Juicy Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken at Home (Pollo a la Brasa) | America's Test Kitchen

whole chicken

🥗Healthier: skinless chicken

💰Cheaper: chicken thighs

Skinless chicken is lower in fat; chicken thighs are often less expensive.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Avocado oil has a higher smoke point and is healthier; vegetable oil is usually cheaper.

Pour out half a cup of beer.

Add two tablespoons of pureed or minced garlic to the beer.

Add two tablespoons of lime juice to the mixture.

Add two tablespoons of soy sauce to the mixture.

Add two teaspoons of table salt to the mixture.

Add two teaspoons of yellow mustard to the mixture.

Add one teaspoon of ground black pepper to the mixture.

Add one teaspoon of dried thyme to the mixture.

Add one teaspoon of ground cumin to the mixture.

Whisk the marinade ingredients together.

Prepare the chicken by making channels and access points for the marinade using hands or a wooden spoon.

Transfer the chicken to a big bowl.

Pour the marinade into the cavity and between the skin and the meat of the chicken.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours, flipping halfway through.

Make the aji verde sauce by blending together half a cup of mayonnaise, one minced garlic clove, three tablespoons of chopped cilantro, two tablespoons of lime juice, two tablespoons of cotija cheese, and two tablespoons of huacatay paste for about a minute.

Make the second sauce by blending together half a cup of mayonnaise, one minced garlic clove, two tablespoons of aji amarillo paste, one tablespoon of lime juice, and one teaspoon of huacatay paste for about a minute.

Prepare the grill by spraying the beer can with cooking spray.

Insert the chicken vertically onto the beer can.

Prepare a woodchip packet with one cup of dry wood chips, folding it over and cutting two two-inch slits in the top.

Set up the grill with a disposable aluminum pan in the center and split the coals on either side of the pan.

Dump half of the ashed-over coals on one side and half on the other side of the grill.

Place the woodchip packet on one side of the coals.

Place the grill rack on top and cover to heat for about five minutes until smoke starts to appear.

Place the chicken on the grill with the wings facing the fire and cover the grill.

Orient the grill lid so that the vent is open across from the wood packet for optimal airflow.

Cook the chicken, turning it a quarter turn every 15 minutes.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens