Peri-Peri Chicken – a mildly spicy luscious chicken dish bursting with interesting complex flavours from Peri-Peri Sauce, Creole Seasoning, lemon, and herbs. Grilled to perfection until tender and juicy. Certainly, a mouth watering chicken recipe that is amazingly good whether it’s grilled or baked.
If you are craving something different this summer, here is a great chicken recipe that will surely give Nando’s Peri-Peri Chicken a run for their money. This will get you excited about firing up the grill. You can make it mildly spicy or crank up the heat as much as you want. I won’t judge.
Piri Piri Chicken, introduced in Angola and Mozambique when the Portuguese settlers came with Chili Peppers or what they call, Piri Piri. The chicken is marinated in Peri-Peri Sauce along with other seasonings before grilling them.
Peri Peri Sauce is a blend of chilies, lemon, olive oil, herbs, and spices. It has a combination of sour, sweet, and salty flavors. Making it a really complex and versatile sauce that you can use on any meat like chicken, pork, and beef.
| Cuisine: | African | Prep: | 2 hrs 15 mins | Cook: | 25 mins | Total: | 2 hrs 40 mins | Servings: | 8 |
For the Chicken Rub
- 2 ½-3 pound or (1.21-1.36 kg) chicken, cut ups or 8 pcs chicken legs
- 1 lemon or lime
- salt to taste
- ½ tsp or (2.40) white pepper, coarsely ground
For the Chicken Marinade
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- ½ onion, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 6 pieces basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- ½ red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon or more Peri Peri Sauce to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
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Trim chicken of excess fat and pat dry with a cloth or paper napkin. Rub with lemon, and 2 teaspoons creole spice or season with salt and pepper.
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Place the onions, garlic, basil, oregano, bell pepper, and peri peri sauce in a food processor or blender, then add olive oil. Pulse for about 30 seconds until blended.
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Drench the chicken with peri peri marinade, place in a zip lock bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
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When ready to grill, using a thong remove chicken from the peri peri marinade and remove excess marinade. Reserve the marinade.
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Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
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Place chicken on the grill and grill for about 10-15 minutes on each side you may need to turn the chicken occasionally on each side until it is cooked all the way. Do this in batches if you have a small grill.
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In a small saucepan simmer the remaining peri peri marinade and the one from the chicken for about 7 minutes. Serve with chicken or mix with chicken.
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Cook’s notes
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You can use any part of the chicken to grill. Feel free to use any meat you like – pork, beef, lamb, and even fish. Just be mindful of the cooking time since it varies depending on the size and meat used. |
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For best results, it is best to marinate your Peri Peri Chicken for at least 12 hours to fully absorb all the flavours. |
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Store the marinated chicken in an airtight container or ziplock bags. Refrigerate – can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days maximum. Freezer – can be frozen for up to 2 months. |
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Baked Peri Peri Chicken – if you’re too lazy to grill, you can just bake them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes. Or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. |
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Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe. |
| Calories | 240kcal (12%) |
| Carbohydrates | 5g (2%) |
| Protein | 105g (210%) |
| Fat | 104g (160%) |
| Saturated Fat | 31g (194%) |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0 |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0 |
| Trans Fat | 0 |
| Cholesterol | 420mg (140%) |
| Sodium | 695mg (30%) |
| Potassium | 1225mg (35%) |
| Fibre | 1g (4%) |
| Sugar | 1g (1%) |
| Vitamin A | 1450IU (29%) |
| Vitamin C | 40.5mg (49%) |
| Calcium | 91mg (9%) |
| Iron | 6.7mg (37%) |
