This Roasted Peruvian Chicken recipe is a total cinch to make, and just requires an overnight marinade followed by an hour in the oven.
I’m not sure why roasting a whole chicken seems like such a daunting task to me, because it’s about the easiest thing in the world to do.
Do me a favor and don’t immediately write off this Peruvian Chicken recipe because you have to marinade it first. I have faith that you can remember to plan ahead to make this! Do as I do and set a reminder in your phone. 😉
Just put it in the fridge before you go to bed, then dinner comes together in just an hour after work the next night.
I served this Peruvian Chicken with fresh pico de gallo for freshness, then fried up some plaintains for a yummy starch factor.
And, because I failed to plan ahead (I’m a hypocrite, what can I say?), I forgot to make beans so I just opened a can and nuked them in the microwave.
Tip: I like to really assault my chicken by tugging at the skin to loosen it up before I marinade it.
This helps get all the delicious seasoning under the skin and into the meat, but it also helps the skin cook up nice and crispy.
See?
When roasting, it is important to keep the meat elevated on a rack above the pan to keep the skin from getting soggy and the meat from steaming.
Roasting is better than steaming in my opinion. The best way to do this is to use a roasting pan like this one. Easy peasy!
Gina over at SkinnyTaste shared a recipe like this a few years back, and over the years I have adapted it to make it my own. You should definitely check hers out, too —-> Peruvian Roast Chicken from SkinnyTaste.
I’m also of the opinion that approximately 97% of all food tastes better with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, so you should probably serve this with some limes for squeezing.
Here’s the Recipe!
Roasted Peruvian Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole roasting chicken
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 12 oz Corona - or other lager
- 1/2 c. white vinegar
- 1 lime - juice of
Instructions
- Wash the chicken and use kitchen shears to remove any excess fat. Be sure to wash inside the cavity.
- Combine the spices in a small bowl and mix together with a fork.
- Place the chicken in a large bowl, then use your fingers to tug and pull at the chicken skin to loosen it up a bit. Use your hands to rub the seasonings all over the outside of the chicken, covering as much surface area as possible.
- Turn the chicken breast side down, then pour in the beer, vinegar, and lime juice. Refrigerate 6 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the chicken from the bowl and place breast side up in a roasting pan. Discard marinade.
- Roast for 30 minutes at 425, then reduce heat to 350 and cook another 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer shows an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
- Let rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving.

Looks yummy! I love your beautiful serving platter.
Thanks, Dee! It was a wedding present 🙂
This looks like it would make a WONDERFUL dinner. I can almost smell the yumminess through the computer.
Hi, Diane! Thanks so much for the kind words. There’s nothing quite like the smell of roast chicken on a Sunday afternoon 🙂
Peruvian Chicken?! How delicious. The photos are so alluring and I can imagine how fantastic the crunchy skin on the seasoned birds is! Really a beautiful dish Anetta.
Thanks, Toni! I’m always looking for new ways to do a roast chicken 🙂
This looks really good.
Thanks so much, Peter! It was certainly very tasty 🙂