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peri peri chicken recipe (piri piri chicken) stacked on a serving platter with a side of peri peri sauce
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Peri Peri Chicken

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 10 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.
Course Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine African
Prep Time 10 minutes
12 hours
Total Time 12 hours
Servings 8 -10 servings

Ingredients

CHICKEN

  • 2 ½-3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs

PERI PERI SAUCE/MARINADE

Add Later

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

Note:  This recipe as written is very spicy.  To make it less spicy, use less chili peppers or different chili peppers, then add chili seeds or red pepper flakes to taste.

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, 1/5 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.