Peruvian-Style Grilled Spatchcock Chicken is marinated in a Peruvian-style spice rub, then grilled until lightly charred and crisp. Serve the homemade aji green sauce on the side and enjoy!
Make the Aji sauce by combining all the ingredients in a jar and blending with a stick blender or add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. (If needs to be thicker, add a spoonful or two of mayonnaise to thicken.)
In a small bowl add all your spices and olive oil for the rub.
Pat chicken dry using a paper towel. With your hands coat the chicken on all sides with the spice rub. For added stability, run a metal or wooden skewer horizontally through chicken, entering through one thigh, going through both breast halves, and exiting through other thigh. Tuck wing tips behind back.
Heat your grill to medium high heat.
Once the grill is preheated, brush the grates with olive oil. Grill the chicken skin side down over direct heat, until golden brown, crispy, and lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low, and flip the chicken over. (Continue to grill until skin is golden brown all over, juices run clear, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165°F.) This will take about 45 minutes to an hour.
Cut 1 lemon in half and grill alongside the chicken towards the end until charred. Use for drizzling over chicken when serving.
Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. Serve alongside the Aji Sauce and enjoy!
Notes
How To Spatchcock a Chicken:You can ask your butcher to spatchcock a whole chicken for you, saving you time and mess, but it’s also easy enough to do yourself. Good kitchen tools and a little confidence are all you need to spatchcock, or butterfly, a chicken at home.Here’s how to do it yourself:1. Cut the backbone out of the chicken, starting from the thigh end and working upwards. You’ll snip through the rib bones as you go, but it shouldn’t be too hard—a good, sharp pair of poultry shears or kitchen scissors really help with this step. Get as close to the backbone as you can, and once you’ve removed it, don’t toss it! It’s great for making chicken stock.2. Flatten that bird! Flip the chicken over so that it is skin-side up, and press down hard on the breastbone to flatten the chicken out. Remember: the goal is to make the chicken as evenly-splayed out as possible for quick, even cooking on the grill.Friendly reminder—don’t rinse your chicken! And wash your hands super thoroughly before and after handling raw chicken. Always check that your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F before you pull it off the grill or out of the oven.