This Peruvian Chicken Is the Best Roast Chicken You'll Ever Eat

The spice rub creates incredibly juicy chicken with a super-flavorful crispy crust.

Peruvian Chicken
Photo by Meredith.

What makes Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken so uncommonly delicious? It's the spice rub. Not only does it taste amazing, the thick wet rub also creates a sensational crust that seals in juices. The result is a bird that's incredibly juicy with a super-flavorful crispy crust.

If you can't get to Lima, here's how to do it at home! It's so easy. We've adapted this recipe from Chef John's Roast Peruvian Turkey recipe.

1. Create the wet spice rub. This should make enough to cover the bird plus give you an extra 1/4 cup or so for the glaze. Here's what you'll need:

  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1-1/2 tbsp paprika
  • 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 cup ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar

2. Whirl all of the ingredients around in a blender or food processor until smooth. It should look like a thick paste.

3. With your hands, smear the wet rub over the entire chicken -- everywhere! Slip some underneath the skin and inside the cavity. Save about 1/4 cup to create a glaze.

4. Before you pop it in the oven, let the bird sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

5. Season with salt and roast at 350 degrees F until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, reads at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C) -- 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size of your bird. Let the chicken rest before carving.


Serve it with a sauce! If you like, pair your Peruvian-style roast chicken with a Peruvian-inspired green sauce. Inka Mama's Aji is a spicy sauce made with serrano peppers, garlic, green lettuce, and olive oil. And here's a creamy version with jalapeno peppers and a bit of mayonnaise replacing the olive oil: Peruvian Aji-Style Sauce.


Chef John's Peruvian Turkey

Watch Chef John make his Peruvian poultry! In this video, you'll also see how to squeegee some of the rub under the bird's skin. Chef John also creates a luscious gravy from the pan drippings, deglazing the pan with a blended mixture of chicken stock, jalapenos, cilantro, crème fraiche, and lemon juice.

Prefer your Peruvian chicken out on the grill? Here's Peruvian-Style Beer-Can Chicken. It combines pollo a la brasa seasonings with the beer-can cooking method to create a crispy outside, juicy inside -- plus the grill adds an extra dimension of smokey flavor.

Roasted Chicken
Photo by Meredith.

You might also like Bill's Peruvian Chicken and Rice: "I love it," raves Amelia. "It's going to be a dinner staple for us. It has just the right level of spicy. I also really enjoyed the rice and will be trying it with other dishes as well."


Check out our collection of Peruvian Recipes.


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