Peruvian Roasted Chicken

The best chicken spot in New York is Pio Pio. They make amazing Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken with Aji Verde Sauce. They are very secretive about what goes into their sauce but this is pretty close. Since I don’t have a rotisserie I roasted mine in the oven and cut it in half to make sure all the skin gets crispy. Serve this with a simple avocado salad or this is also great with tostones or rice and beans. For best results, marinate chicken overnight.

THE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken
4 oz beer (I used Corona light)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 lime, juice of
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
salt
paprika

Aji Verde Sauce:

2-3 jalapeños, seeded
3 tbsp fresh cilantro
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp white vinegar
pinch cumin
salt and pepper
2 tbsp fat free sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash chicken and remove all fat.
Place in a large bowl and season generously with beer, vinegar, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, cumin and oregano.
Place in a large bag and marinate overnight.
Remove chicken from bag, cut chicken in half and place both halves on a large oven safe baking dish, skin side up.
Discard marinade.
Sprinkle chicken with paprika and a little more garlic powder and salt and bake at 425° for about 50 minutes, basting with the pan juices half way through.
To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken; the thermometer should read about 160°F.
The chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F, but after the chicken is taken out of the oven it should rise to 165°.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before carving.