Piri-piri chicken

Name: Piri-piri chicken
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: african
Ingredients: 2 lbs chicken leg; 1.5 tsp salt; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp thyme; 0.5 tsp pepper; 1 clove garlic; 2 Thai chilis; 1 red bell pepper; 1 lemon; 1 tsp brown sugar; 0.5 tsp smoked paprika powder; 0.5 tsp chili flakes; 1.7 fl oz olive oil; oil (for frying)

Based on 19 ratings

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Steven Edworthy

Community member

"This dish has both Portuguese and African roots and takes its name from the piri-piri (or peri-peri) chili also sometimes called African bird’s eye chili. As these can be difficult to find, I’ve substituted the more widely available Thai bird’s eye chili, which has a similar heat and flavor. Piri-piri chicken is perfect on the barbecue accompanied by a cold beer and a cool and creamy potato salad, or served with French fries and a side salad. This version captures some of that smoky barbecue flavor by slightly charring the dry-rubbed chicken and then baking it in the oven. It’s finished with the spicy sauce whose distinctive zing thanks to fresh chilli and lemon will beat any bottle you can buy. Ideally you’d marinate the chicken thighs overnight and leave them uncovered in the fridge, so that the skin dries out and becomes extra crispy when cooked, but this recipe is a bit quicker."

Difficulty

Easy 👌

Preparation

90 min

Baking

30 min

Resting

30 min

Ingredients

2Servings

MetricImperial

½ kg

chicken leg

¾ tsp

salt

½ tsp

garlic powder

½ tsp

onion powder

½ tsp

thyme

¼ tsp

pepper

½ clove

garlic

Thai chilis

red bell pepper

lemon

½ tsp

brown sugar

¼ tsp

smoked paprika powder

¼ tsp

chili flakes

25 ml

olive oil

oil (for frying)

Utensils

bowl, 2 ovens, cutting board, knife, food processor, cast iron pan, tongs, baking sheet

Nutrition per serving

Cal678

Fat53 g

Protein42 g

Carb6 g

Step 1/5
- ½ kg chicken leg
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp thyme
- ¼ tsp pepper
- bowl
Add chicken legs, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and pepper to a bowl. Massage the spice mixture into the chicken and let marinate for at least 30 min.
Step 2/5
- ½ clove garlic
- 1 Thai chilis
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ tsp brown sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika powder
- ½ lemon
- 25 ml olive oil
- oven
- cutting board
- knife
- food processor
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Peel the garlic, stem the chilis, and core and roughly chop the red bell pepper. Add everything to a food processor with brown sugar, salt, chili flakes, smoked paprika powder, lemon juice, and olive oil. Process until smooth.
Step 3/5
- oil (for frying)
- cast iron pan
- tongs
Heat a cast iron pan with a thin layer of oil until the oil just starts to smoke. Fry the chicken for approx. 2 – 3 minutes on both sides until slightly charred.
Step 4/5
- baking sheet
Transfer the chicken thighs to a baking sheet and bake at 200°C/400°F for approx. 20 min., or until cooked through.
Step 5/5
- oven
Remove the chicken from the oven and cover in the chili sauce. Transfer back to the oven and bake for approx. 5 min. more. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for approx. 10 min. Serve with French fries and a side salad, if desired. Enjoy!
Enjoy your meal!