Peruvian Chicken and Rice with Green Sauce is a complete meal that’s loaded with incredible flavor! Marinated chicken thighs or breasts are grilled or baked (your choice!) to perfection. Served over seasoned Peruvian yellow rice and topped with a creamy green sauce for a dinner that’s sure to impress!
If you’re bored with the same old chicken recipes, you must give this Peruvian Chicken and Rice with Green Sauce a try! In just a few simple steps, you’ll have a complete dinner with chicken that is so tender, juicy, and flavorful served over seasoned rice and topped off with an irresistible creamy green sauce, known as ají verde!
Aside from this being one of the most delicious dinners I’ve ever made, it’s quite versatile. Start by choosing whatever cut of chicken you’d like. I typically go with boneless chicken thighs because they’re so tasty, but you could use skin-on chicken thighs, drumsticks, or leg quarters. Even chicken breasts will work great! Then, marinate the chicken in earthy, warm spices. When it comes to cooking the chicken, I’m giving you instructions for grilling or baking it – either way, it will turn out wonderful!
Multitask and get the Peruvian rice cooking at the same time. Once everything is warm and delicious, serve together with the cilantro sauce that will take this whole dish to the next level. The combination of the smoky and savory flavors from the chicken and rice with the fresh and zesty sauce will have you getting rave reviews from your family!
Ingredients needed
The ingredient list for this Peruvian Chicken and Rice with Green Sauce recipe looks a little long, but most are pantry staples that you probably already have. Here’s a note on everything that’s needed:
- Chicken: Use 2 pounds of whatever cut of chicken you like best. You can cook it with the skin on or off based on your preference.
- Spices: A mix of ground cumin with smoked paprika, salt, and freshly ground black pepper will give this chicken a warm, smoky taste.
- You will also need oil, lime juice, and freshly minced garlic.
For the green sauce
- Cilantro: Fresh herbs make this sauce something special and pair wonderfully with the savory flavors in the chicken. It’s traditionally made with cilantro but I sometimes like to add a little bit of dill or parsley.
- Mayonnaise and sour cream: A nice creamy balance with just enough tang. You can sub the mayo with Greek yogurt for a healthier sauce.
- Jalapeños: Adds spice and flavor. If you’re sensitive to spice, you can remove the seeds.
- You will also need garlic, oil, and fresh lemon or lime juice.
Peruvian yellow rice
- Jasmine rice: Light and butter, the seasoning will stick to the long grains for amazing flavor. Basmati or Latin parboiled rice also works, just be sure to keep an eye on the cooking time as it various.
- Shallot (or onion) & garlic: Adds sweet, delicate onion and garlic flavor.
- Butter/oil: For sautéing the shallot and garlic.
- Frozen peas: Adds texture and color. They could be omitted, if preferred.
- Seasonings: A blend of turmeric, cumin, onion powder, salt and pepper to season the rice.
- Chicken stock: For cooking the rice and adding more flavor than cooking the rice in water.
How to make this recipe
Marinate chicken: In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients for the chicken marinade and mix to combine. Reserve about ¼ of the mixture and set aside. Add in the chicken and mix until fully coated. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Grill: When ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium-high, or preheat the oven to 450ºF. This would also be a good time to make rice if served with rice.
Grill the chicken on both sides for at least 5-7 minutes per side (will vary depending on the cut of chicken) or until cooked through to 165ºF. Brush with the reserved marinade halfway through.
Bake: Place the chicken on a foil-lined sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Brush with the reserved marinade halfway through.
To make rice: Wash rice until water runs clear. Soak for 10-15 minutes then drain water. Sauté shallot and garlic in a pot with butter until soft. Add the rice and seasoning to the pot and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then cover with lid and reduce heat to low. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in frozen peas, cover with lid and rest for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
To make the green sauce: Add all the ingredients for the sauce to a blender and pulse for 30 seconds or until creamy. Taste and add salt & pepper.
