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Fried Chicken with Ají Pollero and Coleslaw
by Giacomo Bocchio
recipe medium Peruvian

Fried Chicken with Ají Pollero and Coleslaw

A super spiced fried chicken recipe marinated in yogurt and milk for 12 hours, served with fried potatoes, sweet coleslaw, and an authentic Peruvian ají pollero sauce with huacatay.

45m Prep
25m Cook
13h 10m Total
4 Servings
pollo frito fried chicken ají pollero peruvian comfort food deep frying coleslaw marinada yogurt marinade giacomo bocchio

Ingredients

Ají pollero
  • 1 piece Onion (cortada toscamente)
  • 3 clove Garlic
  • 3 piece Yellow ají pepper (cortado toscamente, con semillas y venas)
  • Huacatay (Andean black mint) (blanqueado)
  • Milk
  • Soda crackers
Enharinado
  • 450 g All-purpose flour
  • 6 g Black pepper (recién molida)
  • 10 g Garlic powder
  • 10 g Paprika
  • 0.8 g Dried oregano
  • 1 g Dried thyme
Ensalada de col
  • 400 g Grated carrot (rallada)
  • 300 g White cabbage (picada finamente)
  • 300 g Red cabbage (picada finamente)
  • 100 g White sugar
  • 300 g Cornstarch-based mayonnaise
  • 2 g Salt
  • 2 g Dried oregano (molido)
Marinada del pollo
  • 237.5 g Plain unsweetened yogurt
  • 237.5 g Whole fresh milk
  • 3 g Curry powder
  • 15 g American mustard
  • 20 g Salt
  • 6 g Black pepper (recién molida)
  • 5 g Paprika
  • 10 g Garlic powder
  • 10 g Onion powder
  • 1 g Dried thyme
  • 7 g Ground coriander
  • 1 piece Chicken pieces (bone-in) (trozado)
Papas fritas
  • 500 g Yellow potatoes (cocidas a vapor, cortadas en taquitos)
  • Frying oil

Steps

  1. 1
    Steam the yellow potatoes and let them cool. Cut them into small cubes for frying later.
    Tip: Pre-cooking potatoes by steaming then frying gives a much crunchier result because the starch does not aerate.
    ~25 min
  2. 2
    Prepare the marinade: in a bowl, mix salt, ground coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, freshly ground black pepper, ground dried thyme, paprika, curry, American mustard, whole fresh milk, and plain unsweetened yogurt.
    Tip: The yogurt must have no added sugar or flavors -- we want the lactic acid to tenderize the chicken, and sugar would cause premature browning.
    ~10 min
  3. 3
    Place the bone-in chicken pieces in a ziplock bag, pour in the marinade and massage the chicken well. Refrigerate for 12 hours.
    Tip: The marinade acts as a 2% brine. The lactic acid in the yogurt breaks down the protein making it notably juicier and more tender (succulence = tenderness + juiciness).
    ~720 min
  4. 4
    Prepare the coleslaw: mix the cornstarch-based mayonnaise with sugar, salt, and ground oregano until the sugar dissolves. Add white cabbage, red cabbage, and grated carrot. Mix well and refrigerate.
    Tip: The cornstarch-based mayonnaise is thicker and more stable, extending its shelf life. Soak the cut cabbage in water for 10 minutes then drain before using.
    ~15 min
  5. 5
    Prepare the aji pollero: saute roughly chopped onion, garlic, and yellow aji pepper (with seeds and veins) until lightly cooked. Add blanched huacatay leaves and saute a bit more. Blend with milk and soda crackers.
    Tip: Huacatay is blanched first to reduce its intensity. Keeping the aji seeds and veins adds authentic heat.
    ~10 min
  6. 6
    Fry the potatoes in hot oil until extra crispy. Set aside. This also preps the oil for the chicken -- previously used oil browns better.
    Tip: Brand new oil does not brown as well as oil that has already been used for frying. Frying the potatoes first conditions the oil for better chicken browning.
    ~8 min
  7. 7
    Prepare the seasoned flour: mix flour with freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried oregano, and dried thyme. Mix well ensuring no lumps remain.
    Tip: Store garlic powder in the refrigerator in humid climates to prevent clumping.
    ~5 min
  8. 8
    Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and let it temper slightly. Without removing excess marinade, coat each piece thoroughly in the seasoned flour. Arrange the skin so it is evenly distributed.
    Tip: Do NOT shake off excess marinade -- the wet spots create those extra crispy crunchy bits on the fried chicken.
    ~10 min
  9. 9
    Fry the chicken starting at 160C (320F) for 8 minutes to cook the inside, then raise to 180C (356F) and continue until about 15 minutes total. Verify with a thermometer that the internal temperature reaches 60-65C (140-149F).
    Tip: The two-temperature technique ensures the chicken is cooked through without burning the coating. Use a probe thermometer to check doneness.
    ~15 min
  10. 10
    Serve the fried chicken on absorbent paper, accompanied by crispy fried potatoes, cold coleslaw, and aji pollero sauce.
    ~2 min

Nutrition (per serving)

680
Calories
42g
Protein
55g
Carbs
32g
Fat
4g
Fiber
Cultural Context
Fried chicken is universally beloved, but in Peru it is accompanied by the iconic ají pollero, a spicy sauce made from ají amarillo and huacatay (Andean black mint) found in every Peruvian chicken restaurant. Giacomo gives it an Italian twist with spices reminiscent of Tuscany.
Video thumbnail
Giacomo Bocchio
APRENDE A PREPARAR EL MEJOR POLLO FRITO Y AJÍ POLLERO | GIACOMO BOCCHIO
Watch on YouTube →
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