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This Peruvian-Inspired Whole Roasted Chicken with Tangy “Green Sauce” is a must-try recipe! Impressive enough when hosting, but I promise it is simple enough for any night of the week.
If you are looking for a flavorful twist on a classic roast chicken, this recipe is for you. The chicken itself has so much flavor from the combination of dried oregano, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, but the real star is the tangy “green sauce.” You are going to want to drizzle it on every bite!
I wish I could say this recipe came purely out of my head, but it was inspired by Pio Pio, a Peruvian-style restaurant in New York City that specializes in rotisserie chicken. I was told about it by a friend and I am so happy she did because WOW! In this recipe, we chose to spatchcock the chicken to get the skin nice and crispy and cook it evenly, while keeping it nice and juicy. To keep this Whole30, I chose to make the green sauce with a mayo-based instead to keep it dairy-free!
Ingredients:
- Whole Chicken
- Dried Oregano
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper
- Avocado Oil
- Egg
- Large Jalapeno
- Distilled White Vinegar
- Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Cilantro
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Plus a handful of ingredients for the simple avocado salad to pair with it!
Step-by-Step:
Step One: Preheat the Oven and Prep the Chicken
Preheat oven to 450℉. Place the whole chicken on a cutting board and flip it over, breast side down, so that the backbone is face up. “Spatchcock” the chicken, or remove the backbone, by using a pair of good poultry shears to cut along both sides of the backbone. Rinse chicken (inside and out) and pat it very dry.
Step Two: Season the Chicken
Transfer chicken to a large oven-safe skillet (I use a cast iron) or sheet pan, cavity side up. In a small bowl, combine the oregano, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper and avocado oil and stir until well combined. Brush 1/4 of the seasoning mixture on the inside of the cavity. Flip chicken over skin side up and pat dry one last time. Brush the remaining seasoning mixture all over the top of the chicken, until evenly coated.
Step Three: Roast the Chicken
Transfer chicken to oven and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes depending on the size of your chicken, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 to 160℉. Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Step Four: Make the tangy “green sauce
While the chicken roasts, make the sauce. Pour oil into the jar. Crack the egg into the oil and let settle into the bottom of the jar. Place the immersion blender into the jar and position the blade directly over the egg yolk. Turn the immersion blender on low and hold in place, while blending, until the bottom of the jar starts to turn into a creamy emulsion, about 15 seconds. Once you see that creamy emulsion, start lifting the blender up a bit and pressing it back down, essentially emulsifying the mixture above the mayo at the bottom, bit by bit, until you reach the top and it’s a creamy, mayo texture. Add the jalapeno, white vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Use the immersion blender once more to blend all ingredients until well combined.
Step Five: Make the simple avocado salad
In a small jar, combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Shake to combine. In a separate bowl, add the iceberg lettuce. Top with sliced avocado, tomato, and cucumber. Toss with dressing immediately before serving.
Step Six: Serve and Enjoy
Plate chicken with the simple avocado salad. Serve with tangy green sauce and enjoy!
I hope you make and enjoy this Peruvian-Inspired Whole Roasted Chicken and Green Sauce for years to come!
For more whole chicken recipes:
Whole Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy
Whole Roasted Greek Chicken and Potatoes
Peruvian-Inspired Whole Roasted Chicken with Tangy “Green Sauce”
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 whole chicken about 3.5-4 pounds
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1.5 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
For the Tangy “Green Sauce”:
- 1 cup avocado oil
- 1 egg
- An Immersion blender
- 1 wide mouth glass jar a little bit wider than the head of your immersion blender
- 1 large jalapeno seeded and loosely chopped
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or more to taste
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup fresh cilantro loosely packed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice about 1/2 lime
For the Simple Avocado Salad:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 large avocado sliced
- 2 cups iceberg lettuce sliced thin (about 1/2 head)
- 1 large tomato on the vine sliced thin
- 1/4 cucumber sliced on the diagonal
Instructions
Make the Chicken:
- Preheat oven to 450℉.
- Place the whole chicken on a cutting board and flip it over, breast side down, so that the backbone is face up. "Spatchcock" the chicken, or remove the backbone, by using a pair of good poultry shears to cut along both sides of the backbone. Discard the backbone (or save it for making stock). Rinse chicken (inside and out) and pat very dry.
- Transfer chicken to a large oven safe skillet (I use a cast iron) or sheet pan, cavity side up.
- In a small bowl, combine the oregano, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper and avocado oil and stir until well combined.
- Brush 1/4 of the seasoning mixture on the inside of the cavity. Flip chicken over skin side up and pat dry one last time. Brush the remaining seasoning mixture all over the top of the chicken, until evenly coated.
- Transfer chicken to oven and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes depending on the size of your chicken, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 to 160 degrees.
- Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Quarter the chicken, and serve with the green sauce.
Make the Tangy “Green Sauce”:
- Pour oil into the jar. Crack the egg into the oil and let settle into the bottom of the jar.
- Place the immersion blender into the jar and position the blade directly over the egg yolk. Turn the immersion blender on low and hold in place, while blending, until the bottom of the jar starts to turn into a creamy emulsion, about 15 seconds. Once you see that creamy emulsion, start lifting the blender up a bit and pressing it back down, essentially emulsifying the mixture above the mayo at the bottom, bit by bit, until you reach the top and it’s a creamy, mayo texture.
- Add the jalapeno, white vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Use the immersion blender once more to blend all ingredients until well combined.
Make the Simple Avocado Salad:
- In a small jar, combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Shake to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add the iceberg lettuce. Top with sliced avocado, tomato and cucumber.
- Toss with dressing immediately before serving.
Serve and Enjoy:
- Plate chicken with the simple avocado salad. Serve with tangy green sauce and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You’re so freaking good at what you do!
I love your cook book and your blog. We’ve been cooking mostly your recipes for about a month and you are so reliable.
This chicken is amazing but that sauce is fire! I made A double batch the second time so we can put it on literally everything!
I’m dying to try this but I’m hesitant because of the “hot” level of the sauce. With a whole seeded jalapeño in it, is it acceptable for those with a lower tolerance of hot & spicy?
it’s not that spicy, in my opinion! but you could start with half the jalapeno and see how you feel!
I make this sauce weekly. It goes with everything. The chicken, French fries, eggs. Everything. Love it!
If we wanted to substitute with pre-made mayo in the sauce recipe, how much would you use?
Do one that is very neutral in flavor. I like the chosen foods or Sir Kensingtons Avocado Oil Mayo best… but they do change the flavor a bit.
I’d use 3/4 cup.
I made this and the chicken was delicious! The sauce has all things I love but came out with a fishy taste. Other homemade mayos I have made have also had a fishy taste. Any ideas what may cause this? I’ve always used avocado oil.
hum. that is so interesting! it could be from the type of eggs you are using, perhaps? I can’t imagine avocado oil causing that.
I don’t have an immersion blender but I do have a food processor and I use that to make my own mayo pretty often. Can I just add all the other ingredients (minus egg + oil) to my mayo and blend that together? If so, about how much mayo would you assume it would take? Like a cup? Super excited to try this!!!
yes, absolutely! it’s 1 cup!
This has become my family’s favorite chicken recipe! Don’t skip the sauce ya’ll!
YES! never skip the sauce!!
Does the chicken get that crispy amazing skin JUST from the oven cooking???
This looks amazing! Quick question – is the Staub skillet in your photos the 10″ or the 12″?