Name: Ají de Gallina
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: 2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs, bone-in; 4 ají amarillo peppers, roasted and peeled (or 4 tbsp ají amarillo paste); 4 slices white bread, crusts removed; 1 cup evaporated milk; 1/2 cup walnuts; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1 large onion, finely diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp turmeric; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; Chicken broth (from poaching); 3 hard-boiled eggs, halved (for serving); Black olives for serving; Steamed white rice for serving

Shredded chicken in a rich, golden ají amarillo sauce thickened with bread and walnuts. Peru's most beloved comfort dish.

The Cultural Story

Ají de gallina means "hen's chili" and it carries centuries of Peruvian culinary evolution in every bite. The dish reflects the Spanish colonial period — the bread-thickened sauce technique came from European stews — layered with the Andean ingredient that makes it irreplaceable: ají amarillo, the golden-yellow pepper that grows only in Peru and is the backbone of Peruvian cuisine. Without ají amarillo, there is no Peruvian cooking as we know it. The pepper is fruity, floral, and delivers gentle heat — unlike any other chili on earth. Ají de gallina is served at Sunday family lunches, at weddings, and whenever someone needs comforting. It is bright yellow, turmeric-golden, draped over chicken, served with eggs, olives, and rice. It tastes like home feels.

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs, bone-in
4 ají amarillo peppers, roasted and peeled (or 4 tbsp ají amarillo paste)
4 slices white bread, crusts removed
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp turmeric
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Chicken broth (from poaching)
3 hard-boiled eggs, halved (for serving)
Black olives for serving
Steamed white rice for serving

Instructions

1Poach chicken in salted water with a quartered onion until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Reserve the broth. Shred chicken into large pieces.
2Soak bread in evaporated milk until soft. Blend with walnuts and ají amarillo paste until smooth.
3Sauté onion in oil until very soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and turmeric. Cook 2 more minutes.
4Add the blended ají-bread mixture to the pan. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, letting it thicken slightly.
5Add chicken broth gradually (about 1 cup) until sauce reaches a thick, creamy consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
6Add shredded chicken and Parmesan. Stir to combine. Season generously. The sauce should be golden-yellow and silky. Serve over rice, topped with halved boiled eggs and olives.

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