Make Peruvian-style chicken cutlets in minutes
Deeply spiced with crackling skin and juicy, salty meat, spit-roasted Peruvian chicken is a delight. Making a whole roasted chicken in this style at home is fairly easy to do — all you need is a hot grill or oven and some time. But it’s usually a no go for busy weeknight meals. Instead, take the spirit of Peruvian chicken and adapt it to quick-cooking chicken cutlets for a meal that’s just as good but ready in less than 30 minutes.
What are chicken cutlets?
Chicken cutlets are thin boneless, skinless chicken breasts made by cutting a breast in half horizontally. You can usually find them in the poultry section of your grocery store’s meat department, or you can cut them yourself.
To do so, place a boneless chicken breast on a cutting board. Hold a sharp, thin knife parallel to the cutting board and place your hand flat on top of the breast. Using short strokes of the knife, carefully cut the breast in half as if you are butterflying the breast, but cutting it all the way through.
How to cook juicy chicken breast cutlets on the stove
Chicken breast cutlets are a great weeknight protein because they cook in a matter of minutes. But because they are so lean (and cook so quickly), it can be challenging to get a good sear without overcooking.
The trick is to cook them through almost completely on one side. This extended cook time gets the first side deeply browned without risking a dry center. A quick couple of minutes on the second side ensures the meat is no longer pink.
Rotisserie chicken seasoning is a flavor-packed shortcut for Peruvian-style chicken
Peruvian rotisserie chicken is usually coated in a plethora of spices and chiles. Such a long ingredient list won’t work for a 5:30 Challenge recipe, so we’ll need to substitute a spice blend. The most widely available blend that will get you close to an authentic flavor profile is rotisserie chicken seasoning. It usually contains a mix of ground chiles, warm spices and dried alliums for a balanced, slightly spicy flavor.
Mix mayonnaise and cilantro for an easy, tangy sauce
Peruvian-style chicken restaurants offer an array of sauces for dipping and drizzling. An easy one to whip up while the chicken is cooking is a creamy green sauce flecked with cilantro. Mayonnaise brings the silky texture and subtle tang, lime juice and zest add brightness, and another dose of rotisserie seasoning contributes a bit of heat and depth. A spin in a small food processor or blender makes quick work of the sauce, turning it smooth in seconds.
Peruvian-Style Chicken Cutlets with Tangy Herb Dipping Sauce
- 2 limes
- 2 pounds chicken breast cutlets
- 5 teaspoons rotisserie chicken seasoning, divided
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Heat the oven to 200 degrees with a rack in the middle. Zest both limes. Cut one zested lime into wedges and reserve them for serving. Juice the second zested lime and reserve for the sauce.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, 4 teaspoons seasoning, 2 tablespoons olive oil and half of the lime zest. Mix well, making sure to evenly coat the chicken in the seasoning.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken. Cook until well-browned on the first side, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook on the second side until the center of the chicken registers 160 degrees and the juices no longer run pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a sheet pan and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- While the chicken cooks, make the dipping sauce. Combine the cilantro, mayonnaise, salt, reserved lime juice, remaining lime zest and remaining 1 teaspoon seasoning in a small food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with additional salt.
- Serve the chicken hot with the dipping sauce and lime wedges on the side.
Serves 4.
