Grilled Peri Peri Chicken
Grilled Peri Peri Chicken – A mildly spicy, luscious chicken dish bursting with complex flavors from peri-peri sauce, Creole seasoning, lemon, and herbs. Grilled or baked to perfection until tender and juicy, it delivers an easy yet elegant chicken entree.
If you’re craving something different this summer, here’s a great recipe that will give Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken a run for their money. It will definitely 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.
I’ve made this recipe mildly spicy because my son isn’t a big spicy food fan. So, I made sure he’d enjoy these grilled chicken as much as I did. But of course, I separated a few pieces so I could add more spice because the rest of us love them that way. 😉
Content…What Is It? |
What Is Peri Peri Chicken?
It is a spicy dish, also known as piri piri chicken, created in Angola and Mozambique when Portuguese settlers came with chili peppers called piri piri (pili pili). The chicken is marinated in peri-peri sauce and other seasonings before grilling. Some people call them African bird’s eye peppers because of their shape.
This delicious hot sauce blends piri piri chilies, lemon, olive oil, herbs, and spices with a perfect balance of sour, sweet, and salty. The complex, versatile sauce goes great on almost anything, such as chicken, pork, beef, and vegetables.
How to Grill Peri Peri Chicken
Marinate the Chicken
- Trim chicken of excess fat and pat dry with a cloth or paper napkin. (Photo 1)
- Rub with lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of Creole spice or salt and pepper. (Photo 2)
- Marinade – 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 well blended. (Photos 3-4)
- Marinate – Put the chicken in a stainless steel or glass bowl and drench with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. (Photos 5-6)
Grill the Chicken
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Drain – When ready to grill, remove the chicken from the marinade with tongs and drain excess marinade. Reserve the marinade. (Photo 7)
- Grill the chicken for 10-15 minutes on each side. You may need to turn the chicken occasionally until it cooks through. (Photos 8-9)
- Sauce – Simmer the reserved peri-peri marinade in a small saucepan for about 7 minutes. Serve with chicken and sides. (Photo 10)
Recipe Variations
- Chicken swap. Feel free to use pork, beef, lamb, and even fish. But remember to adjust the cooking time since it varies depending on the size and meat used.
- Baked chicken. Bake them at 400℉ (205℃) for 35-40 minutes on rainy days you don’t want to grill. The internal temperature should reach 165℉ (75℃).
- Peri peri chicken bowl. Serve your chicken over steaming Cajun rice or Jamaican rice and peas for the ultimate comfort food combo.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Marinate your chicken for about 12 hours to absorb all the flavors for the best grilled peri peri chicken. Refrigerate the marinated chicken in an airtight container or ziplock bag for 2 days maximum or freeze it for up to 2 months.
Pro Tip: Marinating your chicken for over 2 days may make the chicken mushy because the acids start to break down the chicken’s protein fibers. If you won’t be able to cook it within 24 hours, it’s better to freeze it.
Refrigerate leftover grilled chicken in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Or freeze it for up to 4 months. Thaw frozen chicken in the fridge overnight and reheat it in one of the following ways:
- Oven – Transfer to a baking dish and add just enough chicken stock to keep the chicken from drying out. Bake for 10-15 minutes in a 350°F (180℃) oven until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Stovetop – Heat the skillet on medium and add enough chicken broth to keep the chicken from drying out. Add the chicken, put the lid on, and simmer until heated through.
- Microwave – Add a drizzle of olive oil or butter to keep the moisture and flavor. Loosely cover and heat in pulses for about 2 minutes. If it’s not hot enough, flip the chicken and heat it again in 30-second bursts until it’s hot enough.
What to Serve With Grilled Peri Peri Chicken
Steamed rice and dinner rolls are perfect with this baked chicken. But jollof rice and baked plantains are fantastic.
More Deliciously Satisfying Chicken Recipes to Try
- Smoked Chicken Legs
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Blackened Spatchcock Chicken
- Tuscan Chicken
- Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
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This post was originally published in 2014 and has been updated with new photos, a video, and additional tips
Grilled Peri Peri Chicken
Ingredients
- 2½-3 pounds (1.2-1.5kg) chicken, cut into 8 pieces or 8 chicken legs
- 1 lemon or lime
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon (2.5g) coarsely ground white pepper
Peri Peri Marinade
- ½ onion, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 6 leaves basil
- 2 tablespoons (10g) oregano
- ½ red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon (15g) peri peri sauce or more to taste
- ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
Instructions
- Trim chicken of excess fat and pat dry with a cloth or paper napkin. Rub with lemon and 2 teaspoons of Creole spice or salt and pepper.
- 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 well blended.
- Put the chicken in a stainless steel or glass bowl and drench with the peri-peri marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- When ready to grill, remove the chicken from the peri-peri marinade with tongs and drain excess marinade. Reserve the marinade.
- Grill the chicken for 10-15 minutes on each side. You may need to turn the chicken occasionally until it cooks through.
- Simmer the reserved peri-peri marinade in a small saucepan for about 7 minutes. Serve with chicken and sides.
