Piri piri chicken
Chicken marinated in a fiery sauce of African bird's eye chilies, garlic, lemon and herbs, then grilled until charred and juicy. It is a worldwide favorite with roots in Mozambique.
African red devil peppers: Bovineone at English Wikipedia, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Where it comes from
Piri piri sauce is strongly linked to Mozambique, where bird's eye chilies (piri piri means 'pepper pepper' in Swahili) are widely grown. Portuguese and southern African cooks helped spread it, and it is now eaten worldwide.
Explore the cuisine of Mozambique.
Make Piri piri chicken at home
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, spatchcocked (about 1.5 kg)
- 10 bird's eye chilies
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
How it's made
- Blend the chilies, garlic, lemon juice, oil, vinegar, paprika, oregano, salt and sugar into a smooth sauce.
- Reserve a third of the sauce for serving, and coat the chicken with the rest.
- Marinate in the fridge at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- Heat a grill to medium or the oven to 425 F.
- Cook the chicken skin side up 45-50 minutes, basting with the marinade, until deeply browned and cooked through.
- Rest 10 minutes, carve and serve with the reserved sauce.
Variations
- Grilled prawns piri piri: a coastal favorite.
- Mild piri piri: with sweet peppers and fewer chilies.
Cook’s tip: Baste often in the final minutes, but avoid over-charring the sugars in the sauce.
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Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.
- African red devil peppers: Bovineone at English Wikipedia, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)