Make your favorite Nando’s Inspired Peri Peri Chicken at home in this easy, unabashedly flavorful recipe!
Peri Peri Chicken is a must-try recipe for the spicy food lovers! With roots in African and Portuguese culture, Peri Peri Chicken is taking the world by storm with its garlicky, sweet, spicy, lemony, tangy mesmerizing flavors. But don’t let the word spicy scare you, since you’re making your own recipe, you can make it as fiery hot or as mildly spicy as you like! This recipe takes just 15 minutes of hands-on prep to make the sauce, then just marinate the chicken and get excited about firing up the grill or oven! Serve this spicy chicken with coconut rice, grilled corn on the cob and tomato cucumber salad to complete the epic feast.
Chicken doesn’t have to boring with these boldly flavored chicken marinades: honey sriracha chicken, harissa chicken, chicken shawarma, doner kebabs, buffalo chicken, chipotle chicken, spicy Korean chicken, jerk chicken, and Greek chicken.
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HOW TO MAKE Peri Peri Chicken VIDEo
What is Peri Peri Chicken?
What is Peri Peri Chicken? Peri Peri Chicken is a spicy, spit roasted chicken (also known as Piri Piri Chicken, or Pili Pili Chicken) that’s a celebration of global cultures. It is marinated, roasted until virtually falling off the bone, then basted with Peri Peri Sauce, which is essentially a complex, bold, multi-faceted hot sauce that translates into dynamically spicy, sweet, sour, tangy, citrusy, salty chicken.
Where did Peri Peri Chicken come from? Peri Peri Chicken was introduced in Angola and Mozambique by Portuguese settlers who discovered the bird’s eye chili in the area, the namesake of the dish. While Peri Peri Chicken is still gaining ground in the United States (particularly in Illinois, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia and Texas), it is already extremely popular in other parts of the world, thanks to the South African chain Nando’s. Nando’s has more than a thousand locations globally, and is rapidly growing. If you’ve ever eaten at Nando’s, then you already know what the hype is about!
What does Peri Peri mean? Peri Peri is a Portuguese name for Pilipili, a Swahili term meaning “Pepper-Pepper,” which refers to the African Bird’s Eye Chili in this case.
What is Peri Peri made of? Peri Peri Chicken is traditionally made with whole chicken or bone-in chicken marinated in Peri Peri Sauce. The sauce is a blend of African bird’s eye chili peppers, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and spices and herbs such as paprika and oregano.
Why you’ll love Chicken Peri Peri
Peri Peri Chicken is a multifaceted mouthwatering chicken recipe that is world famous for a reason! If you’ve ever eaten at Nando’s, the South African restaurant chain, then you already know what the hype is about, and if you haven’t, then this recipe allows you to enjoy Nando’s chicken at home, at a fraction of the price!
My Peri Peri Chicken recipe will give Nando’s Peri-Peri Chicken a run for their money. It is a spicy from the chilies, tangy from the red wine vinegar, slightly sour from the lemon juice, smoky from the charred bell peppers, smoked paprika and grilling with a touch of sweetness from the sautéed onions and red bell peppers.
This recipe is unabashedly flavorful and amazingly good whether it’s grilled or baked (instructions included for both). Best of all, since you’re making your own recipe, you can make it as fiery hot or as mildly spicy as you like!
To make this Peri Peri Chicken recipe, all you need is 15 minutes of hand’s-on prep and patience for that marinade to work its magic. Fist, you’ll char the bell peppers by broiling in the oven, meanwhile sauté the onions, garlic, paprika and bay leaves, then combine all the ingredients in the blender which doubles as both the marinade and the sauce – no double work magic! Now just fire up the grill and you’ll be sinking your teeth into Nando’s inspired chicken right in the comfort of your own home!
Peri Peri Chicken Ingredients
Peri Peri Chicken is extra easy to make because the Peri Peri Sauce doubles as both the marinade and the finishing sauce – winning! The ingredients are detailed below with some ingredient swaps in the next section in case you can’t get your hands on everything listed (full recipe measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
Can I use dried chili peppers?
Yes, you may use dried Thai chili peppers in the Peri Peri Sauce, but be aware dried peppers tend to be hotter than fresh. Capsaicin is the alkaloid compound in hot peppers that gives them their heat. The more mature the pepper, the higher the capsaicin and the hotter the chili pepper will be. Fully mature peppers are typically reserved for drying and therefore have a very high capsaicin concentration/are at maximum heat when they are dehydrated.
