Peruvian Chicken Salad

This recipe is an accurate description of the type of food I wish I were eating all the time. Colorful, flavorful, A little bit of fusion, and a potato element. This Peruvian Chicken Salad is served on a grilled crostini with creamy aji verde and then topped with pickled red onions and potato sticks.

Peruvian food is honestly a dream! It is so delicious! Lima, Peru is becoming a popular destination for culinary tours and so many of the restaurants there have been winning international awards. There are so many different layers of flavor in Peruvian cooking and it is so delicious. One of my favorite Peruvian meals is rotisserie chicken. But, Peruvian rotisserie chicken is not like regular rotisserie chicken, it is so much better. The chicken gets served with a green sauce called Aji Verde. I decided to combine those flavors in this Peruvian Chicken Salad.

And then of course I had to top this chicken salad with potato sticks because Potatoes are so important in Peruvian cuisine. I have never seen so many varieties of potatoes in my life as when the Peruvian potato shipment came to my grocery store when I was living in Santiago, Chile. They were being featured that week and I remember there being baskets full of every color potato with little descriptions that talked about their texture, color, and which part of the country they are grown. As a potato lover, I found this to be incredible interesting, and all of these memories came together in this recipe. I hope you try this recipe and enjoy all of my favorite flavors combined into the perfect little bite.

What is special about Peruvian chicken?

If a restaurant specializes in Peruvian Chicken, they most likely marinate a whole chicken in a powerful combination of garlic, herbs, and spices. Then they roast it on a spit, which makes the skin crispy, flavorful, and just absolutely delicious.

What do you serve with Peruvian Chicken?

Aji Verde!

INGREDIENTS  

• 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Aji Verde Mayo

• 1/2 cup Mayo
• 1 tbsp Aji Amarillo Easily found in a Latin Grocery, and many regular grocery stores carry this in their Latin Aisle
• 1 large Lime juiced
• 5 oz Queso Fresco
• 1 bunch Cilantro bottom half of stems removed
• 2 Green Onions
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil

INSTRUCTIONS 

• I use a pressure cooker to make shredded chicken really fast, but you can also boil the chicken breasts in a pot on the stove. Both methods are written below in the notes field.
• Combine the Aji Verde ingredients in a food processor and pulse until creamy.
• Adding a 1/2 cup of Aji Verde at a time, combine it with the shredded and chopped cooked chicken. Use as much or as little Aji Verde as you want. You may want to add the Aji Verde to the Chicken on Day 1 and store it in your refrigerator or you may want to make it fresh everyday by adding a little of the aji verde to a single serving of shredded chicken.

NOTES

Pressure Cooker Instructions: I make my chicken in the pressure cooker with 1 tsp salt and 1 cup of water for 10 minutes on high pressure, then natural release of pressure for 5 minutes followed by manual release of pressure. Then I drain the water, and shred and chop the chicken. Stove Top Instructions: You can do the same with a large pot on the stove. Add chicken to a large pot, Cover chicken with water and add an additional inch of water, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 15-16 minutes. Drain water and shred chicken.