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chicken grilling over flame

Grilled Piri Piri Chicken

Chicken marinated then grilled spatchcock style for a crispy exterior and moist, juicy interior. The full-flavored Piri Piri sauce is garlicky, tangy, spicy, and surprisingly light.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: African
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 1279kcal
Author: Marwin Brown

Ingredients

For the Marinade

  • 2 cup buttermilk juiced
  • ¼ cup fresh herbs Cilantro and Parsley
  • 1 tablespoon Black Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt

For the Chicken

  • 1 small Chicken (whole) cut spatchcock style
  • ½ tablespoon Salt
  • ½ tablespoon Black Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Paprika
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Sauce

  • 4-6 Red Fresno or bird’s eye roughly chopped, seeds removed if you prefer mild
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper
  • ½ medium Onion roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Paprika
  • 1 medium Lemon juiced
  • ¼ cup Olive Oil
  • ½ tablespoon kosher Salt
  • ½ tablespoon Black Pepper
  • 6 Garlic Cloves
  • 2 tablespoon 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

  • Char red bell pepper 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 tablespoon of the sauce mixed with 2 tablespoon of olive and use as a dip for the chicken.

Video

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Calories: 1279kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 82g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 227mg | Sodium: 8884mg | Potassium: 1387mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 9106IU | Vitamin C: 159mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 6mg
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