Helpful tips
- Marinating tip: For the best results, marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, but a little longer or overnight is best. However, don’t marinate any longer than overnight or the meat will break down too much.
- Size of the chicken: Try to use the same size of chicken pieces, so everything cooks at the same rate. However, if your chicken is not the same size, it’s a good idea to check for doneness on the smaller pieces first.
- Check for chicken doneness: To know precisely that your chicken is fully cooked, use a digital probe thermometer. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the chicken, but be sure it is not touching bone. The chicken is ready to eat when the thermometer registers at least 165ºF.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Peruvian Chicken so good?
The combination of marinated, juicy chicken with deliciously seasoned jasmine rice and the green sauce really can’t be beaten. Once you try it, it’s bound to be a new favorite chicken dish!
What is Peruvian green sauce made of?
Peruvian green sauce is often called Ají Verde and it is typically made with cilantro, garlic, lime juice, jalapeños and a creamy base of mayonnaise and sometimes sour cream.
Can you make this meal ahead of time?
Yes, this is actually a great meal to prep in advance. While the chicken is marinating, I like to go ahead and make the rice and green sauce. Or sometimes, I even make the rice and/or green sauce the day before. It will stay fresh in the fridge for a couple of days.
Variations
- Chicken: You can use a whole chicken cut in ½ or 1/4th. You can also use skin-on chicken thighs, drumsticks, or leg quarters. Additionally, chicken breasts also work. Boneless chicken thighs are another great option!
- Serve with potatoes: While my family loves this recipe made with rice, it’s often served with roasted potatoes, which is also delicious. If you want to change it up, try it with these roasted baby potatoes.
Storage recommendations
It’s best to store Peruvian chicken separately from the rice and sauce. Once completely cool, store any leftover chicken in an airtight container and the rice in another airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Transfer the green sauce to a separate container and place in the fridge for up to about 5 days.
More chicken & Rice recipes
- Southwest Chicken & Rice Foil Packs
- One Pan Cilantro Lime Chicken & Rice
- One Pan Chicken & Rice with Sundried Tomatoes
- Kabsa (Middle Eastern Chicken & Rice)
- 30 Minute Chicken Fried Rice
Peruvian Chicken and Rice with Green Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 pounds chicken, thighs, breasts, or any cut, see notes
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice or white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons oil of choice
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Green Sauce
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 whole jalapeño chiles, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peruvian Yellow Rice
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 tbsp butter/oil
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp EACH cumin, onion powder, salt, pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Marinate chicken: In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients for the chicken marinade and mix to combine. Reserve about ¼ of the mixture and set aside. Add in the chicken and mix until fully coated. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat grill to medium-high, or preheat oven to 450ºF. This would also be a good time to make rice, if serving with rice.
- To Grill Chicken: Grill the chicken on both sides for at least 5-7 minutes per side (will vary depending on the cut of chicken) or until cooked through to 165ºF. Brush with the reserved marinade halfway through.
- To Bake Chicken: Place the chicken on a foil-lined sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Brush with the reserved marinade halfway through.
- To make rice: Wash rice until water runs clear. Soak for 10-15 minutes then drain water. Sauté shallot and garlic in a pot with butter until soft. Add the rice and seasoning to the pot and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then cover with lid and reduce heat to low. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in frozen peas, cover with lid and rest for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
- To make the green sauce: Add all the ingredients for the sauce to a blender and pulse for 30 seconds or until creamy. Taste and add salt & pepper.
- Serve: Divide rice mixture into serving plates, top with grilled chicken and a drizzle of the green sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe by: Layla Atik // Gimme Delicious | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
I made the rice. Very delicious! I rinsed the rice thoroughly. didn’t soak it though. Still came out good to me but I’m no expert. Thanks!
Made this over the summer and this green sauce was AMAZING- I could drink it- LOL! The chicken was so tender and moist also. I was wondering how this dish may turn out if I made it with fish over the holidays- maybe a cod or even salmon?
