Put a South-American twist on your usual chicken dinner with this classic Peruvian Chicken Breast with Green Sauce, altered a bit to lighten it up. You’ll be blown away by the flavorful marinade and sauce!
Lately, I’ve been trying to experiment with recipes outside of my comfort zone. I tend to gravitate to Italian or Asian dishes, and good ol’ American classics are always on rotation.
But the other day, I was watching an old cooking show on public access television (honestly, my favorite shows ever). One of the chefs was making a whole chicken and green sauce that is apparently hugely popular in Peru. It looked SO GOOD.
Even though whole roasted chickens are delicious and easily workable on the WW program, I am just a sucker for chicken breast. It’s easy to impart flavor, quick to cook, and you don’t have to deal with bones. Some people get sick of chicken breast, but I see it as a blank canvas for so many flavor possibilities. So Peruvian Chicken Breast with Green Sauce was born!
I lightened up the classic marinade for this dish just a bit and used those chicken breasts to cut back on some prep/cooking time and calories. The result was incredibly juicy and complexly flavored. A total win!
Green Sauce For the WIn!
Now, let’s talk about that green sauce. Oh. My. Goodness. As much as I loved the chicken, I really think that sauce is the star. It’s the perfect combo of spicy, tangy, and creamy. And if you are a wimp when it comes to spice, I added an alternative to the jalapenos in the recipe.
This sauce is so good that I ended up using it in so many different ways: marinade, sandwich spread, or, my favorite–salad dressing.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you make it, be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook (@litecravings) and use the hashtag #litecravingsrecipes. I sometimes miss a tag here or there, but I always check in on the hashtag.
Peruvian-Style Chicken with Green Sauce
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 6 small breasts, or 3 large ones cut in half length-wise)
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 large limes)
FOR THE GREEN SAUCE
- 1 cup packed cilantro leaves
- 2 medium jalapenos, seeds removed and coarsely chopped*
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup nonfat, plain greek yogurt
- water, as needed, to thin out the sauce
Instructions
- Add chicken and marinade ingredients to a large bowl. Coat all chicken pieces in marinade, cover, and let sit in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but preferably over night.
- When ready to cook, remove chicken from marinade and grill over medium-high heat until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. This takes about 5-6 minutes a side. You could also cook the chicken in a skillet over the same heat.
- While chicken cooks, place all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add a tablespoon of water at a time to thin the sauce out, if needed.
- Serve chicken and sauce together however you like. I Have served the two together alongside some rice and grilled veggies. You could also serve it with some tortillas and veggies. Or–possibly my favorite way to eat this–chop up the chicken, serve it over your lettuce of choice, and top with the green sauce as a dressing. The possibilities are endless!
Notes
Nutrition
If you’re a fan of this recipe, you should try:
ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD WITH PEANUT DRESSING
This was absolutely delicious! And very easy to make! A new favorite!
Yay!! So happy it was a hit for you.
How much like cilantro does the green sauce taste? Would this be any good using parsley instead? I just don’t like the taste of cilantro.
It does have a pretty strong cilantro taste. I think parsley would be a fantastic substitute!
Do you warm up the sauce before serving?
Nope–it’s supposed to be served cold or at room temperature. So refreshing!
This was so amazing!! I think I could eat that green sauce on everything lol!
Right?? I can’t get enough of the sauce. I’m glad you loved it as much as we do!
It’s rare to find a new favorite, but this sauce plus your chipotle shrimp in a salad was *chef’s kiss*!
Haha! Love it. I’ve done that combo for some shrimp tacos but never thought of it for a salad. Putting it n my list now!
I made this last night and while I wasn’t home when the family ate their dinner I immedialtey starting receiving text messages from the three family members who were eating this and were raving over this meal! I was so happy to hear they all loved it and was really hoping they left a serving for me! Which they did and it did not disappoint! The sauce is incredible and the chicken will now become a staple in our house! Thanks for another great recipe Geri!
Omg that is one of the best compliments I can think of! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
so you use the marinade after pulling the raw chicken out without heating? Wouldn’t that create salmonella food poisoning?
No. The marinade is different from the sauce recipe.
So good! One of those dishes that you can prep all the ingredients for ahead (chicken, sauce, chopped veggies, cooked rice) and reheat/throw together without losing any flavor or texture. One question – my sauce gets watery while its refrigerated. Anything I could do differently or anything I can do to re-thicken it? Or am I the only one with this issue HA!
Yay! My sauce can separate some times, so I just whisk it back together and it’s fine. I’ve never had a problem with it staying watery, though. Maybe add in some more greek yogurt?
This recipe is amazing! I’ve made it several times and always make extra green sauce for everything and anything! This is tomorrow’s dinner. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
Made this tonight and it was delicious! How long do you think the sauce can last? Or can it be frozen. For better or worse, I doubled the sauce so we have a lot of sauce….. 🙂
So glad you liked it! Mine usually lasts for a whole week in the refrigerator. We always make a double batch!
What would you suggest as a side dish for this? My boyfriend is from Peru and I’m making this for us tomorrow but am stumped for side dishes!!
You could make my Easy Rice Pilaf and some steamed green beans! Just search for the pilaf at the top of the page. 🙂 Or just steamed jasmine rice would be good if you’re in a rush.
Both the chicken and the sauce are incredible. One of my favorite new recipes and on repeat in my house!
Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
This is a fabulous recipe that I make every week in big batches (to use in other dishes all week)! I make a different “green sauce” that is just cilantro, lime juice, green onions, garlic, and jalapenos (to save on points), and I put it on almost everything all week (in rice, on salads, to top Indian-inspired dishes I make)! Thanks for making my WW journey (5 weeks now) so worth it. I love your recipes, and as a former English adjunct instructor (and former recipe tester to a famous chef), I appreciate your amazing ability to get it just right for everyone!
Sounds amazing, Daryl! And what a story you have. I’m so intrigued! Thank you for the kind words.
Wow wow wow!! After being a huge fan of the jalapeno popper turkey burgers and tuscan chicken I decided to try this. Omg it is amazing, the sauce is insane and I have been putting it on everything this week. The chicken marinade is also awesome. I have had this with rice and avocado, on salads, eggs…husband loves it too. Such a bright delicious spring flavor. Thank you!