The Lunch Lady
Peruvian chicken with Awesome Sauce
Garlic-and-cumin chicken, chopped and folded with a creamy cilantro sauce. Serve it over bone-broth rice with lime-pickled cucumbers.
Published · Updated
- Servings
- 6 generous portions
- Total time
- About 1 hour 10 minutes, plus 2 to 12 hours marinating
Call it Awesome Sauce
I had no idea how the kids would feel about this one. Turns out they absolutely love it. It's a hit whenever we make it.
The green sauce is the funny part. Green can look a little suspicious on a lunch tray. Call it Awesome Sauce, and suddenly they can't wait to put it on their food. It's our take on ají verde, with cilantro, garlic and gentle heat from a little seeded jalapeño. A different flavor for the kids, and one they're excited to try.
Put it on the grill if you can
A few hours in the marinade is plenty at home. Overnight works too, but I hold the lime juice until closer to cooking. Too much acid sitting on the chicken for too long can change the texture around the edges.
If you can grill this at home, that's how I'd do it. I wish I could cook it that way for the kids at school. The char from the grill tastes so good with that sauce. The oven version below works when grilling isn't an option.
Chop the cooked chicken and fold some Awesome Sauce through it. Then put it over the rice and spoon a little more sauce on top. You want that sauce getting into the rice, too.
Smart Chicken donates the chicken, the biggest ingredient cost in this meal. I cook the rice in chicken bone broth and finish it with lime and olive oil.
In the kitchen
Instagram reel
Home recipe
Peruvian chicken with Awesome Sauce
The Lunch Lady · Jared Veldheer
- Servings
- 6 generous portions
- Prep time
- About 35 minutes
- Cook time
- About 25 minutes
- Total time
- About 1 hour 10 minutes, plus 2 to 12 hours marinating
Equipment: Two rimmed baking sheets, or a grill and tongs; blender or food processor, mixing bowls, instant-read thermometer; 6-quart electric pressure cooker or saucepan for rice.
Make it with what you have
Choose your chicken
Use 3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken for any of these options. Keep the marinade, seasonings and finishing sauce quantities the same. Choose one cut per batch and use its cooking directions below in place of the original tender timing. The recipe summary times describe the tender version; other cuts may take longer. All times are estimates. Check the thickest part with a thermometer, inserting from the side for thin pieces.
All options are included when you print.
Chicken option: Tenders
Roast at 425°F conventional or 400°F convection for about 15 to 20 minutes; start checking at 12 minutes. Remove any tough tendon, season or marinate as directed, then spread in one layer with space between pieces. Remove each piece when its center reaches 165°F. Rest 5 minutes, then chop and finish as directed. Grill alternative: medium-high heat, about 400°F, for roughly 6 to 10 minutes total, turning halfway; begin checking at 6 minutes and remove at 165°F.
Chicken option: Breasts
Use boneless, skinless breasts. Slice horizontally into cutlets and pound any thick spots to an even 1/2 to 3/4 inch before seasoning or marinating. Roast at 425°F conventional or 400°F convection for about 16 to 22 minutes, checking from 14 minutes. Remove at 165°F. Rest 5 minutes, then slice across the grain and chop. Do not use this timing for thick, whole breasts. Grill alternative: these same cutlets take roughly 8 to 12 minutes total at medium-high heat, turning halfway, to 165°F.
Chicken option: Thighs
Use boneless, skinless thighs. Trim loose fat and unfold each thigh flat before seasoning or marinating. Roast at 425°F conventional or 400°F convection for about 20 to 30 minutes, checking from 18 minutes. Thighs must reach at least 165°F; around 175 to 185°F usually gives a more tender texture. Rest 5 minutes, then chop and add the recipe's finish. Leave space between pieces and use a second pan if needed. Grill alternative: unfolded thighs take roughly 12 to 18 minutes total at medium-high heat, turning halfway. Check from 10 minutes and use the same temperature cues. Move any cut to a cooler part of the grill if its marinade darkens too quickly.
Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go.
Chicken and marinade
Awesome Sauce
Lime-pickled cucumbers
Bone-broth rice
Instructions
Chicken and marinade
- Stir together the oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, honey, coriander, oregano, tamari and salt. Coat the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 12 hours. A few hours is enough; overnight also works. Keep the lime juice and zest out for now.
- Stir in the lime juice and zest 30 minutes before cooking. Keep the chicken refrigerated during this time. For roasting, heat the oven to 425°F conventional or 400°F convection. For grilling, use the directions for your cut in Chicken options above. Get the sauce, rice and cucumbers ready while the chicken marinates.
- Cook using your chosen chicken option above. Keep pieces spaced apart; if using two oven racks, switch the pans halfway through.
- Rest the cooked chicken for about 5 minutes, then chop into bite-size pieces. Fold in about ½ cup Awesome Sauce, adding more until the pieces are lightly coated. Spoon the chicken over the rice and drizzle with more sauce so it reaches the rice underneath. Serve with cucumbers alongside and any remaining sauce at the table.
Awesome Sauce
Makes about 1½ cups.
- Finely chop the garlic and jalapeño. Blend with the sour cream, cilantro, lime juice and salt until smooth. Taste and adjust the lime, salt or pepper. Refrigerate while the chicken cooks.
Lime-pickled cucumbers
- Whisk the lime juice, vinegar, aji amarillo, sugar, salt, garlic, cumin and pepper in a bowl. Add the onion and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Add the cucumbers and toss. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes, tossing once or twice.
- Drain off most of the liquid. Toss with the cilantro and olive oil just before serving.
Bone-broth rice
- Put the rice and broth in a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally with Keep Warm off. Allow about 25 to 35 minutes in all, including coming to pressure and releasing it.
- Fluff gently with a fork. Fold in the lime juice and olive oil. Taste before adding salt.
Recipe notes
- For stovetop rice, follow your rice package's water ratio and cooking time, using broth in place of water. The 1:1 ratio above is for the pressure cooker.
- Aji amarillo is a yellow Peruvian chile. Jarred pastes vary in heat. Start with a teaspoon in the cucumbers if you're unsure, taste the dressing and add more as you like.
- The sauce is mixed into cooked chicken. Keep it separate from the raw chicken marinade.