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Herby, garlicky, spice-rubbed Peruvian-inspired chicken is roasted until golden and paired with a vibrant, creamy green sauce. An easy, crowd-pleasing dinner that’s ideal for weeknights or casual entertaining.
January can sometimes feel like a quiet, colorless month. We’re deep in winter, the days are short, and sunshine feels limited. But I actually love this time of year because it’s when I shift from cozy holiday recipes to dishes that are still comforting — just a little more vibrant and nourishing.
Right now, I’m feeling so inspired to cook with fresh herbs, colorful fruits and vegetables, and lots of warming spices. That midwinter shift always sparks new creativity and feels refreshing in the best way.
Last week, I created this herby, garlicky, Peruvian-inspired chicken after my brother mentioned the idea of a chicken bowl with a creamy green sauce. I immediately loved the sound of it.
I tossed mixed chicken pieces with garlic, herbs, and spices, then roasted them until tender and juicy. While the chicken cooked, I whipped up the sauce, cooked a pot of rice, and chopped fresh mango and avocado.
Everything came together quickly, and the end result was colorful, cozy, and deeply flavorful. It’s satisfying, great for meal prep, and somehow even better the next day.
These are the details
Ingredients – for the chicken
- chicken thighs or breast – I use boneless
- olive oil or melted butter
- garlic cloves
- jalapeño
- ground cumin
- smoked paprika
- salt and pepper
- cilantro and parsley
- mango, chopped
- avocado, chopped
Ingredients – for the creamy green sauce
- mayo
- plain Greek yogurt
- fresh cilantro
- fresh parsley
- jalapeños
- garlic cloves
- lime juice
- toasted sesame oil
What you need in the kitchen
I use a casserole dish to bake the chicken. You’ll also need a blender or food processor to make the creamy sauce. Aside from that, a cutting board, knife, and some utensils are all you need!
The Steps
Step 1: Prepare the chicken
In a baking dish, toss together the chicken pieces. I like to use a mix of chicken thighs and chicken breasts. Add olive oil, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and a chopped jalapeño. Finish with equal amounts of chopped cilantro and parsley.
If cilantro isn’t your thing, use parsley only, or swap in parsley and basil instead.
Step 2: Bake the chicken
Bake the chicken for about 25 minutes. I use a casserole-style baking dish so the chicken can cook gently in the oil without drying out.
Once the chicken is tender and lightly crisping around the edges, remove it from the oven.
Step 3: Make the sauce
Add all of the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. I use a mix of yogurt and mayo along with cilantro, lime juice, and sea salt.
Step 4: Serve
Serve the chicken and sauce over rice. Top with mango and avocado, or use fresh pineapple instead. Both fruits are common in Peruvian cooking and pair beautifully with the fresh, spicy flavors.
Altogether, this takes less than an hour — closer to 40 minutes, depending on your pace.
We’ve made this a few times over the past week, and we all agree the sauce is what really makes the bowl. So good!
Looking for other busy weeknight recipes? Try these!
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema
Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Salmon with Caesar Roasted Potatoes
One Skillet Cheesy Green Chile Chicken
Lastly, if you make this Peruvian Chicken with Creamy Green Sauce, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Peruvian Chicken with Creamy Green Sauce
Ingredients
- 6-8 chicken thighs or breasts
- 1/3 cup olive oil or melted butter
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeño, seeded if desired and chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and/or parsley
- 1 mango, chopped
- 1 avocado, chopped
Creamy Green Herb Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 2 jalapeños, seeded if desired
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 425°F.2. In a casserole dish, toss together the chicken, olive oil or butter, garlic, jalapeño, smoked paprika, cumin, cilantro, and parsley - season with salt and pepper. If time allows, marinate 1 hour or overnight in the fridge. 3. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and begins to crisp. 4. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Season to taste with salt.5. Serve the chicken over bowls of rice with creamy sauce, mango, and avocado chunks. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Can’t wait to add this to meal rotation on Monday. We have a restaurant that makes Peruvian Chicken, but it’s a hike to get there. Now I can save time and money and make my own! I will make some garlic sauce as well as the green sauce, since that mentioned restaurant offers it along with the green . Thanks for ‘spicing up’ my menu!
Thanks so much, Sandy! Love to hear this! Have a great weekend!
I made this chicken last night and it was a HUGE hit!!! I used boneless, skinless thighs. I added the jalapeños to both the chicken and green sauce without removing the seeds. And that sauce… I used it on our eggs this morning, and plan on using it on our fish tacos tomorrow. Thank you!!!
Love to hear this, Chari! Thanks for trying this dish and sharing what worked well for you! Happy Sunday!
What would the cook time be if I did mixed chicken pieces? I’m so excited to try!
Hey Alexa,
I would keep it the same, I like to use thighs and breasts. If they happen to be bone in, you will want to increase the time.
If I’m not a big dairy girlie, what could I sub for the Greek yogurt?
Hi Sharon,
You could use a dairy-free greek yogurt or sour cream. I hope you love this recipe!
Just made this for dinner and it was so good! I added a little soy sauce to the chicken marinade and a little red wine vinegar to the green sauce. The jalapeño pieces got really flavorful and almost caramelized in the oven.
Thanks so much, Emma! Love to hear you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it!
Have a great Saturday!
This recipe was amazing! The chicken and sauce was delicious. This is definitely a keeper. Thank you!
Hey Eva,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you!
Have a great weekend!
Hi! About to make this tonight and marinating the chicken ahead of time. Can I make the sauce ahead of time too?
Thanks so much, Kendalle! Yes, that is perfectly okay for you to do. I hope you love this recipe!
A question please. The photo shows an herb that looks like mint, but definitely not like cilantro nor parsley. Can you please clarify?
Hi Monica,
You are correct, it is mint:) I used it as garnish, so it is not required in the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy Friday!
Hi
Is it possible to you an alternate to the jalapeño?
Thanks
Sure, you could skip the jalapeño:)
I made this last night and it was delicious. This will definitely be apart of our weekly meals. Thank you Tieghan! 🙂
Yay! Thanks so much, Joanna! Love to hear this dish was a hit, I appreciate you making it!
Happy Friday!
Loved this dish! The chicken thighs were very moist and a good flavor. The recipe was very easy overall and the green sauce was a true winner! Planning use the excess green sauce on chicken tacos later. It is really a delicious flavored sauce. Sadly I’d probably leave out the mango next time as mine wasn’t ripe and just was not helpful on addition to the dish.
Hey Sarah,
Awesome! Love to hear this dish turned out well for you. Thanks for making it. Happy Friday!
Absolutely fantastic! Tonight I made this for my husband and my friend and we all loved it! The chicken thighs stayed moist and the green sauce was delicious (I halved the sesame oil). The only disappointment was the stringy mango chunks which were thawed. Next time I’ll use the pineapple. I served it with roasted cabbage and we continued talking about the sauce for hours. The sauce would also be great on rotisserie chicken. Thanks!
Thanks so much, Dot! I appreciate you trying this dish and sharing your feedback, glad to hear it was enjoyed!
Hoping to give this a try this weekend with some friends. . . What drink would you pair it with?
Thanks so much, Kate! Here are some recipes you might enjoy:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/creamy-coconut-mojito/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/coconut-lime-margaritas/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/jalapeno-ginger-moscow-mule-with-mocktail/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/serrano-pineapple-margarita/
I hope this helps! Let me know how the recipe turns out:)
I love your sheet pan meals. Would it work to drizzle the sauce on the chicken and bake it for 5 more minutes? Not sure if it works with these sauce ingredients. Either way, it’s on our meal plan for this weekend. Thank you, Tieghan!
Thanks so much, Betsey!! I haven’t tried this, but you could certainly give it a go if you wanted!
Have a great Friday!
Lefover of the creamy sauce– what would one do with this magical goodness?
Hey Jill,
I would drizzle on a salad or sandwich!! Thanks for making this recipe:)
Can I add that I sliced the chicken into wide cross strips, tossed quickly in a dish with the oil/etc, then spread on a pan along with the larger sweet potato chunks (separated) and both were finished at the same time in 20 mins – which made it really easy! The chicken was so good, even though it hadn’t marinated!
Thanks again:)
Love this! I subbed some chili spice mix (for olive oil!) that had dried parsley since I forgot to buy fresh, and didn’t have jalapeño, but that worked out ok. Added some roasted sweet potato chunks also since I was a bit short on chicken. Overall the family loved it.
Hey there,
Happy Friday!! Thrilled to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and taking the time to comment!