easy peruvian aji de gallina recipe: Creamy Mildly Spicy Chicken Stew
A beginner-friendly Peruvian-style aji de gallina with shredded chicken in a creamy, mildly spicy ají amarillo sauce. Serve it with potatoes, rice, hard-boiled eggs, and black olives for a comforting family dinner.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken about 15 ounces/425 g, such as rotisserie chicken
- 3 slices soft white sandwich bread crusts removed (about 3 ounces/85 g)
- 1 cup evaporated milk 8 fluid ounces/240 ml
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 fluid ounce/30 ml
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped (about 6 ounces/170 g)
- 3 garlic cloves minced (about 1 tablespoon/9 g)
- 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste 1 ounce/30 g
- 1/3 cup walnuts 1.25 ounces/35 g
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth 4 fluid ounces/120 ml
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 1.5 ounces/45 g
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt about 3 g, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper about 0.5 g
- 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes cooked and halved (about 1 1/2 pounds/680 g)
- 2 cups cooked white rice about 11 ounces/320 g
- 2 hard-boiled eggs halved
- 8 black olives about 1 ounce/30 g
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley optional (about 4 g)
Instructions
- Place the bread in a bowl and pour the evaporated milk over it. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then mash it with a fork until very soft.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Transfer the softened bread mixture, cooked onion and garlic, ají amarillo paste, walnuts, and chicken broth to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. If using a standard blender, allow hot ingredients to cool briefly and vent the lid carefully according to the blender manufacturer's directions.
- Return the blended sauce to the skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Cook gently, stirring frequently, until the sauce is hot, smooth, and lightly thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Do not let it boil hard.
- Stir the shredded chicken into the sauce and cook until the chicken is heated through, about 4 to 5 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in a splash of chicken broth or water. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
- Divide the cooked potatoes and rice among four plates. Spoon the creamy chicken stew over or alongside them. Garnish with egg halves, black olives, and parsley, if using. Serve hot.