These Peruvian Grilled Chicken Skewers with Avocado Aji Verde Sauce are my favorite, so flavorful and great for summer grilling!
Peruvian Grilled Chicken
When I make these Peruvian Grilled Chicken Skewers at home, everyone is happy!! They’re so juicy, made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and a spicy avocado aji verde sauce. The sauce is so good you’ll want to put this on everything! I’ve been putting it on my eggs, steak tacos, etc! It’s adapted from my favorite Peruvian chicken recipe with green sauce only easy to make all summer on the grill, especially for parties. Try it with rice and my quick black beans. Or make it with grilled corn salad. More grilled chicken recipes I love, Grilled Bruschetta Chicken, Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken and one of my most popular, Grilled Pollo Sabroso.
Why This Peruvian Grilled Chicken Works
- Always a hit! These are a favorite with my picky husband and kids. And any meal that can make my whole family happy is a winner with me!
- Flavorful! The longer they marinate the better!
Avocado Aji Sauce Ingredients
To make my spicy avocado aji verde sauce, blend all the ingredients below:
- Avocado: for healthy fats and a creamy texture. I use 1 ounce which is about 1/4 small haas.
- Jalapeños: for spice. I like the sauce spicy, so I leave the seeds from the jalapeno in, but you can make it milder by omitting the seeds.
- Cilantro, for freshness and flavor.
- Liquid: Olive oil, white vinegar, water
- Aromatics: Garlic
- Spices: Cumin and salt
About the Spicy Avocado Aji Verde Sauce
The creamy avocado sauce made with jalapeños will be very spicy if you leave in the seeds, which is how I like it. A little goes a long way! If you prefer milder sauces, remove the seeds. This aji sauce will last 5 days in the refrigerator, so you can use it over anything from scrambled eggs and rice and beans to steak tacos and grilled chicken.
Peruvian Chicken Marinade Recipe
Combine all the ingredients below in a bowl or zip-locked bag and marinate the cubed boneless, skinless chicken thighs for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight. See exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Light beer: I used Corona light, but Modelo or Dos XX would also work.
- Sazon with achiote: You can buy sazon from the supermarket or make your own sazon seasoning from scratch.
- White vinegar: If you don’t have regular white vinegar, swap it for apple cider vinegar.
- Spices: Cumin, salt, garlic powder, oregano
How to Make Grilled Peruvian Chicken
Here’s how easy it is to make them. See full recipe in the recipe card below.
- Put the chicken cubes on metal skewers. If you’re using wooden ones, you will need to soak them in water first. If you don’t want to make skewers, leave the thighs whole and skip this step.
- Preheat your grill to medium and oil the grates so they don’t stick. Grill the chicken skewers for about 5 minutes on each side, until the chicken is cooked through in the center.
What to Serve with Peruvian Grilled Chicken Skewers
- I usually serve this grilled chicken with white rice, and some of my favorite summer salads, like grilled corn salad and cucumber tomato salad.
- Try this with cilantro lime rice and my quick black beans. Or make it with Arroz Congri.
Most Asked Questions
- Can I make these chicken skewers with chicken breast? Sure, I love dark meat because it’s never dry but chicken breast will work fine too.
- Can I make chicken skewers in the air fryer? Yes, you can make them in the air fryer without the sticks. Air fry them 400F 12 to 14 minutes, shaking the basket halfway.
Your comments are helpful!! If you’ve tried this delicious grilled peruvian chicken recipe or any other recipe on Skinnytaste, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear your thoughts, variations and feedback. And if you took some photos of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can re-share on my stories!
More Latin Recipes You’ll Love:
- Peruvian Green Sauce
- White Beans with Aji Verde Sauce
- Lomo Saltado (Peruvian Beef Stir Fry)
- Air Fryer Empanadas
- Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce
Peruvian Grilled Chicken Skewers with Avocado Aji Verde Sauce
Equipment
- metal skewers or bamboo skewers
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 6 ounces light beer, I used Corona light
- 1/2 tablespoon Sazon, homemade or 1 Sazon packet with achiote
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Avocado Aji Verde Sauce (makes 2/3 cup)
- 1 ounce avocado
- 2 jalapeños, stemmed, with seeds*
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons water
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/8 teaspoon
Instructions
- Cut chicken into long strips. Place in a large bowl and marinade with beer, vinegar, sazon, salt, garlic powder, cumin and oregano. Marinate 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
- After it’s marinated thread onto 6 small metal skewers.
- For the Avocado Aji Verde Sauce, place all ingredients in a mini blender and puree until smooth, adding enough water so it’s pourable over the chicken. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Can be refrigerated up to 4 days.
- To grill the chicken, preheat the grill to medium and oil the grates. Cook chicken about 5 minutes on each side. Serve drizzled with sauce.
