Description
These Air Fryer Peruvian Chicken Thighs are juicy, beautifully seasoned, and packed with flavor! Marinated with ají amarillo paste, lime, garlic, soy sauce, and warm spices, then air-fried until deliciously golden. Serve with creamy homemade aji verde sauce for an easy, flavorful chicken dinner that’s perfect for family meals or entertaining.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 6 garlic cloves, minced, or 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 heaping tablespoon ají amarillo paste
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1–2 teaspoons monk fruit sweetener or sugar
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Knorr chicken bouillon, plus 1 additional teaspoon for seasoning the chicken
- ½–1 teaspoon salt, to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Juice of 1 – 2 fresh limes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Creamy aji verde green sauce
- 1 bunch cilantro, washed and drained, with tough stems removed
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 jalapeños, stems removed and most seeds removed
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon monk fruit sweetener, optional
- ½–1 teaspoon salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Make the marinade.
- Combine the garlic, soy sauce, ají amarillo paste, red wine vinegar, sweetener, oregano, cumin, both paprikas, 1 teaspoon bouillon, salt, pepper, lime juice, and olive oil.
- Whisk thoroughly, taste, and adjust flavors before adding to the chicken.
Prepare and season the chicken.
- Clean/wash your chicken (if you do wash your chicken – I do wash mine). Pat the chicken thighs thoroughly dry with paper towels. Place them in a large bowl and sprinkle with the additional teaspoon of Knorr chicken bouillon and rub in.
- Add approximately ½ cup of the prepared marinade, or enough to coat the chicken thoroughly. Wearing food-safe gloves if desired, massage it over the thighs and gently underneath the skin.
- The marinade mixture may make more than you need. Set any extra aside before handling the raw chicken, and discard marinade left in the raw-chicken bowl.
Marinate.
- Cover and refrigerate. I marinated my chicken for approximately 2–3 hours, and the flavor was wonderful.
- You can also prepare it the night before and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Prepare the aji verde green sauce.
- While the chicken marinates, add the sauce ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Taste and adjust. I love the combination of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise, and the honey balances the tangy ingredients beautifully.
- Start with less honey if you prefer, then add more to taste (if needed).
- Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Air-fry the chicken thighs.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer, leaving space between them.
- Air-fry for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Smaller thighs may finish in 22–25 minutes; larger ones may need longer.
- When flipping, brush the chicken with a little of the unused marinade reserved before it touched raw chicken. Keep that portion and its brush separate from the raw-chicken marinade.
- Check the thickest part of each thigh with a meat thermometer, avoiding the bone. The chicken must reach at least 165°F—use temperature, rather than the timer alone, to confirm it is done. Let it rest briefly before serving with the green sauce.
- Recipe-card cook time: 25–30 minutes per batch, plus preheating.
Notes
Listen, I could write an entire book about making these Peruvian chicken thighs! LOL! 😂 But don’t let the ingredients or instructions intimidate you, especially if you’re new to cooking. Take your time, follow the steps, and enjoy the process. These tips will help you get the best results!
Give the chicken room to cook. Avoid overcrowding your air fryer basket. Cook in batches if necessary to allow the chicken to cook evenly and develop that beautiful golden exterior.
Season underneath the skin. Gently lift the chicken skin and rub some marinade underneath. This helps distribute those delicious flavors throughout the chicken.
Use ají amarillo paste for my version. This is one ingredient I highly recommend keeping! It’s essential to the flavor of my Peruvian-style chicken marinade and aji verde sauce.
Adjust the lime juice. If your lime is particularly juicy, one may be enough! Aim for approximately 1½–2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice. Use a second lime if needed.
Follow the written ingredient quantities. Some of my ingredient photos may look like I’m cooking for an entire village! 😂 That’s because I tripled the recipe when photographing it. The quantities listed in the recipe are intended for approximately 4–4½ pounds of chicken thighs.
Brush on more marinade when flipping. When you turn the chicken halfway through cooking, brush on some additional marinade for extra flavor. Set aside the marinade you’ll use for basting before it touches the raw chicken. If you want to save unused marinade for another meal, refrigerate it promptly and use it within a safe storage period. Discard marinade that has been in contact with raw chicken unless you boil it thoroughly before using it as a sauce.
Taste your aji verde sauce. This creamy green sauce is easy to customize! Taste as you prepare it and adjust the seasonings, lime juice, or other ingredients to suit your preference.
Make as much green sauce as you need. I’ve mentioned several times how much my family LOVES this sauce. We literally put it on everything! 😂 That’s why I make a generous batch. Feel free to scale down the ingredients if you need less. You can also reduce or omit the Greek yogurt. If you do, start with just 1 tablespoon of honey, taste, and decide whether any additional sweetener is necessary.
Adjust the heat to your preference. Jalapeños vary in spiciness, so make the sauce as mild or spicy as you like. I removed the seeds and membranes from mine, but you can leave some in if you prefer more heat.
Make sure to scroll to the main post for all the step by step photos.
