Pollo a la brasa

Name: Pollo a la brasa
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 555 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: 1.6 kg Chicken, one whole bird; 6 clove Garlic, crushed; 3 tbsp Soy sauce; 2 piece Lime, juiced; 2 tbsp Ají panca, paste; 1 tbsp Ají amarillo, paste; 2 tsp Cumin, ground; 1 tsp Oregano, dried; 1 tsp Rosemary, dried, crumbled; 1 tsp Black pepper; 2 tsp Salt; 60 ml Dark beer; 2 tbsp Neutral oil; 2 piece Fresh chilli, jalapeño, seeded for a milder sauce; 1 bunch Coriander, leaves and tender stems; 4 tbsp Mayonnaise; 30 g Queso fresco; 1 piece Lime, juiced; 1 clove Garlic; 2 tbsp Neutral oil; 0.5 tsp Salt

Spatchcocked chicken marinated in soy, lime, garlic, cumin and ají panca, roasted hot until the skin is dark and crisp. Served with chips, salad and ají verde.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 55 min
Rest: 8 hr
Total: 9 hr 15 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

Image coming soon

About

Pollo a la brasa is Peruvian rotisserie chicken: a whole bird marinated in garlic, cumin, soy sauce, lime, ají panca and a splash of beer, then turned for an hour over charcoal until the skin is dark brown and the meat stays juicy. Few homes have a rotisserie, so this version splits the chicken flat and roasts it in a very hot oven, or over indirect heat on a lidded grill. It gives the same lacquered skin, though not the smoke. Marinate it overnight. The ají verde, a blended sauce of green chilli, coriander, mayonnaise and a little cheese, is what people come back for.

What you'll need

21 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 21 ready

4 servings

Chicken
Ají verde

Ingredients

Servings

Chicken

Chicken, one whole bird1.6 kg
Garlic, crushed6 clove
Soy sauce44 ml
Lime, juiced2
Ají panca, paste30 ml
Ají amarillo, paste15 ml
Cumin, ground9.9 ml
Oregano, dried4.9 ml
Rosemary, dried, crumbled (optional)4.9 ml
Black pepper4.9 ml
Salt9.9 ml
Dark beer60 ml
Neutral oil30 ml

Ají verde

Fresh chilli, jalapeño, seeded for a milder sauce2
Coriander, leaves and tender stems1 bunch
Mayonnaise59 ml
Queso fresco30 g
Lime, juiced1
Garlic1 clove
Neutral oil30 ml
Salt2½ ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Lay the chicken breast side down and cut out the backbone with kitchen scissors or a heavy knife. Turn it over and press hard on the breastbone to flatten it. Loosen the skin over the breast and thighs with your fingers.
8 min
Step 2
Mix the garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, ají panca, ají amarillo, cumin, oregano, rosemary, pepper, salt, beer and oil to a loose paste. Rub it all over the chicken and under the skin. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours.
5 min
Tip: Uncover it for the last few hours in the fridge. Dry skin browns better.
Step 3
Take the chicken out 30 minutes before cooking and heat the oven to 220°C. Set it skin side up on a rack over a baking tray with a splash of water in the tray so the drips do not burn.
30 min220°C
Step 4
Roast 45 to 55 minutes, until the skin is deep brown and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 75°C, or the juices run clear. If the skin darkens too quickly, drop the oven to 200°C. Rest 10 minutes.
55 min220°C
Tip: On a lidded grill, set it up for indirect heat at about 210°C, cook 50 minutes with the lid down, then crisp the skin briefly over the coals.
Step 5
For the ají verde, blend the chillies, coriander, mayonnaise, cheese, lime juice, garlic, oil and salt until smooth and pale green. Taste for salt and heat.
5 min
Step 6
Cut the chicken into quarters and serve with chips, a simple lettuce and tomato salad, and the ají verde.
3 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 934 kcal
Protein: 127.5 g
Carbs: 12.3 g
Fat: 39 g
Saturated fat: 7.3 g
Fibre: 2.8 g
Sugar: 2.5 g
Sodium: 2463 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Soy
Wheat
Eggs
Milk

Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.

Substitutions

Ají panca paste → 1 tbsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp chilli powder
Close in colour, smokier and less fruity.
Dark beer → Extra soy sauce and water
The beer adds depth and colour. Without it, use 1 tbsp more soy and 2 tbsp water.

Tips

Thick-cut chips are the usual side. A tray of oven chips can go in under the chicken for the last 35 minutes.
The ají verde keeps three days in the fridge and goes with almost anything grilled.

History & culture

Pollerías are everywhere in Peru, from Lima chains to one-room places in provincial towns, and Sunday lunch out is often a quarter or half chicken with thick-cut chips, a plain salad and a row of sauces. There is a national day for it in July. Peruvians abroad open pollerías wherever they settle.

The dish dates from about 1950. The story goes that Roger Schuler, a Swiss immigrant, and a partner built a spit-roasting oven at a restaurant called La Granja Azul on the eastern edge of Lima and began selling the chicken. The style spread through the city in the following decades, and the marinade grew more Peruvian, with ají, soy from Chinese-Peruvian cooking, and dark beer.

Modern adaptation — Peruvian pollerías cook whole chickens on a rotisserie in a charcoal or wood-fired oven, often burning algarrobo wood, which gives smoke and an evenly self-basted skin. Spatchcocking and roasting hot gets the colour and crisp skin at home but not the smoke. Many pollería ají verde sauces include huacatay, Peruvian black mint; add a teaspoon of huacatay paste if you can find it.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Pollo a la brasa take?

9 hr 15 min all in — 20 min prep, 55 min cook, 8 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

Mild.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Soy, Wheat, Eggs, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Nut-free.

8 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Chef's knife, Cutting board, Blender, Oven, Baking tray.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.

How much soy sauce?

3 tbsp of Soy sauce.

What can I use instead?

Ají panca paste → 1 tbsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp chilli powder. Close in colour, smokier and less fruity. Dark beer → Extra soy sauce and water. The beer adds depth and colour. Without it, use 1 tbsp more soy and 2 tbsp water.

Any tips from this recipe?

Thick-cut chips are the usual side. A tray of oven chips can go in under the chicken for the last 35 minutes. The ají verde keeps three days in the fridge and goes with almost anything grilled.

Can I prepare this ahead?

Uncover it for the last few hours in the fridge. Dry skin browns better.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.