What is Pollo a La Brasa?
James Bustamante is Native to New York but born to Peruvian parents. He has been traveling throughout Latin America since early 2003 and finally made his home in Peru. James has made his way by eating and traveling through almost every country in Central and South America.
Last Updated on July 24, 2023 by James Bustamante
The “Pollo a la Brasa” or Peruvian rotisserie chicken has been one of the most iconic dishes for a long time in the country. Local Peruvians make having it for lunch a common occurrence and foreigners become infatuated with the delicious base of spices that give the Pollo a la Brasa its distinguished taste.
It is a constant craving once you’ve at least had it once. The crispy french fries and tender chicken made with coals or wood in a rotating spit oven. Here is some interesting data as well, every year the average Peruvian will get Pollo a la Brasa at least 37 times in a single year. That’s about 3 times every single month! This dish is consumed by the locals more often than the Peruvian ceviche for comparison sake.
So, What is a Pollo a la Brasa Anyway?
Pollo a la Brasa is a Peruvian rotisserie chicken made with a local marinade that consists of salt, pepper, Huacatay (Peruvian mint), Panca peppers, cumin, and other ingredients, depending on the restaurant. It is a staple of Peruvian cuisine and one of the most popular fast foods in the country.
History of Pollo a La Brasa
The Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa is a relatively new dish in comparison to other traditional Peruvian foods like Aji de Gallina or the Suspiro a La Limena. The creation of this traditional Peruvian dish goes back to the year 1950 in the district known as Chaclacayo.
The creator of this succulent dish was the Swiss immigrant Roger Schuler, he lived in Chaclacayo and was well-versed in Peruvian cooking techniques. One day he decided to rest several ways of preparing the simple chicken.
He began by marinating the chicken with some common everyday salt over some hot coals. The result was golden, crispy skin and juicy chicken flesh. He was so happy with the outcome that he decided to perfect this technique by hiring Franz Ulrich, also a Swiss national.
You see, Mr. Ulrich was an engineer who was used to working with metal. He designed a special oven with metal spits that would fit several chickens, these spits would then rotate on their own over hot coals or in some cases wood. This would ensure that all the chickens would be evenly cooked a large scale. The name for this specialized oven was called “El Rotombo”
Travelers Notes: Roger Schuler and France Ulrich opened a famous “Polleria” which still operates today. It is called the Granja Azul and it is still located in Santa Clara, a district in Ate. The Granja Azul has evolved from just one “Polleria” to a high-end chain of chicken restaurants in Peru.
Many years later the recipe for Pollo a la Brasa has changed and now includes a marinade of rosemary, salt, Huacatay (Peruvian mint), soy sauce, Aji Panca, and cumin. This varies depending on the “Polleria” since each tends to have slight alterations to the recipe.
How This Dish is Served
If you want to try this tasty traditional Peruvian food you can either order in or go to your local “Polleria”. The chicken is served with a side of french fries and a small side salad. To many, the french fries are just as important in this dish as the chicken itself. They should be very crispy and hot off the fryer. The side salad is usually made with sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and sliced cucumbers with a vinaigrette dressing.
The typical dish is served as “un Cuarto” which translates to a fourth of a whole chicken. You can ask for the chicken breast portion or if you are looking for a fattier piece ask for the hindquarters. You will typically hear “Pecho o pierna?” which means breast or hindquarters. If you are particularly hungry you can go for the half chicken portion or even the full chicken.
The Sauces are Everything
No Pollo a la Brasa is complete without a parade of different sauces to accompany this Peruvian dish. Normally the sauces are house mayonnaise-based, that is another curious thing about Peru. Restaurants like to make their own mayonnaise so it is very common to get different flavors in various restaurants.
The sauces will include a mayonnaise, a hot sauce with a mayonnaise base called “Aji de Polleria”, Rocoto sauce (this is the spicy one), a ranch dressing, and there there is also ketchup and mustard. All of these sauces are there to accompany the chicken as well as the crispy french fries.
National Pollo a La Brasa Day
Pollo a la Brasa is so popular in Peru that the government gave it an official day to celebrate (eat, mostly). The national ministry of Culture name is a national heritage item and decided to celebrate (again, eat mostly) every third Sunday in July.
Traveler’s Notes: Pollo a la Brasa is so popular in Peru that it pertains to 40% of all fast food orders in the country.
Pollo a La Brasa Recipe
Time Needed : 00 days 24 hours 00 minutes
This is definitely not the easiest Peruvian dish to prepare at home. In fact, it might be one of those dishes where you are better off going to a restaurant to eat it properly. This is not really due to it being difficult to make, because it’s not. Some ingredients might be hard to find of course, like Huacatay, but that’s still not the biggest issue. The oven needed to make the chicken is the biggest hindrance. There aren’t too many giant automatic spit ovens that use coal or wood available for purchase. There are a few ways to achieve the desired result with a regular oven though. Below we have a fun recipe for you to try.
Step 1 Combining Ingredients
In a bowl, we begin by combining all the ingredients for the marinade. Place the vinegar, the beer, oregano, rosemary, Panca pepper paste, ground garlic, cumin, pepper, soy sauce, and lastly the salt. Make sure to mid them all well in order to get the desired consistency in the marinade.
Step 2 Marinate the Chicken
Gently place the chicken in the marinade and submerge it until fully covered. Proceed to “wash” the chicken in the marinate both inside and out. Allow the chicken to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Step 3 Baking the Pollo a La Brasa
Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for around 20 minutes. While you are doing this begin to preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees centigrade). Place the chicken in a large oven pan for about 1 hour and a half.
Step 4 Make sure it is Golden Brown
Take out the chicken from the oven and check to see that it is a golden brown color. You can serve pollo a la brasa whole or cut into quarters. Serve it with a side of french fries and a side salad with a vinaigrettedressing to balance the meal.
Tools
- Oven
Pound cake circular pan
Mixing Bowl
Materials
- 1 whole chicken with skin
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 glass of your favorite beer
2 tablespoons of salt
1 tablespoon of freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon of cumin
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
1 tablespoon or dry oregano
2 tablespoons of ground garlic
1 tablespoon of dry rosemary
1 tablespoon of ground Panca pepper
Tips to Make Pollo a la Brasa at Home
To make this recipe it is better to get a frozen chicken instead of a fresh one. The reason being that a frozen chicken will have a firmer, more elastic skin after it has been thawed. This helps during the marinating process.
If you can, try using a round-pound cake pan, yes the one with the whole in the middle. You can place the chicken vertically on the whole in the middle. This will help to get the entire thing golden brown.
If you are looking for a stronger flavor, those reminiscing of Pardo’s chicken in Peru or any other “polleria” try these ingredients for your next marinade: Huacatay, Achiote, Ajinomoto, Mustard, and Pisco
Frequently Asked Question About Pollo a La Brasa
When was Pollo a la Brasa first prepared?
It was first prepared in 1950 in Chaclacayo by Roger Schuler.
Who first made Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa?
It was first made by the Swiss national Roger Schuler.
What is pollo a la brasa?
Pollo a la Brasa is a Peruvian rotisserie chicken made with a local marinade that consists of salt, pepper, Huacatay (Peruvian mint), Panca peppers, cumin, and other ingredients depending on the restaurant. It is a staple of Peruvian cuisine and one of the most popular fast foods in the country.
Is making Pollo a la Brasa difficult?
The actual process is quite simple, the difficult part is getting the correct over for this dish. With a few tips, you can make Pollo a la Brasa at home though.
