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Milk Street Bowtie Skillet-Roasted Peruvian-Style Chicken

Skillet-Roasted Peruvian-Style Chicken

4 Servings

1¼ hours 25 minutes active, plus marinating

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Peruvian pollo a la brasa is a whole chicken that is marinated, then cooked slowly on a rotisserie until the meat is ultra-tender; fried potatoes are a common accompaniment. Here, we use chicken leg quarters and roast them directly on top of sliced Yukon Golds that have first been lightly browned in the skillet on the stovetop. Marinate the chicken for 24 hours, if you can; if that’s not an option, give it at least an hour to soak in the seasonings. Ají panca paste is made from a Peruvian variety of chili of the same name; the paste is red with fruity, lightly smoky undertones and little heat. Look for it, sold in jars, in well-stocked supermarkets or Latin American grocery stores. If you cannot find it, don’t hesitate to use the sweet paprika plus smoked paprika substitute. Beer is a common marinade ingredient for pollo a la brasa; Cusqueña, a Peruvian lager, is a good choice, but any quaffable variety will do. We highly recommend serving the chicken and potatoes with ají verde (recipe below), a Peruvian goes-with-everything condiment that’s deliciously creamy, tangy, herbal and spicy.

4

Servings

Tip

Don’t forget to pat the chicken dry after removing it from the marinade, and before sprinkling it with salt and placing the pieces in the skillet. The drier the skin, the better the browning and crisping.

1¼ hours

25 minutes active, plus marinating

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup beer (see headnote)
4 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ají panca paste (see headnote) or 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, plus 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters (about 3 pounds), trimmed
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, sliced into ½-inch rounds
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped
Ají verde, to serve (optional)
Ingredients
  • 3

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • ½

    cup beer (see headnote)

  • 4

    medium garlic cloves, finely grated

  • 2

    tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2

    tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • 2

    tablespoons ají panca paste (see headnote) or 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, plus 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

  • 2

    teaspoons dried oregano

  • 2

    teaspoons ground cumin

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 4

    bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters (about 3 pounds), trimmed

  • pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, sliced into ½-inch rounds

  • ½

    cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped

  • Ají verde, to serve (optional)

Skillet Roasted Peruvian Style Chicken with Aji Verde

Recipe

Ají Verde

Directions

Skillet-Roasted Peruvian-Style Chicken

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Reviews
Bill O.
June 21, 2022
Great dish
I made some changes, but I think I still captured the essence of the dish. For the sauce, I had some leftover chile verde sauce to which I added mayo and a touch of cayenne. And I used the slashing technique on the chicken to improve the marinating. I marinated for about 8 hours, turning every couple of hours. Cooked it all in a large cast iron pan. The potatoes were outrageous and the chicken was terrific. I liked it with sauce, my wife if not as much of a sauce person and liked it better without. An added bonus was spooning the pan drippings over the chicken. I checked the temp at 20 minutes and again at 35 minutes, when it was done, so be careful not to overcook.
Michael F.
May 18, 2022
Another great recipe
I made this recipe as written (including the aji verde sauce) except for breaking down a whole chicken instead of using leg quarters. It was fantastic. My family loved it. Can easily be a weeknight meal if you plan ahead. Thank you so much.
Diana L.
May 18, 2022
It had no flavor
The recipe is easy to make but it had no flavor. I have marinated it for 1 hour. I think this needs to be marinated for 24 or longer. I will try this again but marinating it for a longer time.
Danny S.
December 12, 2023
Brilliant!!!
This is such an easy recepie to make and the results are restaraunt quality. One of the better chicken dishes we've had and will be in our rotation for some time to come.
Katie P.
October 8, 2023
Easy and Delicious!
Made this and it’s a winner for sure! Easy enough to make. I did marinate 24 hours. Will def make again!