Baked Peruvian Chicken and Potatoes with Cilantro Lime Sauce

Where do I begin to describe Peruvian chicken and potatoes with cilantro lime sauce? Crispy, juicy oven-baked chicken and roasted potatoes smothered in a creamy-tangy cilantro-lime sauce. To die for. I can not get enough of this Peruvian-style chicken. It’s easy enough for a weeknight meal but it also feels special enough to serve to guests.

Frisco’s Chicken Copycat Peruvian Chicken Recipe

Frisco’s Chicken I love you!

In Lancaster, PA there is this expanding chain of Peruvian chicken restaurants, Frisco’s Chicken, and they have the BEST chicken I have ever had. If you ever visit Lancaster, PA, it’s an absolute MUST-GO stop. Seriously, go there, it will not disappoint.

Sadly, for me, it is a bit of a trip to get to one of their locations, and that has left me with a deep desire to create something similar to their out-of-this-world chicken. Frisco’s Peruvian chicken and green sauce is the inspiration behind this recipe. It is the closest copycat to Frisco’s you can make at home.

P.S. If get the chance to visit Frisco’s Chicken, you HAVE to get the yuca fries.

How to Make the Best Baked Peruvian Chicken

Crispy, oven-baked Peruvian chicken is tender, juicy chicken seasoned with garlic, lime juice, and spices. To make the best Peruvian-style chicken you really want to consider the seasoning and the oven temperature. Here are some of my tips for preparing the BEST Peruvian chicken.

Start with a Hot Oven For Crispiest Skin

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature may seem extreme, but this is the best possible way to get the crispiest chicken skin. Crispy exterior with a juicy, tender interior, YUM. Don’t shy away from the oven temperature, just trust the process. Your Peruvian-style chicken will turn out great! 🙂

Do make sure to drop the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for the last 15-20 minutes of its cooking time. This ensures that the interior of the chicken maintains its juiciness and that the skin doesn’t get overly crispy.

Use Bone-in Chicken

Bone-in chicken: for the best flavor, you have to use it for Peruvian chicken. Chicken leg quarters are my favorite cut of chicken to make this oven-baked chicken, but you can use other bone-in cuts like drums, thighs, or even a whole chicken. Note that the cooking time may need to be tweaked as the size of the chicken pieces changes.

Pour Butter over the top

While you can prepare Peruvian chicken and potatoes only using olive oil, just a tiny bit of melted butter really makes the difference. This recipe combines a little bit of butter and a little bit of oil for a flavor and texture that is truly the best of both worlds. To keep the dish consistent, butter and oil are also added to the oven-roasted potatoes.

When preparing the chicken rub, add the oil to spices, garlic, and lime juice, but leave the butter out. In a microwave-safe dish, melt the butter and drizzle it over the chicken pieces in the pan just before it bakes.

If time allows, Soak the Pototo Cubes

Ever wonder how restaurants make potatoes that are fluffy in the middle and crispy on the outside? A presoak. Soaking the potatoes for 30 mins in a bowl of water helps to remove excess starch which creates a much crispier and fluffier potato. Just remember to drain and dry the potatoes after they soak. This is an optional step, and when pressed for time, I do not follow it, but the soak does create a better texture for sure.

Is Peruvian Chicken with Potatoes and Cilantro Lime Green Sauce Healthy?

It depends on what your personal definition of healthy is, but YES, overall Peruvian chicken with potatoes is a pretty healthy dish. Chicken leg quarters are packed with protein and nutrients like vitamin B-12, selenium, and vitamin A. Both the potatoes and the chicken are oven-roasted which also helps to save calories and excess fats from the mix.

The cilantro lime green sauce replaces some of the mayo for plain Greek yogurt. The Greek yogurt not only deepens the flavor of the sauce, but it also helps to cut down on calories and adds a boost of protein.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

Chicken leg quarters are great to use in this Peruvian chicken and potatoes dish. Chicken leg quarters give you options (drumstick or thigh), which makes it a great option for when you have company. You can use other cuts of bone-in chicken like drumsticks or thighs, but leg quarters are the cheapest (and most versatile). Chicken leg quarters are a very inexpensive cut of chicken since it takes a little extra work to break it down, but don’t worry, it’s relatively easy.

How to Break Down Chicken Leg Quarters

• Grab the chicken by the drumstick.
• With a sharp knife, slice between the thigh and the drumstick. Cut the chicken at the joint bone.
• If you are having a hard time cutting straight through the joint try this instead: When you have created a deep cut into the bone, hold both sides of the chicken (drumstick and thigh) and twist in opposite directions until it snaps.

Is Peruvian Chicken and Potatoes Budget-Friendly?

Yes, this is such an easy budget friendly recipe! And it makes plenty of leftovers. I often make a big batch of this chicken so that we can have a few dinners with it, and then I will take the extra chicken and make it into a delicious soup. Chicken tortilla soup, chicken pozole soup, or even just chicken noodle soup are SO good with this leftover chicken.

Chicken leg quarters make this meal very inexpensive. They are a nice cut of chicken because you get SO much chicken meat for SO cheap. Since they are not as processed (ie the thigh and the drum are still connected) they are typically sold at prices cheaper than both chicken thigh and chicken drumstick prices.

Is Homemade Peruvian Chicken Easy to Make?

It’s so easy! This is a recipe with minimal prep time, but a medium to longer sized cook time. When I am preparing this recipe for guests, I like to prep ahead as much as possible. You can easily prepare the cilantro lime green sauce ahead of time and stick it into the fridge (up to a day in advance). I will also typically rub the chicken with the spices, garlic, oil, and lime juice rub ahead of time and place it tightly covered in the fridge before it’s time to cook it. The potatoes are best cooked right before you eat them.

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