To use dried Thai chili peppers, simply slice them open and remove the seeds, then rehydrate by soaking in boiling hot water for about 15-20 minutes, or until soft enough to blend. I suggest using 1-2 less than fresh.
What Can I Substitute for Thai Red Chili peppers?
Fresh Thai red chilis are usually carried by most Asian markets, but if you can’t locate them or don’t want to make an extra trip to the store, here are a few substitutions (I recommend removing the seeds first in all the peppers):
- Habanero chili peppers: 100,000 to 350,000 SHU, which means they are 2-6 times hotter than Thai chili peppers, so use sparingly! You will need 1-2 for this recipe.
- Cayenne peppers: 30,000 to 50,000 SHU, which means they are, on average, half as spicy as Thai chili peppers – so use roughly double the amount.
- Serrano peppers: 10,000 to 23,000 SHU, which means they are, on average, ⅕ as spicy than Thai chili peppers – so use roughly 5 times the amount.
- Jalapeno pepper: 2,500 to 8,000 SHU, which means they are, on average, 1/15 as spicy as Thai chili peppers – so you’ll need a ton!
- Red pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper: Can be added to taste. If possible, substitute the Thai red chilis with another fresh chili pepper rather than dried chili flakes.
How to Make Peri Peri Chicken
Making Peri Peri Chicken is as easy as preparing the sauce/marinade and then letting it work its magic on your favorite cut of chicken! Here’s an overview of how to make this Peri Peri Chicken recipe (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
Make the Peri Peri SAuce:
- Roast the bell peppers. You can do this by either rotating them over the open flame of your gas stovetop or you can broil them in the oven.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat just 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet, then sauté the onion, garlic and paprika until the onions are softened.
- Blend up the sauce. Add all the ingredients to a blender, including the onion mixture and the roasted bell peppers. However, do NOT add the rest of the olive oil yet. Adding the oil at this stage would result in a bitter sauce.
- Add the oil. Once the ingredients are blended, add the olive oil bit by bit until the sauce reaches your desired consistency (you can keep it chunkier or make it completely smooth).
- Adjust to taste. The sauce should be well balanced with a good kick of spice and sourness from the lemon and vinegar.
Marinate the Chicken
- Add the chicken to a freezer bag or shallow dish.
- Pour half of the sauce over the chicken and turn to coat. You want the chicken to be evenly covered in the Peri Peri Sauce.
- Marinate for at least 2 hours, but overnight is preferred.
To GRILL the Chicken:
1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, then clean and grease grates with vegetable oil.
2. Grill the chicken for 5-7 minutes per side with the lid CLOSED, or until chicken is cooked through.
4. Brush cooked chicken with desired amount of reserved Peri Peri Sauce and garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
To Bake the Chicken:
1. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a foil-lined baking tray.
2. Bake at 400 degrees F for 35-45 minutes, until cooked through.
3. Brush cooked chicken with desired amount of reserved Peri Peri Sauce and garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY Peri Peri CHICKEN IS DONE?
Always use a meat thermometer to check for doneness so you don’t undercook or overcook your chicken. A meat thermometer means perfectly cooked, tender, juicy chicken ever time. Chicken thighs should be cooked to 170 degrees F (and allowed to carryover to 175) and chicken breasts should be cooked to 160 degrees F (and allowed to carryover to 165).
Dark meat such has chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks and leg quarters (essentially everything but chicken breasts) are safe to eat when cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, but are more tender when cooked to 175 degrees. Cooking dark meat to only 165 F will yield chewy, rubbery meat because it contains more connective tissue. Cooking it to 175 F, will yield tender, juicy meat as the collagen melts at this higher temperature and turns to gelatin.
Chicken breasts dry out easily, so I don’t recommend cooking them a second longer than 160 because the light meat is temperamental and easily overcooks.
Make Ahead Instructions
This is a great recipe to prepare in advance! You can either make the entire recipe as written to reheat throughout the week, or you can make components of recipe beforehand.
-Bell peppers: Can be roasted and then refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.
-Aromatics: Can be sautéed and stored alongside the bell peppers up to 3 days in advance.
-Marinade: Can be made up to 1 week in advance (without the chicken).
-Chicken: Can be left in the marinade for up to 24 hours if dark meat, 12 hours if chicken breasts. Or, cook and then refrigerate the chicken for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Tips for the Best Peri Peri Chicken
- If baking the chicken: Consider adding 2 teaspoons of mesquite liquid smoke to the marinade for that smoky flavor the grill adds.
- Don’t skip sautéing the aromatics. Sautéing the onions, garlic, bay leaves, paprika, etc. creates a caramelized sweetness to offset the heat that can’t be achieved any other way.
- Watch the olive oil. Different olive oils have different flavors and strengths. Choose what you like best.
- Don’t over-process the olive oil. Only pulse the oil a few times in order to combine the sauce. If you over-process the oil, its polyphenols can break away from the fatty acids causing oxidation, which will make the Peri Peri Sauce taste bitter. If you’re worried about this, you may stir the olive oil in by hand.
- Adjust the heat level. When you remove the seeds from the chili peppers, don’t toss them! You can add seeds back to the sauce for additional heat. You can also add red pepper flakes if desired.
- Plan to marinate the chicken overnight. The most flavorful chicken is dark meat marinated for up to 24 hours. That being said, don’t marinate chicken breasts longer than 12 hours.
- Use dark meat. Skip the chicken breasts and use rich, juicy chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, which can stand up to the robust marinade.
- Don’t like chicken skin? Remove it! I always remove the chicken skin before I marinate the chicken. This creates extra flavorful chicken because the marinade can really penetrate the meat and I personally like the taste better. At the end of the day, it’s totally your call.
- Don’t overcook the chicken! Overcooked chicken is dry chicken. Every grill cooks a little differently, so I highly recommend investing in a meat thermometer, otherwise there is no accurate way to check and see when your chicken is cooked without slicing it open and losing valuable juices. You can pick up an inexpensive instant read thermometer at any grocery store or Amazon, or I’m obsessed with my digital meat probe thermometer. You stick the probe in the chicken (or any protein) and can set an alert for the temperature, walk away and it will beep when ready! You’ll never overcook chicken again!
- Let the chicken rest after cooking. After the chicken is finished cooking, transfer it to a cutting board and let rest 5-10 minutes before biting into it so the meat has time to reabsorb the juices that have pushed towards the outside of the chicken. If you cut into the chicken immediately after cooking, valuable, moisture-giving juices will run out.
- Prep the grill for that caramelized crust. Clean the grill very well before cooking for beautiful grill marks and to prevent sticking. Don’t add the chicken until the grill is hot to achieve a beautiful sear, then only flip/touch your chicken once for the perfect caramelized crust.
Peri-Peri Chicken Variations
This recipe as written is closer to Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken, but feel free to make it your own with just a couple swaps or additions:
What to serve with Peri Peri Chicken Thighs
Peri Peri Chicken is often served with a big pile of French fries, corn on the cob and salad. We also love serving it with rice for a neutral textural contrast. Here are some more ideas:
- Rice: Coconut Rice is hands down the favorite here. It’s sweet, rich and nutty. Peri Peri Chicken would also be delicious with plain white jasmine rice, Pineapple Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice, or Red Beans and Rice. You can also go with low carb cauliflower rice or quinoa.
- Fruit Salsas: Choose between Mango Salsa, Pineapple Salsa, Pineapple Mango Salsa or Strawberry Salsa. I especially love that salsa is bite size so you get spicy, fragrant chicken and refreshing, juicy sweet salsa in every bite.
- Potatoes: Serve with mashed potatoes, polenta, grits or alongside Smashed Potatoes, Roasted Red Potatoes, Twice Baked Potatoes, Scalloped Potatoes or Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
- Salad: Peri Peri Chicken is tasty served alongside salad or tossed right into salad. We love it with Cauliflower Salad, Garden Salad, Corn Salad, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Strawberry Broccoli Salad, Green Bean Salad. Strawberry Salad, or Beet Salad.
- Fruit: Caramelized Grilled Pineapple, Pina Colada Fruit Salad, Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette, Winter Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Poppy Seed Vinaigrette or Tropical Fruit Salad.
- Veggies: Grilled Corn on the Cob, Baked Asparagus, Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Cauliflower, Sautéed Lemon Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Butternut Squash.
