Peri Peri Chicken

Ingredients

• 1.13–1.36 kgbone-in chicken thighs
• 2 largered peppers
• 30 mlolive oil
• 1 medium, choppedred onion
• 6 cloves, crushedgarlic
• 2 teaspoonssmoked paprika
• 8 g, loosely packed (optional; not authentic)fresh coriander
• 7–10, stems and seeds removedfresh red Thai chillies
• 80 mlred wine vinegar
• 80 mllemon juice
• Zest of 1lemon
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tablespoondried oregano
• 2 teaspoonssalt
• 1 teaspoonpepper
• 80 mlolive oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the peppers

   Turn the peppers over an open gas flame with tongs until blackened all over. Alternatively, deseed and quarter them, arrange skin-side up on a foil-lined baking tray, flatten them by hand and grill 10–15 cm from the heat for 5–10 minutes, watching closely and rotating the tray as needed.

2. 2

   Sauté the aromatics

   Heat 30 ml olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, garlic and smoked paprika and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the onion has softened.

3. 3

   Blend the sauce

   Put all the ingredients up to and including the onion mixture and roasted peppers in a blender. Blend until smooth, or leave it a little chunky, then trickle in the remaining olive oil and blend just to combine.

4. 4

   Adjust the seasoning

   Taste for a balance of heat, sourness, saltiness and tang. Add chilli seeds or red pepper flakes for more heat, vinegar for extra tang, or lemon juice for more sourness.

5. 5

   Marinate the chicken

   Put the chicken in a freezer bag or shallow dish. Pour over half the sauce and turn the pieces to coat. Marinate for 2–24 hours; a longer marinating time gives the flavours more time to develop.

6. 6

   Choose a method

   The following baking and grilling directions are for bone-in chicken thighs. Adjust the cooking time if using a different cut.

7. 7

   Prepare to bake

   For an oven-cooked version, you can add 2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke to the marinade for a smoky flavour.

8. 8

   Bake the chicken

   Line a large baking tray with foil and coat it with cooking spray. Arrange the chicken in a single layer with space between the pieces. Bake at 200°C for 35–45 minutes, depending on thickness, until an instant-read thermometer shows 77°C inside. Rest for 5 minutes.

9. 9

   Finish the chicken

   Brush the cooked chicken with as much of the reserved peri peri sauce as you like, making sure it is sauce that has not touched raw chicken. Add fresh herbs if desired; more sauce makes the chicken spicier.

10. 10

    Prepare the grill

    Heat the grill to medium-high, 220–230°C, with the lid closed. Clean the grates and grease them with vegetable oil.

11. 11

    Grill the chicken

    Start skin-side down if leaving the skin on. Grill with the lid closed for 5–7 minutes per side, or until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer shows 77°C inside. Reduce the heat if the chicken is browning too quickly, then rest for 5 minutes.

12. 12

    Serve with sauce

    Brush with as much reserved peri peri sauce as you like, using only sauce that has not touched raw chicken. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired; adding more sauce increases the heat.

What is peri peri chicken?

Peri peri chicken takes its name from the chilli sauce often called piri-piri, associated with Portuguese and African cooking traditions. Its characteristic flavour combines chilli heat with acidity, garlic and herbs.

This version builds the sauce from roasted peppers, sautéed aromatics, lemon and vinegar. Making it yourself lets you control both the texture and the strength of the chillies.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 493 calories, 30g protein, 6g carbs, 39g fat.

Chicken provides most of the protein, while the olive oil contributes much of the fat. The peppers, onion and lemon add a smaller amount of carbohydrate; serving the chicken with rice or corn adds more. Balance the plate with a generous tomato and cucumber salad alongside a measured portion of rice.

Building the sauce

Roasted peppers: charring the skins adds a deep, slightly smoky flavour and softens the peppers for blending. The pepper flesh helps give the sauce body.

Aromatics: gently cooking the onion, garlic and smoked paprika softens their flavour before blending. Keep the heat moderate so the garlic and paprika do not catch.

Acid and chilli: lemon juice and red wine vinegar bring sharpness, while the Thai chillies provide the heat. Add the chillies cautiously if you prefer a milder sauce.

Marinating the thighs

Coating: turn each thigh through the marinade so it reaches all sides. A shallow dish or freezer bag helps keep the chicken in contact with the sauce.

Timing: the recipe calls for 2–24 hours in the marinade. Keep the chicken refrigerated while it marinates, and set aside the other half of the sauce for serving.

Getting the chicken cooked

Oven: leave space between the thighs on the tray so they cook evenly. Begin checking towards the shorter end of the 35–45-minute range, as thicker pieces take longer.

Grill: cook with the lid closed and turn the thighs after 5–7 minutes per side. If the outside colours too quickly, lower the heat so the inside has time to cook.

Checking texture and doneness

Temperature: the supplied method uses 77°C as the internal temperature for the chicken. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer, avoiding the bone.

Resting: leave the cooked thighs for 5 minutes before serving. This gives the juices time to settle and makes the chicken easier to handle.

Serving the chicken

Fresh sauce: brush on only the reserved sauce that has not touched raw chicken. Add it gradually, since extra sauce brings extra chilli heat.

Sides: coconut rice, grilled corn on the cob and tomato and cucumber salad make a varied plate. Rice and corn are especially useful alongside the tangy, spicy chicken.

Recipe notes & tips

• Wear gloves when handling the chillies, and wash your hands and utensils afterwards.
• For a milder sauce, remove the chilli seeds and start with fewer chillies before tasting.
• Reserve the serving sauce before pouring marinade over the raw chicken.
• Use an instant-read thermometer to check the thickest part of each thigh.
• Leave space between the pieces on the baking tray to help them cook evenly.
• Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before serving.

Variations

• Milder sauce: use fewer Thai chillies and taste the blended sauce before adding more.
• Extra smoky: add 2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke to the marinade when baking.
• Herb finish: garnish the cooked chicken with fresh herbs if you like.
• Chunky sauce: blend the ingredients briefly instead of processing them until smooth.
• Grilled version: cook the marinated thighs over a medium-high grill with the lid closed.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Burning the aromatics: cook the onion, garlic and paprika for 5–7 minutes over moderate heat, until the onion softens.
• Over-charring the peppers: watch closely under the grill and rotate the tray as needed.
• Using all the sauce as marinade: reserve half before it touches raw chicken for brushing at the end.
• Crowding the tray: arrange the thighs in a single layer with space between them.
• Relying only on the clock: check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer and cook to 77°C.
• Adding too much chilli at once: blend and taste the sauce, then increase the heat gradually.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover cooked chicken in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout, in the oven or microwave; keep any reserved, unused sauce separate and refrigerated.

Frequently asked questions