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Pollo a la brasa is a popular Peruvian dish consisting of crunchy and juicy charcoal-grilled chicken that is traditionally served with French fries and salads. Today, it is one of the most consumed meals in Peru, so much that 27 million Peruvians eat it daily.
The dish was first invented in Lima in the 1950s, when it was seasoned only with salt, but nowadays the chicken is often marinated in a special combination of ingredients, usually consisting of vinegar, salt, pepper, rosemary, chili, and dark beer.
MOST ICONIC Pollo a la brasa
View moreOften consumed on rainy or cold days by many Peruvians, aji de gallina is a spicy dish consisting of shredded chicken in a creamy sauce. It is traditionally served over rice and garnished with black olives and boiled potatoes. The sauce is made with aji amarillo chilis, garlic, onions, walnuts, cheese, and crustless bread, and it is usually flavored with spices such as cumin, pepper, oregano, turmeric, and parsley.
It is believed that aji de gallina originated from a dish called manjar blanco, made with a combination of chicken, almonds, sugar, and rice. After its arrival in Peru, the people adapted it using local ingredients such as the aji chili, and a new dish was created in the process.
MOST ICONIC Aji de gallina
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Picante de pollo is a spicy Bolivian dish made with pieces of chicken cooked in a combination of onions, potatoes, tomatoes, hot peppers, peas, and chicken stock. The thick sauce is typically flavored with cumin, garlic, and oregano. It is recommended to serve picante de pollo with rice or boiled potatoes on the side and to garnish it with fresh chopped parsley.
Pollo arvejado is a typical Chilean stew made with chicken and peas as the main ingredients. The stew is usually flavored with onions, garlic, carrots, green peppers, white wine, chicken stock, cumin, paprika, and bay leaves. In Chile, it is typically accompanied by rice or potatoes.
This comforting dish is quite popular in the country because it is quick and easy to prepare while remaining immensely flavorful.
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Anticucho de pollo is a traditional dish originating from Peru. These skewers are usually sold as street food and they're made with a variety of ingredients – in this case, it's chicken. Other ingredients used in the preparation of anticuchos de pollo include garlic, oil, oregano, cumin, hot peppers, salt, and pepper.
The chicken breasts are cut into pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper, and flavored with garlic, oil, oregano, cumin, and chopped hot peppers. The meat is marinated, and the pieces are then threaded onto bamboo skewers and grilled until golden. Once prepared, anticuchos de pollo are often served with boiled potatoes or white rice on the side.
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Pollo al cognac is a traditional chicken dish originating from Chile. The dish is usually made with a combination of chicken pieces, cognac, crushed garlic, white wine, butter, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. The skin is removed from the chicken and the meat is then browned in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.
The white wine, cognac, garlic, and bay leaves are added to the pot and the dish is then simmered over low heat for more than an hour, until everything is tender and juicy. It's recommended to serve the dish with fries or rice on the side.
Galinhada is a Brazilian stew made with rice and chicken. It is a popular dish throughout Brazil, especially in the states of Goiás and Minas Gerais, during special occasions and festivities. The name of the dish is derived from the Portuguese word galinha, meaning chicken.
Although it can be found in numerous restaurants and eateries, it is also widely prepared at home, and almost every family has a secret recipe that is handed down from generation to generation. It is recommended to serve the dish with hot sauce and garnish it with finely diced green onions.
MOST ICONIC Galinhada
Juane is a traditional meal originating from the Peruvian jungles, consisting of chicken, hard-boiled eggs, and rice seasoned with spices that might include turmeric, oregano, and cumin. The combination of these ingredients is wrapped in waxy bijao leaves (which look like banana leaves) and cooked.
It is common to pair the dish with cassava or boiled bananas. Juanes can be found in traditional restaurants, in markets, or at street vendors. The name juane refers to St. John the Baptist, because the dish is traditionally eaten on the 24th of June, during the feast of San Juan (patron saint of the Amazon).
MOST ICONIC Juane
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Escabeche de pollo is a Peruvian dish consisting of browned chicken pieces covered in pickling sauce. In Peru, escabeche is prepared as a pickled combination of onions, vinegar, honey, and aji peppers. Although fish escabeche is more popular, this dish is made with chicken, and when prepared, it is usually served with rice which soaks up the flavorful acidic sauce.
Before serving, escabeche de pollo can be additionally garnished with olives and pieces of hard-boiled eggs, and it is often served on a bed of lettuce, which results in a very visually-appealing poultry dish.
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Sajta de pollo is a Bolivian dish consisting of chicken, onions, tomatoes, peas, and yellow chili peppers (most often, aji amarillo). It is typically flavored with parsley, celery, black pepper, garlic, and cumin. The dish is traditionally prepared for Carnival and the All Saints' Day.
It is similar to picante de pollo, main difference being the type of chili peppers used, the level of spiciness, and the resulting flavor profile. Sajta de pollo is milder and creamier, while picante de pollo is spicier and richer. When served, the sauce-drenched sajta de pollo is usually accompanied by potatoes.
MOST ICONIC Sajta de pollo
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 15 South American Chicken Dishes” list until February 14, 2025, 1,463 ratings were recorded, of which 571 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.