How to store Chicken Peri Peri
-Storage: Store cooked Peri Peri Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
-Skillet: Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat until warmed through, adding a splash of water for added moisture.
-Microwave: Reheat in the microwave at 30-second intervals, taking care not to overcook.
-Oven: Reheat in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or just until warmed through.
HOW TO Freeze
-To freeze chicken in marinade: Add the chicken to the marinade and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use, the chicken will marinate as you thaw the chicken in the refrigerator.
-To freeze cooked chicken: Let chicken cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. Freeze for 2 to 3 months.
-To thaw: Let the chicken thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
FAQs about Peri-Peri Chicken
Yes, technically you can make Peri Peri Chicken using chicken breasts, but there is a reason the recipe is made with dark meat. It’s more flavorful, tender and can be marinated for longer, resulting in a superior end result. You also won’t achieve that signature charred crust and blackened crispy bits using chicken breasts. The milder chicken breast meat also doesn’t hold up to the dynamically spicy marinade as well.
If you choose to use chicken breasts, take care to pound the breasts to an even thickness before marinating. Only marinate chicken breasts for up to 12 hours because the meat is more likely to break down and become mushy if over-marinated.
Peri peri translates to “pepper pepper” in Swahili.
Yes! “Piri piri sauce,” “peri peri sauce” and even “pili pili sauce” are all variations of the name for the spicy Portuguese sauce.
Peri Peri Chicken is a multifaceted sauce that is famous for a reason! It is a spicy from the chilies, tangy from the red wine vinegar, slightly sour from the lemon juice, smoky from the charred bell peppers, smoked paprika and grilling with a touch of sweetness from the sautéed onions and red bell peppers.
Yes, Peri Peri Chicken is quite spicy with complex smoky, tangy, sweet and sour notes. For the traditional heat level, use 6-8 Thai red chilis in the Peri Peri Sauce, or for less spicy, simply use fewer peppers or a less spicy pepper. You can also customize the heat level by brushing less (or omitting altogether) Peri Peri Sauce after the chicken is cooked.
You can make Peri Peri Chicken using any cut of chicken, but I recommend bone in chicken such as thighs, drumsticks or leg quarters. A whole chicken is also commonly cooked. Cooking times will vary depending on what cut of chicken you choose, so always use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is properly cooked.
You can certainly just use the Peri Peri Sauce and slather it over some cooked chicken and call it dinner, but to earn the coveted title “Peri Peri Chicken,” the chicken should also be marinated in some of the sauce. The longer you marinate the chicken, the more full-flavored it will taste.
For maximum benefit, marinate the chicken legs and thighs for at least 2 hours, and up to 24 hours. Don’t marinate longer than that because the acid in the marinade can break down the muscle fibers too much and make your chicken mushy.
No, you should NOT poke holes in the chicken before marinating. This is an old wives’ tale and actually drains out the valuable juices while the chicken cooks and will result in less juicy chicken. You can cut slits in thick pieces of chicken, like chicken legs, to reach deeper into the protein, but never holes.
Yes, the recipe as written is gluten free.
The cooking time will depend on which cut of chicken you use and what method of cooking. Grilled bone-in chicken thighs will take about 10-15 minutes, baked bone-in chicken thighs will take approximately, 35-45 minutes (depending on thickness), until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F.
Yes, you can easily double this recipe, just hover over the servings and use the sliding scale to increase or decrease and the measurements will automatically change in the recipe card.
Yes, Peri Peri Chicken is chock full of protein and loads of vitamins A, B, C, and Niacin which help to promote good eyesight, strengthen the immune system, lessen the risk of cognitive disorder, and much more.
The best way to ensure that it is cooked through is to use an instant-read meat thermometer. Dark meat is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 170 and allowed to rest 5 minutes; light meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 and allowed to rest 5 minutes.
Looking for More Chicken Marinade recipes?
Buffalo Chicken
Chipotle Chicken
Chili Lime Chicken
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Greek Chicken
Lemongrass Chicken
Salsa Verde Chicken
Lemon Basil Chicken
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Peri Peri Chicken
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Ingredients
CHICKEN
- 2 ½-3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
PERI PERI SAUCE/MARINADE
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup packed cilantro (optional, not authentic)
- 7-10 fresh Thai red chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Add Later
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Roast the bell peppers: Rotate the peppers over the open flame of your gas stovetop, turning with tongs until blackened all over OR broil 4-6 inches away from the heat source. To broil, deseed and cut the bell peppers in quarters and place them skin side up on a foil lined baking sheet. Press them flat with your hand. Broil until they're blackened all over, 5 to 10 minutes. watching carefully and roating the pan as needed.
