Peruvian-Style Sheet-Pan Chicken with Aji Verde
Cumin-lime marinated chicken thighs and potatoes roasted together with a spicy green herb sauce
Chicken thighs marinate in soy sauce, lime, garlic, and cumin, then roast on a sheet pan alongside potato wedges until deeply browned and charred at the edges, served with a bright, spicy aji verde sauce made from cilantro, jalapeño, and lime.
Why crews like it: The green sauce is the real star—crews end up putting it on everything on the plate. Roasting chicken and potatoes together on one pan means less to watch and far more forgiving timing than babysitting a grill.
Ingredients
- 4 lb boneless chicken thighs
- 0.25 cup soy sauce
- 0.33 cup lime juice
- 10 cloves garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 cups fresh cilantro
- 2 whole jalapeño peppers
- 0.5 cup mayonnaise
- 0.25 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2.5 lb red-skinned potatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: Blend soy sauce, half the lime juice, half the garlic, cumin, paprika, and 2 tbsp oil. Coat chicken and marinate at least 2 hours, up to overnight refrigerated.
- Blend the aji verde: Blend cilantro, jalapeño, remaining garlic, remaining lime juice, mayonnaise, and yogurt until smooth and bright green. Thin with a splash of water if too thick to drizzle.
- Arrange the sheet pan: Toss potatoes with remaining oil and 1 tsp salt; spread on one side of a large sheet pan. Pat chicken dry from the marinade and arrange on the other side.
- Roast together: Roast at 425°F 30–35 minutes, flipping potatoes and chicken once, until chicken is deeply browned and reads 165°F throughout and potatoes are golden and fork-tender. One pan, no grill to babysit.
- Rest and serve: Rest chicken 5 minutes. Serve with roasted potatoes and a generous drizzle of aji verde, extra sauce on the side.
Tonight's spread
- Roasted potato wedges.
- Simple sliced tomato and onion salad.
Hall tips
- Two jalapeños makes a medium sauce—use one for a milder crowd.
- Aji verde also works great as a dip for the roasted potatoes on its own.
- A wire rack on the sheet pan crisps the chicken skin-side texture on all sides if using skin-on thighs.
Meal prep
Marinate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight—this is what makes the chicken taste like the real rotisserie version. Aji verde can be made a day ahead. Station: Pat chicken dry before it goes on the pan even though it's been marinating—wet chicken steams instead of browning. Station: Aji verde sauce keeps for days—make a double batch and use leftovers on eggs or sandwiches. Station: The sheet pan holds fine in a low oven if a call interrupts—unlike a grill, nothing dries out or burns unattended.
Leftovers
- Shred leftover chicken over rice with extra aji verde.
- Aji verde keeps 4 days refrigerated—great on eggs or sandwiches too.
- Half-sheet pan
- Blender
Related recipes
- Lemon Garlic Chicken Tray
- Baked Salmon Tray
- Chicken Fajitas
- Honey Garlic Chicken Bowls
- White Bean Chicken Chili
- Barbacoa Chicken