Peruvian Chicken Kebabs with Ají Verde

Juicy, succulent and bursting with vibrant flavour, these Peruvian chicken skewers are easy to prepare and perfect for grilling outside in the summer. But you can always make it in a grill pan any time you want. Serve them alongside a delicious, creamy ají verde, a spicy Peruvian green sauce.
Ají Verde is made with plenty of cilantro, scallion, lime, ají amarillo (Peruvian yellow chillie), mayonnaise, garlic, cotija cheese and huacatay (Peruvian black mint).
Since I can't find huacatay and ají amarillo, so I replaced some cilantro with fresh mint leaves, and used jalapeño chilli pepper instead. Ají Verde sauce is terrific served alongside roasted chicken or grilled meats, and it's equally good with grilled seafood. You can even use it as a salad dressing.

Chicken	Ají Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce)
500-600 g Boneless and skinless chicken breast or thighs, cubed 4 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 tbsp Olive oil 1 tbsp Lime juice 1 tbsp Tamari 2 tsp Ground cumin 1 tsp Dried oregano 2 tsp Smoked paprika 1/2 tsp Cayenne, more or less according to heat preference	15 g Cilantro 10 g Fresh mint leaves 2 Scallions, roughly chopped 100 g Mayonnaise (or aioli) 40 g Cotija, Queso Fresco, or Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated 2 Jalapeno peppers (or serrano pepper), seeded 2 Garlic cloves 1 tbsp Lime juice 1/4 tsp Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Keep refrigerated for up to a week.
Soak 9 wooden skewers in water 30 minutes. Cube the chicken and place them in a bowl.
Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the marinade to the chicken and stir well. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight for more flavour.
Remove skewers from water. Thread 6-7 chicken cubes onto each skewer. When ready to cook, heat your grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken skewers until lightly charred on both sides, 3-5 minutes per side. Serve with the ají verde.

36 comments:

Anonymous 21/9/23 13:44: The Peruvian chicken looks so good. I'm not familiar with this sauce but I love the presentation with all the green.
Rose world 21/9/23 14:12: Beautiful sauce, bet it is nice to go with the skewers.
Lola Martínez 21/9/23 14:26: Muy sabrosas esas brochetas, deben quedar muy tiernas. Igualmente me gustaría probar la salsa, es muy completa en ingredientes.
eileeninmd 21/9/23 15:32: Looks beautiful and delicious. The sauce sounds yummy. Thanks for sharing.
Take care, have a great day!
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine 21/9/23 15:35: wow that's a nice assortment of seasoning on them sounds wonderful
Christine 21/9/23 15:36: outstanding!
Anonymous 21/9/23 16:09: I have made a variation of this sauce before (using avocado instead of the cheese )which I found as a copycat recipe from a Peruvian restaurant in NYC. Like you I had to substitute for things I could find locally.
Next time I am going to try your recipe. It sounds like it would be richer tasting.
thepaintedapron.com 21/9/23 16:38: Oh these look so good, I would like to grab one right from the photo!
MELODY JACOB 21/9/23 16:48: This is delicious
https://www.melodyjacob.com/2023/09/styling-y2k-cycling-goggles.html
Klaudia Zuberska 21/9/23 17:42: Hello!
wonderful recipe, looks appetizing as always! Great inspiration!
Greetings from Poland :)
Granny Sue 21/9/23 18:06: Oh dear, cilantro. I had to stop right there. I wonder if there is a different sauce I could use.
foodtravelandwine 21/9/23 18:44: What a great dish!!.....this is pure perfection Peruvian dish!!.......Abrazotes, Marcela
Angie's Recipes 21/9/23 19:24: @Granny Sue Use flat parsley instead, Sue.
Bill 21/9/23 20:07: They look delicious and I would love to try this. Thanks for the recipe.
DEZMOND 21/9/23 20:28: Fall is in the Air!
Rainbow Evening 21/9/23 21:06: dip sauce looks tasty... yummy
Cooking Julia 21/9/23 22:12: Great skewers, and the right combo!
Eva Taylor 21/9/23 22:36: The first time I had Peruvian food was in Manhattan and it was incredible. There were similarities to Mexican food but then every so often an amazing surprise. I know I would love this recipe so it's definitely going to be book marked.
Eva XOXO
Pam 21/9/23 23:19: This comment has been removed by the author.
Pam 21/9/23 23:20: I love Peruvian chicken and think making kebabs is a great idea. Yum!
roentare 21/9/23 23:47: This is an outstanding dish! Looks so rustic food.
DeniseinVA 22/9/23 00:24: Superb in every way Angie, thank you!
Tom 22/9/23 01:35: ...they sure look good!
Brian's Home Blog 22/9/23 01:56: WOW, I want some, those look terrific!
My name is Erika. 22/9/23 02:20: I've never had any Peruvian style food, and this sounds fabulous Angie. Hope your week is going well. hugs-Erika
Happy Retiree's Kitchen 22/9/23 04:08: Angie these look absolutely delicious, I love the Peruvian flavours. As always your photos look beautiful.
Citu 22/9/23 04:08: Gracias por la receta. Tomó nota. Te mando un beso.
Margaret D 22/9/23 11:34: These do look good, love kebabs.
David M. Gascoigne, 22/9/23 12:11: They look soooooo good!
Federica Simoni 23/9/23 15:27: favoloso questo piatto!!
Cocoa and Lavender 25/9/23 00:56: I have a friend who lived in Peru for quite a whole and she is always craving Peruvian good. I just sent her a link to the recipe so she can try it. I would like to try it, too!
The Velvet Runway 26/9/23 13:24: These look so delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
tigerfish 27/9/23 01:35: Reminded me of my favorite street food in Asia - satay!
Raymund 27/9/23 23:41: I love how you've adapted the sauce to fit the ingredients you have available, showcasing the flexibility of cooking. These skewers seem like they'd be perfect for a summer barbecue which is coming soon to us
David 3/10/23 20:53: Hi Angie, These chicken skewers look amazing! I could easily eat 4 of them by myself... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
DUTA 16/10/23 18:08: I like both chicken kebab and beef kebab. The name of the sauce Aji Verde, makes the kebab sound even more delicious and "sexy":)