Can I bake the Peruvian chicken instead?

Yes, the recipe for chicken can be prepared in the oven. To prepare chicken in the oven, place the chicken in a 13-by-9-inch roasting pan with 1 cup of water. Bake uncovered at 500°F for 30 minutes, then place aluminum foil over the chicken and bake for 15 more minutes. Oven-baked chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Baking under the foil completes the cooking process.

Can I air fry the chicken thighs?

Yes, the article suggests an air-frying recipe for marinated chicken thighs. Air fry at 360°F for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Actual cooking times will vary based on the size of chicken thighs and other factors associated with their placement in the air fryer basket. Use a food thermometer to confirm that the internal temperature of chicken thighs has reached 165°F. Leave space between chicken pieces in the basket to promote airflow.

What can I use instead of cilantro?

Parsley can be substituted for cilantro in green sauce if you don't like cilantro. A green sauce made with parsley will have the same consistency and appearance as one made with cilantro. To make green sauce with parsley, read your green sauce recipe and combine parsley, jalapeño peppers, green onions, garlic, mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice, salt, and pepper as directed. Add olive oil slowly to the green sauce only after the other ingredients are smooth.

How can I make the green sauce less spicy?

Use 1 or 2 jalapeño peppers and remove the seeds and veins to make a less spicy green sauce. Other ingredients in the green sauce recipe include cilantro, lime, garlic, mayonnaise, and Greek yogurt for added flavor and creaminess. It's easier to make a sauce spicier than to adjust a spicy sauce. Start with 1 or 2 jalapeños when making a green sauce and add a jalapeño to the sauce if desired.

Peruvian Chicken with Creamy Jalapeño Cilantro Green Sauce

By Emma CollinsSep 23, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

35 min

Total

530 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Boneless chicken thighs marinated in garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, and other spicy ingredients are grilled. Served with aji verde, a cold, sour sauce made with jalapeños, cilantro, Greek yogurt, and mayonnaise.

Peruvian Chicken with Creamy Jalapeño Cilantro Green Sauce

The chicken marinade is blended, not stirred, to coat the chicken thighs evenly with garlic and other ingredients. Soy sauce is one of several ingredients used to flavor the chicken marinade, along with lime juice, cumin, paprika, oregano, olive oil, and pepper. Ingredients for the sauce are jalapeño peppers, cilantro leaves, green onions, garlic, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lime juice, salt, and pepper. These ingredients are blended to make a smooth sauce and then incorporated with a drizzle of olive oil.

Grill the chicken, covered, for 5 to 6 minutes with medium-high heat. Flip the chicken after 5 to 6 minutes to grill the other side. Check the internal temperature of the thigh meat with an instant-read thermometer; it should register 165°F. Other indicators of doneness are unreliable. Remove excess marinade from chicken before grilling to help prevent flare-ups over the heat source.

Serve chicken with cold green sauce and other side dishes, including peas and rice, grilled potato salad, grilled peppers, and wedge salad. You can prepare green sauce in advance and refrigerate it until serving. Mix cold green sauce before serving to recombine separated ingredients.

Why this recipe works

Marinating chicken thighs allows the chicken to soak up garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, cumin, paprika, and oregano flavors.
Chicken thighs without marination may not absorb the flavors of dried spices sprinkled on them as well.
Lid on the grill when cooking the first side helps maintain medium- to high-temperature cooking of the chicken and ensures even cooking of the thighs before flipping.
A digital thermometer removes ambiguity by including a note in the recipe that boneless chicken thighs are fully cooked at 165°F.
Adding olive oil to the blender while making the green sauce makes the green sauce blend smoothly. Other ingredients in the green sauce are jalapeños, cilantro, yogurt, and mayonnaise.
Greek yogurt adds sourness to the mayonnaise-based sauce. Lime juice and jalapeños add other flavors and spiciness to the sauce.
Meal planning benefits include marinating the chicken for 8 to 24 hours and refrigerating the finished sauce before serving.

Instructions

Puree the garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, olive oil, cumin, paprika, oregano, and a pinch of black pepper in a blender.

