Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Cilantro-Lime Mayo
Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Cilantro-Lime Mayo is loaded with amazing flavor. By layering the Peruvian-style spice rub on top of the skin as well as underneath the skin, you get the ultimate in lip-smacking deliciousness. And the Cilantro-Lime Mayo adds just the right amount of tang, heat, and balance.
Jump to RecipeIngredients for Peruvian-Style Wet Spice Rub
Mix garlic, cumin, oil, paprika, pepper, oregano, 1/2 tsp. salt, lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl.
Spatchcocked Chicken
Bell and Evans sells uncooked spatchcocked chickens. I bought mine at Whole Foods. If your market doesn’t sell spatchcocked chickens, you can spatchcock the chicken yourself: Place chicken breast side down on work surface. Then cut along both sides of backbone with kitchen shears. Remove backbone; reserve for stock if so inclined. Turn chicken breast side up and splay open. Press down on breastbone with palms until you hear it crack and chicken is as flat as possible. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
Seasoning Spatchcocked Chicken
Place the chicken in a roasting pan or oven-proof skillet. Using your fingers gently loosen skin from breasts and thighs, being careful not to tear skin. Continue using your fingers to gently spread 2 heaping tablespoons of spice mixture under the skin (reserve remaining spice mixture), then season chicken all over with remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
Roasted and Basted Spatchocked Chicken
Roast chicken at 400 degrees on Roast setting. After 20 minutes, begin brushing the chicken in 10 minute intervals with the reserved spice mixture and pan juices. Approximate total cook time is 50 minutes or until juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165ºF. (If your chicken needs more time in the oven, do it in 5-minute increments to avoid over-roasting.) Let chicken rest for 15 minutes.
Cilantro-Lime Mayo Ingredients
Organize and prepare ingredients for the Cilantro-Lime Mayo – cilantro, jalapenos, lime juice, garlic, salt, olive oil and mayo.
Cilantro-Lime Mayo Steps
While chicken is roasting, put cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, oil, lime juice, and salt into a blender or food processor and process until combined. Then add mayonnaise and process until well blended. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and chill until ready to use.
Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Cilantro-Lime Mayo
Transfer chicken to a platter and serve with the Cilantro Mayo. Garnish with cilantro and lime slices, if desired.
Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Cilantro-Lime Mayo
Ingredients
Chicken Wet Spice Rub:
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1 4-4 1/2-pound whole spatchcocked chicken (Bell & Evans, if possible)
Cilantro-Lime Mayo:
- 1 cup packed cilantro leaves with tender stems
- 1–2 medium jalapeños coarsely chopped
- 1 garlic clove coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
Garnish:
- Lime slices
- Cilantro sprigs
Instructions
- Arrange rack in middle of oven; preheat to 400°F on Roast setting. If your oven doesn’t have Roast, use Bake setting.
- Mix garlic, cumin, oil, paprika, pepper, oregano, 1/2 tsp. salt, lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl.
- If spatchcocking the chicken yourself: Place chicken breast side down on work surface. Spatchcock chicken by cutting along both sides of backbone with kitchen shears. Remove backbone; reserve for stock if so inclined. Turn chicken breast side up and splay open. Press down on breastbone with palms until you hear it crack and chicken is as flat as possible. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
- Using your fingers gently loosen skin from breasts and thighs, being careful not to tear skin. Continue using your fingers to gently spread 2 heaping tablespoons of spice mixture under the skin (reserve remaining spice mixture), then season chicken all over with remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Transfer chicken, spread flat and skin side up, to a roasting pan or large oven-proof skillet.
- Roast chicken 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, begin brushing the chicken in 10 minute intervals with the reserved spice mixture and pan juices. Approximate total cook time is 50 minutes or until juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165ºF. (If your chicken needs more time in the oven, do it in 5-minute increments to avoid over-roasting.)
- While chicken is roasting, put cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, oil, lime juice, and salt into a blender or food processor and process until combined. Add mayonnaise and process until well blended. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and chill until ready to use.
- Let chicken rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Then transfer chicken to a platter and serve with the Cilantro-Lime Mayo. Garnish with cilantro and lime slices, if desired.
Notes
Recipe from Epicurious.com and slightly modified by me.
If you like this recipe, you may also like these other GFchow recipes. Spatchcocked Lemon Rosemary Chicken, Cumin-Spiced Salmon with Cilantro Sauce, and Blistered Green Beans.
GLUTEN FREE DISCLAIMER
The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.
I made this last night for Kol Nidre dinner and my family loved it! I couldn’t find spatchcocked chicken at Whole Foods, so I asked one of their butchers, and they spatchcocked it for me.
Sometimes I forget there are still butchers around that will do the spatchcocking for you!
I absolutely loved this dish. I couldn’t find a spatchcocked chicken (Whole Foods was out) so I bought a package of bone-in breasts and bone-in thighs. The rub was amazing and the cilantro lime mayo was divine. There was extra cilantro lime left over and we used it on everything …burgers, chicken sandwiches, tuna steaks, etc. It would be good on anything. My only issue was cooking time… I cooked all the pieces for 10 less minutes than the recipe called for…the thighs were perfect but the breasts were a little dry. If I can’t find a spatchcocked chicken next time, I’ll take out the breasts sooner. I’m definitely making this again…soon. Did I say I loved it??!
Looks awesome! Can’t wait to try!
I having a feeling you will really LOVE this one!