

If you are in the same situation as me and can’t find those peppers, there’s a way to mimic the paste, and here’s the link for the recipe. The next option is to order the paste online 💻 or go to a specialty store.

On the other hand, the ají amarillo paste can be left out. The taste of the Peruvian Grilled Chicken won’t be the same, but here are a couple of suggestions…
– To keep that gorgeous yellow color and the heat 🔥, use either Sambal Oelek or Sriracha along with a pinch of paprika. There’s also mild chili powder that can be used instead.
– Another way is to add some red pepper flakes for a spicy background.

There are four different cooking methods to choose from. In the video 🎥, I go for the BBQ. If you don’t own one or want to make it during the winter months, an indoor grill will do, as well as the stovetop, setting the heat on medium-high.

The oven method is slightly different. Either you grease a rimmed baking sheet, line it with parchment paper, or place a wire rack (my preferred way), the thighs need to be cooked for 35 to 40 minutes ⏰ at 425ºF/220ºC, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.

I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but if you choose for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, the cooking time for any of those methods will take longer. As the bone acts as an insulator, the protein will take a good 10 minutes ⌚ longer than the boneless thighs.

With an irresistible combination of smoky, fruity, and spicy flavors, this Peruvian Grilled Chicken is a recipe that you should definitely make this summer! This South American iconic dish is served with a cool Ají verde sauce alongside rice 🍚 and salsa criolla… simply yummy!
Bon Appétit! 🍽

Check out these other great BBQ & grilling recipes… 😀
– Baja Shrimp Tacos
– Polynesian Pork Ribs
– Mexican Smoky Corn Dip
– Ultimate Cheeseburgers
– Coffee Cocoa Pork Tenderloin
– Turkish Kebabs
– Huli-huli Chicken
– Blackened Grilled Fish
– Fire Roasted Salsa
and for even more BBQ recipes 🔥, click on this link… Recipe Category • BBQ & Grilling

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube