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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
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 619 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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!
This post was originally published on January 5, 2026
I see you have mint pictured several times above but no mention of it in the ingredients. How much do we use??
Hi Diana,
I just used it as garnish, it is not in the recipe itself:)
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Hello! I’m a little confused about the photos. I’m seeing a large amount of either mint or basil, but neither of those herbs is included in this recipe. Did you include mint/basil in the sauce (which sounds like it would be awesome actually) or did you only use parsley and cilantro? Thanks so much!
Hey Steph!! I just used it as a garnish. It’s not in the recipe. If you enjoy mint however you can certainly add some! Basil would be great too!
I used cilantro and parsley only.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!!
Looks absolutely delicious. I like the ingredients you blend so magically. I will be cooking this after I go to the store to get some supplies. Thank you for your highly creative and tasty recipes.
Thanks so much, Consuela! Let me know how this dish turns out for you, I hope you love it!
Should the chicken be bone in or bone less?
Hi Charlotte,
I like to use boneless chicken for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Is bone-in chicken better when roasted than boneless?
Hi Stephanie,
If you would like to use bone-in chicken, you can absolutely do so! Let me know if you give this dish a try!
I thought Peruvian chicken was notable because it had a certain type of pepper indigenous to Peru that made it unique. I saw McCormick had a Peruvian spice seasoning. I was wondering if that could be incorporated into this dish if you had seen it.
Hey Laura! They do use a lot of pepper. I’m not sure exactly what kind.
I don’t think the chicken needs any more seasoning but of course you could give it a try!
Hope you enjoy!
Going to try this one tonight. Fresh herbs in January hit just right.
Thanks, Maria! I hope you love this dish!
This looks delicious! Do you recommend using chicken pieces with skin or skinless?
Thanks!
Thanks Kristen!! I like to use skinless chicken for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Have a great week!
I simply cannot do mayo. (gag) anything you can sub for that since there is already greek yogurt which is my usual sub?
Hi Barb,
I would just use additional greek yogurt:) I hope you love this recipe!
I’m interested in making this but concerned about the jalapeno. I have young children that don’t take heat very well. Do you consider this spicy or have any suggestions to make it kid friendly?
Hi Sonya,
I don’t think this is very spicy, but you could certainly omit the jalapeños or be sure to skip the seeds. I hope this helps, let me know if you give the recipe a try!
5 stars because it looks and sounds delicious and I look forward to making this soon. I have a question about your photo with the diced avocado. The herb… isn’t it mint? (not cilantro or basil or parsley)? Just asking for clarification~ if so at which step to use… marinade or sauce? TIA. LB
Thanks so much, Linda!
I used the mint as garnish. It’s not in the recipe. If you enjoy mint, you can certainly add some! Basil would be great too!
I used cilantro and parsley only.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!!
This looks so fresh and flavorful! I don’t see mint in the ingredients, but there is a lot of what looks like mint in the pictures, was this just for decoration? Also why did you add the toasted sesame oil in the sauce, this just seems kinda out of place in this dish.
Hi Lauren,
I just used it as a garnish. It’s not in the recipe. If you enjoy mint however you can certainly add some! Basil would be great too!
I used cilantro and parsley only.
Feel free to omit the sesame oil, I enjoy the flavor that it adds:)
Hope you enjoy the recipe!!
Did you use skinless chicken?
Normally you detail chicken type in recipe.
Thank you
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn,
I used boneless, skinless chicken for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I see mint in all your pics above but not in the recipe. How much mint please?
Hey Danielle! I just used it as a garnish. It’s not in the recipe. If you enjoy mint however you can certainly add some!
Hope you enjoy the recipe!!
How has this been properly tested when the recipe was developed less than a week ago?
Hi Tina,
Thanks for asking! When I’m home, I’m cooking all day long, everyday. So it’s very normal for me to make several recipes in a day. This recipe was tested several times throughout that time span. Please let me know if you give it a try!
Have a great week!