Our Peruvian Aji de gallina recipe guides you in crafting an authentic spicy shredded chicken dish wrapped in a creamy sauce.
Aji de Gallina is the ultimate Peruvian comfort food.
This creamy chicken dish has just enough bite to ward off the cold nights in the Andes mountains. And the cheesy mixture mixed with the delicate crunch of walnuts makes this dish a treat to enjoy both in texture and taste.
Our Aji de Gallina recipe takes an authentic Peruvian classic and lets you know all the adjustments for those hard-to-find ingredients of the typical North American groceries.
Peruvian Aji de Gallini roughly translates to “hen’s chili”. This dish, which is one of the most popular foods to eat in Peru, can be found everywhere in the country. The recipe for Aji de Gallina (also known as Aji Gallina), involves shredded chicken slathered in a nut-based sauce that get’s just a tinge of spice from the bright orange and red aji amarillo peppers that are incredibly popular in Peru.
The dish is typically served over white rice with a side of boiled or steamed potatoes. The end result is a hearty, comfort food that is both filling and delicious.
At first glance, this Peruvian aji de gallina recipe looks complicated. Although there are several steps to perfecting this dish (it’s definitely not as simple as this authentic Peruvian ceviche recipe), it’s actually quite an easy dish to make. And that’s part of the reason that it has become so popular in one of the world’s best countries for foodies.
My family traveled throughout Peru, and aji de gallina was ordered by at least one of us in pretty much every city and town that we visited. The best we had though was in Lima at El Rincon Que No Conoces on José Bernardo Alcedo. That’s the dish that I based this recipe on.
What Is Aji De Gallina?
Aji de gallina is a perfect representation of the fusion of cultures that have helped Peru to adopt one of the most diverse and world-class culinary backbones in the world.
The dish has been heavily influenced by immigrants from around the world. Peruvian fusion cuisine has a heavy mix of Asian, African, and European flavors mixed with local Andean dishes. Aji de gallina is believed to have its roots in African food and the original version was brought over by African slaves as part of the Spanish colonization of the country.
Traditional aji de gallina gets its spicy zip from the Peruvian aji pepper (you can order them off of Amazon here), however, in countries where that pepper is difficult to find, it’s often replaced with habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers.
The dish pairs parmesan cheese, milk, and walnuts with traditional Peruvian ingredients such as mild Peruvian Aji peppers and shredded chicken to create a recipe that’s cheesy, nutty, spicy, and creamy. A perfect combination for chilly mountain nights.
Authentic Peruvian Aji de Gallina Recipe
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