Put the chicken in a large zip-top bag and add the marinade.

Refrigerate and marinate the chicken for 8 to 24 hours.

Combine all green sauce ingredients except the olive oil in a blender and process until smooth.

With the blender motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

Transfer the green sauce to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, about 350°F.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess marinade.

Place the chicken on the grill grates and cook with the cover closed for 5 to 6 minutes.

Flip the chicken thighs with tongs and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes.

Use a digital thermometer to confirm the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

For the oven method, preheat the oven to 500°F and place the chicken in a 13-by-9-inch roasting pan.

Add 1 cup water to the roasting pan.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Tent the pan with foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.

FAQ

The chicken is done when the internal temperature taken with a digital thermometer in the thickest portion reaches 165°F. The chicken skin can burn on the grill before the chicken is done. Do not use an external burn as a sign of doneness. Check the doneness of a chicken thigh after the second round of 5 to 6 minutes. Be sure not to touch the grill with the thermometer probe; this will give an inaccurate reading.

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Dinner Chicken Turkey Grilling

Peruvian Chicken with Creamy Jalapeño Cilantro Green Sauce

Name: Peruvian Chicken with Creamy Jalapeño Cilantro Green Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 530 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 5 cloves garlic (peeled); 1/3 cup soy sauce; 2 Tbsp lime juice; 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 2 tsp cumin; 1 tsp paprika; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; black pepper (a pinch); 3 jalapeños (seeded, ribs removed, and roughly chopped); 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves; 2 green onions (chopped, green parts only); 2 cloves garlic (peeled); 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/4 cup Greek yogurt; 1 Tbsp lime juice; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 cup water (for oven method)

By Emma CollinsSep 23, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

35 min

Total

530 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Why this recipe works

Marinating chicken thighs allows the chicken to soak up garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, cumin, paprika, and oregano flavors.
Chicken thighs without marination may not absorb the flavors of dried spices sprinkled on them as well.
Lid on the grill when cooking the first side helps maintain medium- to high-temperature cooking of the chicken and ensures even cooking of the thighs before flipping.
A digital thermometer removes ambiguity by including a note in the recipe that boneless chicken thighs are fully cooked at 165°F.
Adding olive oil to the blender while making the green sauce makes the green sauce blend smoothly. Other ingredients in the green sauce are jalapeños, cilantro, yogurt, and mayonnaise.
Greek yogurt adds sourness to the mayonnaise-based sauce. Lime juice and jalapeños add other flavors and spiciness to the sauce.
Meal planning benefits include marinating the chicken for 8 to 24 hours and refrigerating the finished sauce before serving.

Ingredients

Servings4

•2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
•5 cloves garlic (peeled)
•⅓ cup soy sauce
•2 Tbsp lime juice
•1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
•2 tsp cumin
•1 tsp paprika
•½ tsp dried oregano
•black pepper (a pinch)
•3 jalapeños (seeded, ribs removed, and roughly chopped)
•1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
•2 green onions (chopped, green parts only)
•2 cloves garlic (peeled)
•½ cup mayonnaise
•¼ cup Greek yogurt
•1 Tbsp lime juice
•½ tsp salt
•¼ tsp black pepper
•2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
•1 cup water (for oven method)

Instructions

1
Puree the garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, olive oil, cumin, paprika, oregano, and a pinch of black pepper in a blender.
2
Put the chicken in a large zip-top bag and add the marinade.
3
Refrigerate and marinate the chicken for 8 to 24 hours.
4
Combine all green sauce ingredients except the olive oil in a blender and process until smooth.
5
With the blender motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
6
Transfer the green sauce to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
7
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, about 350°F.
8
Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess marinade.
9
Place the chicken on the grill grates and cook with the cover closed for 5 to 6 minutes.
10
Flip the chicken thighs with tongs and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes.
11
Use a digital thermometer to confirm the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
12
For the oven method, preheat the oven to 500°F and place the chicken in a 13-by-9-inch roasting pan.
13
Add 1 cup water to the roasting pan.
14
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
15
Tent the pan with foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.