Peruvian Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) [Keto, Sheet-pan, Gluten Free]
Peruvian Chicken with Spicy Green Sauce
“Pollo a la Brasa”
By: Michael Silverstein
Keto | Low-carb | Sheet-pan Meal
Simply put, this is the roasted chicken on your dreams - unbelievably juicy and flavorful. If you’ve ever had Peruvian chicken from a restaurant, you know just how good it is, and now you can make it at home. And the zesty spicy green sauce is classic with this chicken. This is a must-try recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
Yield: Serves 4-6 people
For the Chicken Brine:
3 Tbsp - Course Black Pepper
3 Tbsp - Dried Oregano
2 Tbsp - Cumin
2 tsp - Dried Rosemary
1 Tbsp - Yellow Mustard
1/4 cup - Morton’s Kosher Salt
2 cups - Warm Water
Two 4lb Whole Chickens cut into halves (ask your butcher to do this if you want). Or you can buy 7 to 8 lbs of Chicken Quarters as well, though decrease cooking time to 35-40 minutes.
For the Green Sauce:
1 cup - Avocado Oil
1 tsp - Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp - Sea Salt
1 clove - Garlic
2 tsp - Yellow Mustard
1 cup - Packed Cilantro (about 1 bunch with the thickest stems removed)
1 cup - Whole Hot Yellow Chili Peppers in the Jar (See *Note below), stems removed
*NOTE: For the yellow peppers, it can be hard to find real Peruvian yellow peppers (aji amarillo), so I have found that the jar of hot yellow peppers to be the closest readily-available option in the USA. I use “Mezzetta” brand yellow “Hot Chili Peppers” (found near the olives in the supermarket). If you don’t want spicy, use jarred mild banana peppers instead.
DIRECTIONS:
Make the brine by combining all the ingredients in a very large bowl. The warm water will help dissolve all the salt (it seems like a lot of salt, but it’s needed). Nestle the chicken halves/quarters into the brine with the skin-side just above the liquid. Wrap the bowl well with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinate overnight (8-15 hours).
Make the green sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients in a blender (a food processor will not yield as smooth of a sauce). Blend on high speed for two minutes until the sauce is completely smooth and uniform. Place in a container and store in the fridge.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees (F). Using a roasting pan or baking sheet with a wire rack, place the chicken skin-side up on the rack. Discard the brine. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes on an upper rack of the oven. Switch your oven to Broil, and let the skin of the chicken brown and crisp - this should take about 2 minutes, but keep your eyes on it so it doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven and serve while hot and fresh.