Grilled Peri Peri Chicken โ 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 youโre craving something different this summer, hereโs a great recipe that will give Nandoโs 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 wonโt judge.
Iโve made this recipe mildly spicy because my son isnโt a big spicy food fan. So, I made sure heโd 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. ๐
ContentโฆWhat 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 birdโs 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 โ 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 โ 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 โ 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 โ 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 400โ (205โ) for 35-40 minutes on rainy days you donโt want to grill. The internal temperature should reach 165โ (75โ).
- 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 chickenโs protein fibers. If you wonโt be able to cook it within 24 hours, itโs 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 โ 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 350ยฐF (180โ) oven until internal temperature reaches 165ยฐF.
- Stovetop โ 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 โ 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 itโs not hot enough, flip the chicken and heat it again in 30-second bursts until itโs 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
- 2ยฝ-3 pounds (1.2-1.5kg) chicken, cut into 8 pieces or 8 chicken legs
- 1 lemon or lime
- salt to taste
- ยฝ teaspoon (2.5g) coarsely ground white pepper
Peri Peri Marinade
- ยฝ onion, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 6 leaves basil
- 2 tablespoons (10g) oregano
- ยฝ red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon (15g) peri peri sauce or more to taste
- ยผ 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 โ 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 โ can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days maximum. Freezer โ can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Baked Peri Peri Chicken โ if not in the mood to grill, just bake them at 400โ (205โ) for 35-40 minutes. Or until the internal temperature reaches 165โ (75โ).
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Miroslav Klouda says
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!
Miroslav Klouda says
I wanted to say โcannotโ instead of โcanโ. Sorry.
Imma says
Amazing to hear that. Try some other recipes and let me know how they go for you.
Mirelle Wells says
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
Imma says
Thank you, Stay tuned for more amazing recipes.
Miroslav Klouda says
The photos (esp. 5 and 6) seem to contain much more mass than the recipe indicates. Is there really no yoghurt or curd?
Imma says
Itโs been a while since I took the photos but Iโm sure I didnโt add anything else. In the video, youโll see that the chicken almost completely fills the bowl, making it look like thereโs more sauce than there is.