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Ají de Gallina

Name: Ají de Gallina
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: peruvian
Ingredients: 600 g chicken breast; 3 tbsp ají amarillo paste; 3 slices white bread (crusts removed); 150 ml evaporated milk; 50 g walnuts (roughly chopped); 50 g Parmesan (grated); 1 large onion (finely diced); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp turmeric; 8 black olives (to garnish); 2 hard-boiled eggs (halved, to garnish)

Peru's beloved creamy chicken stew — shredded poached chicken in a golden sauce of ají amarillo, bread, walnuts, and Parmesan, served over rice with olives.

Prep

20 min

Cook

40 min

Servings

Difficulty

Medium

★★★★★

4.8(456 ratings)

#chicken#Peruvian#stew#ají amarillo#creamy

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About This Recipe

Ají de gallina is one of Peru's greatest comfort foods — a rich, golden chicken stew that beautifully combines indigenous Peruvian ingredients (ají amarillo) with Spanish colonial influence (bread, walnuts, Parmesan). The layered complexity of the sauce — creamy, nutty, mildly spiced, and slightly earthy from the turmeric — makes it one of the most sophisticated and beloved dishes in Peruvian cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 4

600 gchicken breast
3 tbspají amarillo paste
3 sliceswhite bread(crusts removed)
150 mlevaporated milk
50 gwalnuts(roughly chopped)
50 gParmesan(grated)
1 largeonion(finely diced)
4 clovesgarlic(minced)
3 tbspvegetable oil
1 tspturmeric
8black olives(to garnish)
2hard-boiled eggs(halved, to garnish)

Instructions

1
Poach chicken
Simmer chicken in salted water 20 min. Cool and shred. Reserve broth.
2
Soak bread
Soak bread in evaporated milk until soft. Blend smooth.
3
Sauté base
Sauté onion and garlic in oil until golden. Add ají amarillo paste and turmeric; cook 3 min.
4
Build sauce
Add bread-milk mixture and 200 ml chicken broth. Stir in walnuts and Parmesan. Simmer 10 min.
5
Add chicken
Fold in shredded chicken. Season with salt. Simmer 5 min.
6
Serve
Serve over rice, garnished with olives and egg halves.

Pro Tips

→
The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon — add more broth if it gets too thick.
→
Taste and adjust salt at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky salt sharpens the whole dish.
→
Mise en place pays for itself: chop, measure and pre-mix everything before the heat goes on, especially for any step that moves fast.
→
Read the recipe through once before starting — knowing what's coming prevents the small timing mistakes that compound into bigger ones.

Variations

•
Use rotisserie chicken to save time
•
Add boiled potatoes to the sauce
•
Make vegetarian with cauliflower and vegetable broth
•
Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. The sauce thickens considerably when cold — thin with a little water when reheating.

History & Origin

Ají de gallina reflects the mestizo fusion at the heart of Peruvian cuisine. Its origins lie in colonial Peru, where Spanish bread and nut sauces merged with the indigenous use of ají amarillo. The dish has remained largely unchanged for centuries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute ají amarillo?

You can use a mix of yellow bell pepper and scotch bonnet for colour and heat, though the flavour won't be identical.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.

What can I substitute if I don't have all the ingredients?

Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for onion, lime for lemon), and keep the fat-acid-salt balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.

How do I know it's authentic?

Authenticity sits on a spectrum — what matters more is honoring the technique and balance of flavors. If the dish tastes harmonious and respects how cooks in its home region would build it, you're on solid ground.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving · 4 servings total

Calories490kcal

Protein44g

Carbohydrates28g

Fat22g

Fiber2g

Protein44g

Carbs28g

Fat22g

Time Summary

Prep time20 min

Cook time40 min

Total time60 min

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About This Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

600 gchicken breast

3 tbspají amarillo paste

3 sliceswhite bread(crusts removed)

150 mlevaporated milk

50 gwalnuts(roughly chopped)

50 gParmesan(grated)

1 largeonion(finely diced)

4 clovesgarlic(minced)

3 tbspvegetable oil

1 tspturmeric

8black olives(to garnish)

2hard-boiled eggs(halved, to garnish)

Instructions

Poach chicken

Simmer chicken in salted water 20 min. Cool and shred. Reserve broth.

Soak bread

Soak bread in evaporated milk until soft. Blend smooth.

Sauté base

Sauté onion and garlic in oil until golden. Add ají amarillo paste and turmeric; cook 3 min.

Build sauce

Add bread-milk mixture and 200 ml chicken broth. Stir in walnuts and Parmesan. Simmer 10 min.

Add chicken

Fold in shredded chicken. Season with salt. Simmer 5 min.

Serve

Serve over rice, garnished with olives and egg halves.

Pro Tips

→

The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon — add more broth if it gets too thick.

→

Taste and adjust salt at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky salt sharpens the whole dish.

→

Mise en place pays for itself: chop, measure and pre-mix everything before the heat goes on, especially for any step that moves fast.

→

Read the recipe through once before starting — knowing what's coming prevents the small timing mistakes that compound into bigger ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute ají amarillo?

You can use a mix of yellow bell pepper and scotch bonnet for colour and heat, though the flavour won't be identical.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.