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic and smoked paprika; sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are softened.
- Blend: Add all of the ingredients to a blender up to the olive oil (including the onion mixture and roasted bell peppers). Blend to a smooth sauce or leave it a chunkier consistency. Stream in the olive oil just to combine.
- Adjust to taste: The sauce should be a balance of fiery heat, sourness, saltiness and tanginess. Add additional chili seeds or red pepper flakes for spicier, vinegar for tangier, lemon juice for more sour.
- Marinate: Add the chicken to a freezer bag or shallow dish. Pour half of the sauce over the chicken and turn to coat. Marinate for 2-24 hours (the longer the better).
- Cook: The below baking and grilling instructions are for bone-in chicken thighs – adjust cooking time as needed for different cuts.
TO BAKE:
- If you choose to cook the chicken in the oven, consider adding 2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke to the marinade for that smoky flavor.
- Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Line the chicken in a single layer so the pieces aren't touching. Bake at 400 degrees F for 35-45 minutes (depending on thickness), until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, then allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Brush cooked chicken with desired amount of reserved Peri Peri Sauce (that never touched the raw chicken) and garnish with fresh herbs if desired. Note – the more sauce you add, the spicier the chicken!
TO GRILL:
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, 425-450°F with the lid closed, clean and grease grates with vegetable oil.
- Grill chicken skin side down first (if leaving on). Grill for 5-7 minutes per side with the lid CLOSED, or until chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Adjust the temperature if the chicken is browning too quickly. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Brush cooked chicken with desired amount of reserved Peri Peri Sauce (that never touched the raw chicken) and garnish with fresh herbs if desired. Note – the more sauce you add, the spicier the chicken!
Video
Notes
Thai Chili Pepper Substitute
- Dried Thai Chili Peppers: You may use dried Thai chili peppers in the Peri Peri Sauce, but be aware dried peppers tend to be hotter than fresh because they are fully mature when dried and therefore contain very high capsaicin concentration/are at maximum heat when they are dehydrated, SO I suggest using a few less. To use, simply slice them open and remove the seeds, then rehydrate by soaking in boiling hot water for about 15-20 minutes, or until soft enough to blend.
- Habanero chili peppers: 100,000 to 350,000 SHU, which means they are 2-6 times hotter than Thai chili peppers, so use sparingly! You will need 1-2 for this recipe.
- Cayenne peppers: 30,000 to 50,000 SHU, which means they are, on average, half as spicy as Thai chili peppers – so use roughly double the amount.
- Serrano peppers: 10,000 to 23,000 SHU, which means they are, on average, ⅕ as spicy than Thai chili peppers – so use roughly 5 times the amount.
- Jalapeno pepper: 2,500 to 8,000 SHU, which means they are, on average, 1/15 as spicy as Thai chili peppers – so you’ll need a ton.
- Red pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper: Can be added to taste.
To store and reheat
- Storage: Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat: Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat until warmed through, in the microwave at 30-second intervals, or in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or just until warmed through. - To freeze chicken in marinade: Add the chicken to the marinade and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use, the chicken will marinate as you thaw the chicken in the refrigerator.
- To freeze cooked chicken: Let chicken cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. Freeze for 2 to 3 months then let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Prep Ahead
- Bell peppers: Can be roasted and then refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.
- Aromatics: Can be sautéed and stored alongside the bell peppers up to 3 days in advance.
- Sauce/Marinade: Can be made up to 1 week in advance (without the chicken).
- Chicken: Can be left in the marinade for up to 24 hours if dark meat, 12 hours if chicken breasts. Or, cook and then refrigerate the chicken for up to 5 days in the fridge.
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Kymmy says
Has anyone made this recipe? I’d love to get reviews but don’t see any. This is my favorite site for recipes and always love everything I make from Jen, but I also like reviews! Planning on making soon so maybe I’ll be the first.
Jen says
No reviews yet Kymmy! I hope you love it and start the trend!