Pollo al Sillao - Peruvian Chicken in Soy Sauce

This recipe for chicken in soy sauce will please (almost) everyone. Juicy chicken thighs marinated in soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, and “roasted” to perfection. Some people serve it as a starter but it’s perfect as a filling main course.

Getting all of the ingredients together for this recipe is the time-consuming part but let me assure you that it’s worth the effort. Most of the ingredients on the list are easy to find and kitchens around the world will have the majority of items already in the pantry.

While you should marinate the meat for an hour, this dish won’t take long to cook because we’re going to fry the thighs. Roast chicken takes a lot longer and well, it’s a matter of preference, but the result is not necessarily better (at least for this recipe – if you want Peruvian roast chicken, we have a recipe for that). And who doesn’t love fried chicken?

What about garlic, ginger, peppers, soy sauce, lime juice, and cumin? Sound good?

Everything goes in the same pot and the flavors infuse to create something special.

close up of marinated chicken pieces in soy sauce

Leave the skins on the thighs as this adds to the flavor. And don’t be afraid of chicken skin, it’s nutritious, and even better, it turns deliciously crispy when cooked. You could substitute chicken breasts for the thighs but it’s best to stick with the traditional main ingredient.

The soy sauce in this pollo al sillao recipe comes from the Asian influence in Peruvian food. And it gives that salty, tangy, umami flavor to an already flavorful dish. I think the finished dish is quite inviting and will definitely get a chorus of approval from your family or dinner guests.

This internationally influenced Peruvian dish is served with rice (of Chinese influence) and potatoes (of Peruvian origin). Let’s get cooking!

Ingredients

chinese peruvian influenced pollo al sillao with rice

Print Recipe

Pollo al Sillao – Chicken in Soy Sauce

The ingredients are basic: chicken, soy sauce, limes, ginger, rice, potatoes, and garlic. But the taste is anything but basic. Apart from the marination time, this is a quick-to-prepare popular Peruvian dish with Chinese flavor influences.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Waiting time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 34 mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Peruvian

Keyword: Asian Peruvian, chicken, Chinese Peruvian, fried chicken

Servings: 4

Calories: 772kcal

Ingredients

For the chicken

4 chicken thighs with skin, 1.2 Kg.
5 chives
1 red bell pepper
1 ginger root 3 cm, grated
3 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons soy sauce Kikkoman
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons oil corn, soy, etc.
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the garnishes

1 cup rice
3 tablespoons oil
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups water for rice
4 yellow potatoes
8 cups water for the potatoes
1 tablespoon sesame seeds roasted

Instructions

For the chicken:
The first stage is the preparation of the chicken marinade. In a small bowl, mix the grated ginger, crushed garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce, lime juice, honey, cumin, and pepper. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cut the thighs into two parts, the rump, and the thigh. Put the chicken in a glass bowl.
Dress the chicken pieces with the marinade that you prepared and rub it into the skin. Put a lid on the container, and store it in the refrigerator for thirty minutes to an hour. This will give the chicken the flavor of the dressing. If you are in a hurry, you can skip these wait times.
Wash the pepper. Remove the stem, seeds, and veins. Then cut into thick sticks about 5 cm long, by 0.8 cm wide. Wash the chives. Cut about 0.4 cm from the root and discard. Then cut the rest of the chives into 5 cm sticks.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and turn the stove to medium-high heat. Once it is hot, add the oil, then the chicken pieces. Chicken pieces should be placed skin side down, i.e., directly attached to the pan so that they brown better. Cook for about five minutes on each side.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the broth
Add the broth, salt, pepper, and chives, cut into strips, to the pot. Stir with a wooden spoon or paddle. Cook covered for an additional five minutes, and turn off. You will notice that we have not added salt to the preparation, because soy sauce usually contains a lot of salt. This will depend on the brand you use. Taste the chicken when it’s finished, adding an extra pinch of salt if necessary.
For the garnishes:
Turn on the stove, over medium heat. Then, in a small pot, place the oil, the garlic clove, and the pinch of salt. Stir, and then add the rice (Remember to pre-rinse the rice to remove excess starch). Cook for about two minutes.
Add all the water, and raise the temperature to the maximum. Cook uncovered for about seven minutes till the surface of the rice is dry.. Then, change to a low heat (minimum), and cover the pot. Continue cooking for a further seven minutes. Then turn off. The rice will be ready.
Place eight cups of water, with a teaspoon of salt, on the stove over high heat. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes. As soon as you peel them, immediately place them in the pot of boiling water to prevent them from browning. Cook covered for about fifteen minutes until soft. You can test by poking them with a toothpick. Turn off the stove, drain the excess water, and cut the potatoes into slices about 2 cm wide.
Plating: Place a cup of rice with a few slices of potato, soy sauce and vegetables, and chicken over the rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds. If you want, you can add some chives on top.