Tips & Notes:
- You can use any part of the chicken to grill. Feel free to use any meat you like – pork, beef, lamb, and fish. But be mindful of the cooking time since it varies depending on the size and meat used.
- For best results, it is best to marinate your Peri Peri Chicken for at least 12 hours to fully absorb all the flavors.
- Store the marinated chicken in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Refrigerate – can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days maximum. Freezer – can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Baked Peri Peri Chicken – if not in the mood to grill, just bake them at 400℉ (205℃) for 35-40 minutes. Or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉ (75℃).
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Imma, you answered my post from 2/23 where I complained that I can see your videos. You advised me to switch off my adblocker, and it helps! Thank you very much!
I wanted to say “cannot” instead of “can”. Sorry.
Amazing to hear that. Try some other recipes and let me know how they go for you.
I loved this recipe! After I had some peri peri chicken at a restaurant, I knew I wanted to recreate it at home. This recipe was simple and delicious. The chicken was tender and well seasoned. I mixed the leftover marinade with mayo and served it with zucchini and yellow rice. Delicious would recommend
Thank you, Stay tuned for more amazing recipes.
The photos (esp. 5 and 6) seem to contain much more mass than the recipe indicates. Is there really no yoghurt or curd?
It’s been a while since I took the photos but I’m sure I didn’t add anything else. In the video, you’ll see that the chicken almost completely fills the bowl, making it look like there’s more sauce than there is.
Where did the video go???
The video is at the bottom under FAQ’a where it says Watch How to Make it, Let me know if you find it. Thanks
There is never a video. Perhaps, there are second-rate countries which are not eligible for seeing videos.
Our blog videos are visible across the world, It may be a problem with your’s configuration. Or it may be some other restrictions like ad locker etc that causing issues for you. You can watch videos here on youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwuIRmsrVnsCzQZfFkDWD3Q and here is the video for Peri Peri Chicken https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URKEmF2Jh74. Let me know how it turns out for you. Thanks
I used to work at a place that served piriri piriri called boneheads in Georgia and they used it with chicken an shrimp and it was one of the few things not made from scratch(even the shrimp were dipped in buttermilk..)
I’m adding cilantro an veg an pork to it and wow to spicey so will add a reduced bbq sauce before I actually eat it… Thanks for the efforts…
Great to hear that you customize it according to your taste and it goes well. Thank you
I’ve had this pinned for a while and have made it a few times. The recipe on the site used to call for coconut milk, which gave the marinade a great flavor and calmed the spiciness of the peppers. Looks like the recipe has changed though and I can’t seem to find the original. Is that saved anywhere under a different name? Trying the updated version tonight.
Hi Jessica! How did it go? Were you able to make this? I hope you enjoyed! As for the other recipe, maybe you were thinking the Peri Peri Marinated Chicken skewers? Let me know! 🙂
I made this for lunch today and hubby said it was “excellent”! I was too lazy to use the grill so I baked it instead and it took 50 minutes in my oven and flipped the chicken halfway. I wish I made a big batch for leftovers though. This makes it to the top of chicken recipes in my list!
Can this be cooked in an air fryer?
Hi! Yes, you can air fry this, just make sure to put a parchment paper lining at the bottom of the basket before adding the chicken. Enjoy!
I am excited to try this recipe. Just wondering, in mozambique what would they serve peri peri with?
Hi Becky! You may eat it with a side of mata (cassava leaves), mucapata (starchy side dish), steamed rice and fresh bread rolls. These food are staple food eaten by Mozambicans and paired with other dishes. You can also pair this dish with garlic bread, pita and salad. I’m sure it’s going to taste fantastic no matter what side dish you eat it with. Enjoy!
Happy days and memories in Beira on the beach, peri peri snacks and Entree, reminiscing, bragging and enjoying
the Demi jar of Portuguese wine, watching the sun go down. The finest vacation occasions ever.
Thank you for the memories. I am going to celebrate Fathers day June 21 2020 with Peri Peri chicken made with you recipe. Fire Brigade will be pre-ordered to stand by!!!!!
Hi Paul! Definitely my pleasure taking you down memory lane.
And now I know your Father’s day is going to be LIT!!
Thanks for sharing :).
This recipe is now a braai staple for us. The flavours are sublime. If anything I tend to up the chillis a little……Guests always comment how great it is Well done!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I live in the UK now but went to school in Swaziland right next to Mozambique …your recipe has brought back happy memories
Just wanted to say that I AM SO GLAD YOU EXIST. I am making a cookbook for my parents after a year on the road of all of my favorite dishes so they can try to eat some of my favorite things from abroad. It seems like every time I google an African dish you’re one of the first results and people have GREAT things to say about everything from your Chipati, Chakalaka, to this!
Keep up the good work – I look forward to trying your recipes when I get home 🙂
Aww, you are too sweet Jessie! That is such a neat idea! Your parents would be thrilled! I am going to borrow it for other projects . Thanks for taking the time to share this with me . Do let me know how the recipes are working you.
I’m making this tomorrow thank you.
Awesome! Do let me how it works out for you.