Piri Piri chicken recipe that delivers crispy and moist chicken with an addictive garlicky and spicy sauce.
Have you ever dated someone that you always enjoyed their company but never really committed to? Well, this pretty much explains my relationship with Piri Piri. I've had it on many occasions, and it's always been an enjoyable experience, but unlike jerk, I've never been all in with it.
By all in I mean having multiple bottles of both homemade and commercially made ones at varying levels of heat intensities. For comparison Jerk gets more run than ketchup in my house whereas Piri Piri has been more like BBQ sauce; there are some I like, but buy or make on an as needed basis.
What Is Piri Piri?
Piri Piri sauce originated from African and Portugese cultures. It's grounded in the native African Birds-eye chili, and different versions are popular in Portugal and African countries like Angola, Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa. It's serious business in South Africa where passions run deep like BBQ in Texas. Portugese colonizers imported the chiles back to Portugal which is home to more of a milder chili oil vs. the spicy blended sauce prevalent in African countries.
This piri piri recipe is my attempt to be more committed. A trip to Porto, Portugal which was part b-day celebration and part piri piri research cemented my love of this sauce. My favorite spot was at a small, quaint spot called Casa Vasco near the coast. It's a spot frequented by locals so you know its good, but make sure to make a reservation if you're headed that way.
Their piri piri chicken is near perfect. The skin is extra crispy and when you bite into the juicy flesh explodes in your mouth. The chicken is well seasoned with a dry mix and it's served with a spicy chili oil. Though I'm a big fan of this style, I mashed things up by making tweaks popular more in the African tradition. The chicken is basted in a spicy sauce. I went for high heat profile, so I left all seeds in, but feel free to remove the seeds if you prefer a milder version.
So about the piri piri sauce recipe ingredients though!
I created a Piri Piri sauce recipe that is spicy, tangy, and garlicky. My starting point was my favorite Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. If you've made the recipe before, you'll notice some of the similarities. I adapted it to feature the birds-eye chiles and increase the tanginess. I'm a garlic dude and since I went high heat, I chose to skew the sauce high on the garlic scale to balance against the heat, but feel free to dial it down if that's not your thing.
Birds-eye chilis are hot, but not habanero hot, so you don't get that burn right upfront. The heat comes on the back end so you can actually enjoy the flavor of the chicken. It's also easy to balance things out to get a full-flavored sauce that is also light and fresh. These latter qualities are achieved through the lemon juice and fresh herbs.
Sauce Ingredient List
- Red Fresno or bird’s eye chili peppers
- Red Bell Pepper
- Onion
- Paprika
- Lemon Juiced
- Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Cloves
- Honey
How to make piri piri chicken (step by step)
Step 1: Spatchcock the chicken
Make sure the chicken is dry and you have a good pair of kitchen shears. A good knife works as well.
Just cut straight down each side of the backbone. You should be able to pull the backbone away from the chicken with a slight twist at this point. If not just clip the last remaining connecting portion.
Crack the breast bone by pulling the two breast bones back to open the cavity further. Then place open side down and apply firm pressure on the skin side to break the bones further ensuring a flatter bird.
Step 2: Marinate the chicken
Using a fork, prick the chicken all over to aid the marinade in penetrating deep inside the chicken. Mix marinade ingredients well and add to a plastic bag with the spatchcock chicken and let sit refrigerated overnight.
Step 3: Make the sauce
Blend all ingredients in a blender to sauce-like consistency. If using dried chilis you'll need to rehydrate them by letting them soak in hot water.
Step 4: Grill the chicken
Grill directly over hot coals that have been burned down to ashy white color. This will help prevent flare-ups. Cook Skin-side down (10-20 minutes depending on the size of chicken) to start. Pro tip: Place a heavy brick on top for added weight to help the chicken develop a crispier skin. Flip the chicken and continue to baste with the sauce until ready (about 10-15 minutes).
Serving Suggestions
Chop the chickens into small pieces for more communal eating. Make a simple dipping sauce with a few tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, and a teaspoon or two of the sauce. I like my piri piri with fries and a cooling green salad. Try any of these options:
Meal Planning Tips
- Have wet wipes on hand or prepare bowls of lemon water to remove the stains from your fingers, cause there will be stains
- Make the marinade ahead of time and give flavors time to come together
Cooking Tips
Though I altered the flavor profile vs. Casa Vasco's Piri Piri Chicken I did mimic a few of their key techniques and highly recommend you do so as well to achieve that critical crispy exterior with tender flesh. Do the following:
- Use a small bird. The smaller the better. I used a Cornish hen. I find it easier to cook the entire bird evenly. Plus there is just more flavor
- Spatchcock (butterfly) the chicken
- Season the chicken below the skin with dry rub
- Cook the chicken skin side down for part of the process topped with a brick or heavy cast iron skillet. Besides getting excellent grill marks, this helps with that crispy skin.
- As usual, let the bird rest for at least 5 minutes after cooking before diving in.
- Adjust heat levels for the sauce per your preference. Fewer seeds, the milder the sauce.
- Most red chiles are good substitutes for the African Birds-eye chiles. I actually brought a bunch of dried ones back from my trip and re-hydrated them for my sauce.
- When handling hot peppers wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly. Macing yourself with hot pepper juice is a hard lesson, trust me!
For similar recipes you might like, try these:
Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
If you make this Grilled Piri Piri Chicken recipe or any other please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.
You can also keep up with my food exploits as well as original recipes! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- ½ Lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup White Wine
- 3 Garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tbsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 2 shots Whiskey
- 2 Bay leaf preferably ground
For the Chicken
- 1 small Chicken (whole) cut spatchcock style
- ½ tbsp Salt
- ½ tbsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the Sauce
- 4-6 Red Fresno or bird’s eye
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- ½ medium Onion
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 1 Lemon Juiced
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp kosher Salt
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- 2 tbsp Honey
Instructions
Marinade the Chicken
- Mix marinade ingredients well. Set aside.
- Prick the chicken all over with a fork. Place chicken in ziplock bag and add the marinade. Refrigerate over night.
Make the sauce
- Rehydrate dried chilies (if using) in small pot of boiling water on the stove for 20 minutes. If using fresh red Fresno peppers just add to a blender and skip to next step.
- Char bell peppers and onion over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop bell peppers
- Place all ingredients into a blender jar.
- Blend for 30-60 seconds on high speed, until completely smooth. Adjust for flavor as needed including add more sweetness to balance the heat.
Cook the chicken
- Remove chicken from the marinade and wash away marinade. Allow chicken to reach room temperature. Add olive oil and spices rubbing the chicken all over.
- Prepare grill for direct grilling.
- Grill the chickens skin side down for 20-25 minutes. Flip, then brush on the Piri Piri sauce all over the chicken. Grill the chicken for another 10-15 minutes. To serve mix a ½ tbsp of the sauce mixed with 2 tbsp of olive and use as a dip for the chicken.
Notes
- Use a small bird. The smaller the better. I used a Cornish hen. I find it easier to cook the entire bird evenly. Plus there is just more flavor
- Spatchcock (butterfly) the chicken
- Season the chicken below the skin with dry rub for next-level flavor.
- Cook the chicken skin side down for part of the process topped with a brick or heavy cast-iron skillet. Besides getting excellent grill marks, this helps with that crispy skin.
- As usual, let the bird rest for at least 5 minutes after cooking before diving in.
- Adjust heat levels for the sauce per your preference. Fewer seeds, the milder the sauce.
- Most red chiles are good substitutes for the African Birds-eye chiles. I actually brought a bunch of dried ones back from my trip and re-hydrated them for my sauce.
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