Piri Piri Chicken
Piri Piri Chicken
A bright, chile-laced Portuguese-style chicken marinated with lemon, garlic, herbs, paprika, and red pepper, then grilled or roasted until juicy and lightly charred.
Piri piri chicken is built around a vivid, peppery marinade rather than a heavy sauce. Fresh garlic, shallot, red bell pepper, hot chile, lemon, herbs, paprika, vinegar, and olive oil blend into a loose paste that seasons the chicken deeply while keeping the flavor sharp and fresh.
Spatchcocking the chicken helps it cook evenly and gives the skin broad contact with the grill or roasting heat. If cutting out the backbone is not your plan tonight, bone-in chicken pieces work with the same marinade and finish a little faster.
The heat level is easy to adjust. One small bird's eye chile gives the dish a warm kick; adding another chile or leaving in more seeds makes it hotter. Set aside part of the marinade before it touches raw chicken so you have a clean spoonable sauce for serving.
Serve the chicken with roasted potato slices and a simple tomato onion salad for the classic plate: smoky chicken, bright sauce, crisp-edged potatoes, and juicy vegetables.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Combine the garlic, shallot, red bell pepper, chile, herbs, paprika, oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until the marinade is as smooth as the machine can make it.
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2
If using a whole chicken, place it breast side down on a cutting board. Cut along both sides of the backbone with kitchen shears, remove the backbone, then open the chicken and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten it.
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3
Put the chicken in a large dish. Spoon about two-thirds of the marinade over both sides of the chicken, working some into the cuts and under loose edges of skin. Reserve the remaining clean marinade for serving.
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4
Marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate it for several hours. If it was chilled, let it sit at room temperature while the grill or oven heats.
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5
For grilling, heat a grill to medium-high and oil the grates. Place the chicken skin side down and cook until the skin is well browned and lightly charred in spots, about 15 minutes.
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6
Turn the chicken over with tongs and continue grilling until the thickest part of the breast or thigh reaches 165°F, about 15 to 25 minutes more. Move it to a cooler part of the grill if the skin darkens too quickly.
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7
For roasting instead, heat the oven to 450°F. Set the chicken skin side up on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until browned and 165°F at the thickest part, about 35 to 45 minutes.
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8
Rest the chicken for 5 to 10 minutes, then carve it into serving pieces. Spoon the reserved marinade over the top or pass it at the table, and finish with extra herbs.
Ingredients
- Garlic Cloves, peeled:3
- Small Shallot, roughly chopped:1
- Red Bell Pepper, seeded and roughly chopped:1/2
- Small Red Chile Pepper, chopped:1
- Fresh Parsley or Cilantro Leaves, plus more for serving:1/4 cup
- Smoked or Sweet Paprika:1 teaspoon
- Dried Oregano:1/2 teaspoon
- Lemon Zest:1 lemon
- Fresh Lemon Juice:1 lemon
- Red Wine Vinegar:2 teaspoons
- Olive Oil, plus more for the grill:1 tablespoon
- Kosher Salt:1 teaspoon
- Whole Chicken, spatchcocked, or bone-in skin-on chicken pieces:3 1/2 pounds
Tips & Notes
- For milder heat, remove the chile seeds or use a small Fresno chile. For more heat, add a second bird's eye chile.
- Do not use marinade that has touched raw chicken as a finishing sauce unless it is boiled thoroughly first.
- Bone-in chicken parts can be used instead of a whole chicken; start checking them after about 20 minutes on the grill or 30 minutes in the oven.
