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Ají de Gallina is a the ultimate Peruvian comfort food. This chicken stew is spicy, creamy and so delicious when served over rice. Serve it with other Peruvian favorites like Papa a la Huancaina and a cold glass of Chicha Morada.
My mother’s side of the family are all Peruvian. I was raised with Peruvian food being the primary dishes served in our home; Iove it all. I was raised eating everything from Pollo a la Brasa, Lomo Saltado and Peruvian Seco. And I was lucky enough to learn how to make it from the best. This plate of Ají de Gallina is so comforting and delicious.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Ají de Gallina
- Chicken. I like using bone-in chicken breasts for this so they have a good amount of flavor. You could use thighs too.
- Bread. These slices are going to help thicken our sauce.
- Ají Amarillo Paste. This is a Peruvian staple.
- Evaporated Milk. This will make our sauce super creamy and delicious.
- Celery, onion and carrot. The pillars of flavor.
- Spices. More flavor.
For the rest of the ingredients, please see the recipe index card below!
How to Make Ají de Gallina
- Cook the chicken. Add the bone-in chicken to a medium pot, along with the celery and carrot. Cover it with water and place it over medium heat until the chicken has cooked thoroughly, about 15 minutes. Save the broth so we can use it later on in the recipe OR you can use my homemade chicken stock for a deeper flavor.
- Shred the chicken. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with two forks and set it aside.
Make the sauce. Sauté the white onion and ají amarillo peppers in a bit of avocado oil. Then add in the spices: turmeric, cumin, a few pinches of salt and black pepper. Cook until they’re softened. Then mix in the garlic, ají amarillo paste, cubed toast, evaporated milk and reserved chicken broth. Give it a mix and cover it. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. We want everything softened.
Blend sauce. Transfer all of the sauce to the blender and give it a taste; adjust the salt to your liking.
Add everything back to the skillet. Pour the sauce back into the skillet, along with the shredded chicken.
Serve it. Add a scoop of rice to a plate, along with some boiled potatoes. Ladle the ají de gallina over it. Garnish with boiled egg and Peruvian black olives.
Recipe Tip
Ají Amarillos. You can find these in the freezer section at your local Latin supermarket. In a pinch, feel free to leave it out OR replace it with a jalepeño, scotch bonnet or habanero pepper.
Different cuts of chicken. I’m using bone-in chicken breast. But feel free to use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs! All of the above will work great.
Recipe FAQs
The literal translation is “a hen’s chili”. It’s a spicy stew made with chicken.
This thickens the sauce (similar to how Peruvians add saltine crackers to Papa a la Huancaina.
Make the entire dish (minus the rice, etc) and let it come to room temperature. Add it to a freezer safe container and cover with an airtight lid. Transfer to the freezer for up to three months.
More Peruvian Recipes
Quick and Easy
Aji Verde (Peruvian Green Sauce)
Desserts
Alfajores (Peruvian Style)
Dinner
Tallarines Verdes
Ají de Gallina
Equipment
- 1 blender
- 1 Dutch oven or medium pot
- 1 medium skillet
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 bone-in chicken breast
- 3 carrots, , peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 celery sticks, , trimmed and chopped
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, (or other neutral oil)
- 1/2 white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 aji amarillos, peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Few rounds of black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons aji amarillo paste
- 2 pieces of toast, cubed
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup chicken broth, (homemade chicken stock or store-bought)
For Serving:
- White rice
- 1 boiled potato, sliced
- 1 boiled egg, quartered
- 2-3 Peruvian black olives, (can use Kalamata olives in a pinch)
Instructions
To Make the Chicken:
- In a saucepan, set over medium heat, combine the bone-in chicken breast with the carrots, celery sticks and cover with water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until chicken is fully cooked, about 15 minutes. Drain and reserve the broth. We’ll use this later on in the recipe. Note: You could also use a homemade chicken stock for a deeper flavor.
- When the chicken cools down slightly, shred it into pieces.
To Make the Sauce:
- In a medium skillet, set over medium-low heat, add the avocado oil, white onion and aji amarillo peppers. Add a pinch of kosher salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. And then add in the turmeric, cumin, a few pinches of salt, black pepper. And cook until softened, an additional 2-3 minutes. Add in the minced garlic, aji amarillo paste, cubed toast, evaporated milk and chicken broth. Give it a mix, cover the pot and bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. This will soften everything.
- Transfer to a blender and blend until very smooth. Give it a taste and adjust the salt to your liking. Transfer back to the pot to warm up. Add in the reserved shredded chicken.
To Serve:
- Add white rice to a plate, a sliced potato and top with a few spoonfuls of the aji de gallina. Add a sprinkling of walnuts, Parmesan-Reggiano, a few black olives, halved boiled eggs and minced Italian parsley.
Notes
- Ají Amarillos. You can find these in the freezer section at your local Latin supermarket. In a pinch, feel free to leave it out OR replace it with a jalepeño, scotch bonnet or habanero pepper.
- Different cuts of chicken. I’m using bone-in chicken breast. But feel free to use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs! All of the above will work great.
- How to Freeze. Make the entire dish (minus the rice, etc) and let it come to room temperature. Add it to a freezer safe container and cover with an airtight lid. Transfer to the freezer for up to three months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
