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Aji de gallina recipe

Ají de Gallina: A Dream of a Creamy Chicken Dish

May 31, 2019 By Eat Peru Leave a Comment

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Whether you’re new to trying Peruvian food, or you’ve been eating it all your life, the creamy ají de gallina chicken dish is likely to tickle your taste buds. In all the right ways, every time. This super-classic Peruvian chicken recipe comprises a creamy, somewhat spicy sauce made with shredded hen or chicken breast, ají amarillo chili peppers, minced garlic, pecan nuts, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and a dash of evaporated milk. Served with a few slices of boiled potatoes. There is literally no dinner recipe more typical of Peruvian food than this one. And you’ll find that many a Peruvian will claim that their mother’s ají de gallina beats all others. Today it’s your turn to try your hand at this simple but satisfying recipe!  

Ají de Gallina Classic Peruvian Recipe

Ají De Gallina’s Bittersweet origins

The origins of many Peruvian dishes bring to mind the proverb “necessity is the mother of invention”. The simplest dishes made with at-hand ingredients are often the most enduring. And this is true of ají de gallina. The dish’s origins may be traced to a dessert called menjar blanc from Catalan cuisine, from as far back as the 14th century. Brought to Peru by the Spanish conquistadors, the original Catalan food was a kind of sweet stew made with adult hen breast, almonds and sugar. It became the current-day recipe known as ají de gallina after incorporating the quintessential Peruvian ingredients of ají amarillo chili peppers and potatoes. The other ingredients include (evaporated) milk and slices of white bread or breadcrumbs to give it the right consistency.

Aji de Gallina is a perfect example of the power of simplicity. This easy cook recipe is always a winner and makes you look like a pro cook.

However, legend says it wasn’t some ingenious Catalan or indigenous Peruvian chef that created one of the most popular modern-day Peruvian chicken dishes: the slaves of the conquistadors get the credit. These unfortunate people received just enough food to survive. So they resorted to picking off pieces of leftover hen off the bone and mixing them with other leftovers. At some point, these leftovers happened to be menjar blanc.

This dish is a perfect example of the power of simplicity. The dish comes from such humble beginnings but now occupies an important place in the now world-renowned Peruvian cuisine. Nowadays the adult hen breast is usually replaced by the more tender chicken breast which renders a very similar flavor. There’s some debate about which type of nut to use: some use almonds, others walnuts, but the most common nut to use is pecans.  

A Variety of Ají to Suit Everyone

What makes cooking fun is that it allows you to experiment with recipes. It’s always good to try out new options or to adapt them to a different dietary requirement. You’ve probably heard of empanadas, the savoury pastry usually made with cheese or minced meat (a ubiquitous snack in most countries across South America). Now imagine an empanada filled with ají de gallina! It’s absolutely delicious.

Popular variations of this recipe include replacing the hen (or chicken) with tuna, vegetables or mushrooms. If you’re lactose intolerant or vegan, you can omit the egg, evaporated milk and cheese, maybe adding some tofu to maintain the texture. For those on a gluten-free diet, substitute the bread or soda crackers with a gluten-free variety or you could replace it with soy or tofu.

Now, if you don’t tolerate spicy foods well, it is possible to leave out the chili peppers, but it will certainly affect the flavor. And we can’t guarantee that Peruvians will even let you call it ají de gallina anymore! 🌶

Ingredients for aji de gallina
aji de gallina classic peruvian chicken recipe
Aji de gallina recipe
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5 from 1 vote

Ají de Gallina

A favorite Peruvian chicken recipe of creamy, spicy sauce made with shredded hen or chicken breast, ají amarillo chili peppers, minced garlic, pecan nuts, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and a dash of evaporated milk. All served over rice with a few slices of boiled potatoes.
Prep Time1 hr
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time1 hr 45 mins
Course: Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine: Peruvian
Keyword: chicken, potatoes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 730kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken breasts or 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 3.5 ounces Parmesan cheese
  • 4 ají amarillo chili peppers
  • 4 breadrolls
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • Black pepper and cumin
  • 1-2 ounces pecans
  • dash evaporated milk
  • 2 eggs hard boiled
  • 4 floury potatoes
  • 2 cups rice (uncooked) optional
  • 4 leaves lettuce
  • 4 black olives
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Fill a medium pot with sufficient water to cover the hen (or chicken) breast(s) and bring to the boil. Boil for about 25 minutes over a medium heat. Remove from the pot and once it’s cool enough, shred the hen. Set aside. Use the hen broth to soak the bread rolls until they’ve absorbed enough of the stock and blend in a food blender.
    bread rolls soaked in hen stock
  • Cut the ají amarillo chili peppers in half and remove the veins (ribs) and seeds. Holding them with a tong, grill the peppers directly on the fire until the skin is cooked and black in parts. Rinse the peppers and remove the skin, then chop roughly.
    charred peppers
  • In a frying pan, add some oil and lightly fry the ají peppers, chopped onion, garlic and pecans. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend.
    ají pepper chopped onion garlic and pecans
  • Pour the contents of the blender into a frying pan and add the shredded hen breast. Stir well and cook until it achieves the right consistency. Add the parmesan cheese and the evaporated milk just before turning off the heat.
    shredded chicken in blended ingredients
  • Boil the potatoes, unpeeled and with 3 tablespoons of salt and leave to cool.
  • Boil the eggs until hard and leave to cool.
  • Place a lettuce leaf on the plate, followed by 4 generous slices of potato per serving and a portion of rice. Serve the ají de gallina over the rice and potatoes. Serve with a slice of boiled egg and a black olive. 
    aji de gallina with egg and potatoes

Nutrition

Calories: 730kcal | Carbohydrates: 105g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 589mg | Potassium: 1308mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 814IU | Vitamin C: 88mg | Calcium: 409mg | Iron: 8mg
Nutrition Facts
Ají de Gallina
Amount Per Serving
Calories 730 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 135mg45%
Sodium 589mg26%
Potassium 1308mg37%
Carbohydrates 105g35%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 37g74%
Vitamin A 814IU16%
Vitamin C 88mg107%
Calcium 409mg41%
Iron 8mg44%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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About Eat Peru

Peruvian foodie. I've been writing about the food of Peru for over 10 years.

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