Love this recipe! It’s delicious and easy and feeds a good amount of people!
I made this for the hubby and I. I was given the recipe by a coworker and it was fabulous. My husband was pleasantly surprised. The burst of flavors was wonderful. Its a recipe ill make for year to come.
This is a keeper! Very delicious.
I NEVER leave recipe reviews but had to for this one! It’s perfect. Didn’t need to do any substitutions or adjustments. From the chicken, to the rice, to the sauce, everything was perfect!
I made this for the first time last night and it’s one of the most delicious, fresh meals I’ve ever made! I don’t add as much cilantro to the sauce and omitted the turmeric from the rice (my daughter doesn’t like it), but it was still fantastic and so flavorful!
I’m making this for the second time in a week! I lightened up the recipe a little by using 1/4 cup of mayo and 1/2 cup non fat greek yogurt and the green sauce still came out phenomenal!
So good. One of my favorite new recipes. My boys (5, 3, and 2) all loved it too. Big win!
OMG I didn’t expect it to turn out so good, I made it with everything I had already in the kitchen! I don’t like cilantro and I substituted it for parsley and yogurt for sour cream and the sauce came out amazing along with the whole dish!!!
Wow! This was absolutely amazing! I did make it with white rice and avocado on the side, but that chicken and sauce WOW!!
I served this over a bed of spinach! It was delicious!!! Saving this recipe for sure.
This is by far one of the best meals I have made — and tasted — in a long time. I cannot wait to have leftovers for my lunch tomorrow. 10/10, highly recommend!
The sauce, the sauce, the sauce. I have dreams about the sauce. Don’t get me wrong, the rest of the recipe is great as well – flavorful chicken & tasty yellow rice – but dang, that sauce goes on just about everything. Top 10 favorite meal in my house, thank you ❤️
Made this tonight. It was delicious! Did all my prep last night, even the rice and then all I had to do was grill the chicken today. The only thing I added was a tomato and red onion salad for some freshness. Even my husband raved about it. Will definitely make it again! Thank you.
So flavorful!
So flavorful!!!!
This is fantastic!! It’s a bit of a process but it all comes together nicely when you get your steps down. I highly recommend you try it!!
I didn’t have chicken so I used boneless pork chops. Fantastic. Perfect balance of flavors. I made a side dish with garlic butter sautéed zucchini/squash.
This company worthy. Only thing I added was a 1 Tbs on maple syrup to green sauce. And served with a green salad. Was
This is one of the best recipes I have ever made, and I don’t say that often. Thanks for the great recipe!
This is the best new recipe I’ve tried in a long time. So delicious and balanced, and so little chopping/work time! Definitely going in the dinner rotation.
This was fantastic! It will go in my weekday dinner rotation for sure. Everyone loved it. Should’ve doubled it – will next time!
9/10!!!
So delicious and actually a really easy meal to make! If feeding more than 2 people you should make extra sauce (1.5x for 3, 2x for 4) – it’s sooo good!
In my opinion in order for this to be a complete meal I feel like a side or an additional vegetable needs to be added.
Really delicious and fresh! My husband and I both loved it. I’ll definitely make it again.
I made this recipe tonight – I forgot an onion for the rice but it was still incredible! I used 2lbs chicken, and I marinated the chicken while I was prepping the sauce and the rice, so it didn’t marinate for long at all but still turned out great! I baked the chicken at 400 – I don’t really know how long, until done (sometimes I have spidey senses while cooking).
Anyways, this recipe came together quickly and it was delicious! I also baked some sweet potato with salt pepper and garlic powder, it goes perfectly with the dish! I have a photo of a portion i set aside for my lunch tomorrow!
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This recipe was an instant favorite! Easy and so flavorful. I’ll be making this again soon!
I don’t write reviews often but this recipe is THE BOMB! My husband ate his first bite and I didn’t hear a word from him the rest of dinner. He inhaled this!!! This is now going to be a regular weekend meal. Phenomenal!!!!
Soooo good!! Definitely going to add to the rotation!! And will be putting the sauce on everything I can!! Haha
Very good. Next time I will make the sauce and rice the day before. We enjoyed it.
1000 recipes and not a reviewer. Amazing! Will definitely make again. Lovely and authentic flavor! Not difficult, just need to time it out. Used organic chicken thighs. Yum!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Sue! 😀
Every part of this dish was delicious!!! I baked the chicken thighs at 425 for 25 minutes then broiled for 5 minutes. So flavorful. The rice and sauce were great too! I will definitely be making this again.
OMG this is a must try! So flavorful! The only modification that I made was swapping peas for chopped broccoli florets. This will definitely go into our meal rotation.
Whoa! Seriously delicious! This will definitely go into the regular rotation.
Glad to hear!!
Okay, I’ve never commented on a recipe before… ever. BUT! This was SO good. I wish I had taken a picture because it was as beautiful as it was delicious, but my family and I were so hungry we couldn’t wait to dig in. Even my littles loved it! The recipe worked perfectly. I used chicken thighs and baked them for 25 mins at 450 and broiled them for 5 and it was perfect. The rice was delish, and we made a slaw to go with it that complemented it super well. And the green sauce… oh my goodness. Amazing. I subbed cottage cheese for sour cream because I didn’t have any sour cream, and it turned out amazing! Thank you so much for posting this one!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review, Rachel! <3
Wow! I made this for my family and I could not be more happy. It was so flavorful!
Looks delicious!
Made this last night for recipe testing night. It was really good! I wouldn’t change a thing In the recipe. The sauce was so fresh tasting with just the right amount of heat, I left the seeds in. I served it with roasted sweet potatoes. It has been added to my recipe file!
We made this last night and it was delicious!! Loved every part of it. Only used one jalepeno without seeds and the sauce still had a kick. Will be in a regular rotation in our house!
WOW, just made this for dinner tonight and all I can say is WOW! So delicious and very flavorful. For the green sauce I used basil instead of cilantro, and omitted the peas in the rice, but otherwise followed the recipe. I’ll be making this again for sure!
Yum that looks delicious!
Delicious! I used chicken breast and added sautéed spinach and mushrooms, instead of peas.
Yum, that sounds delicious!
i didn’t love the way the rice came out by following the directions so i think i will experiment next time because the flavor of the rice was really good but it came out undercooked…. perhaps because i cooked it in a dutch oven? idk. well the chicken and sauce was AMAZING. i think the sauce would be good on anything lol
Thanks for the feedback. We’ve never had issues with the rice but I have a feeling the dutch oven had something to do with it!
This was amazing. Wife and I both loved it.
Very Enjoyable! I will make this for guests.
I am sensitive to cilantro. Could I substitute with flat leaf parsley?
I suggest replacing it with a mix of dill and parsley.
Loved this so much! I always skip recipes with chicken thighs because I don’t like chewing on the fat but everything was so crispy and I didn’t even taste one bit of fat. The whole family loved it! So glad to add it to the rotation. Thanks so much for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed this dish, Julie!
has anyone made it without the green sauce? too dry without it? Ever since being pregnant I cannot eat cilantro. 🙁 But the recipe looks amazing! I suppose I could substitute the cilantro for….? Spinach?
It’s not dry without the green sauce you can serve it up with your favorite sauce or just sourcream. You can also replace cilantro with your favorite herbs. A mixture of dill, mint and parsley is delicious!
Delicious! The whole family loved it!
Made tonight. Marinated 24hours. Used chicken breasts. The meat was tender and full of flavor. The rice had a great flavor as well, mine was a little sticky still. They paired fantastically. The cilntro sauce was a little thin but good. The sauce was a nice add on but not needed. The chicken and rice was great by itself!