Peri Peri Chicken Recipe

My Peri Peri Chicken is marinated in a spicy chili and lemon sauce, then grilled until golden and juicy. The flavor comes from just a few simple ingredients like fresh lemon, garlic, and my homemade peri peri sauce. If you love smoky and spicy meals, this one’s absolutely worth trying.

As a chef, I simply love cooking with chicken. It’s so versatile, and I can make just about anything with it. If you’ve been around here, you’ve probably already checked out my Chicken Saltimbocca recipe or the Chicken Shawarma, which is seriously next-level delicious.

Peri Peri Chicken

Peri Peri Chicken is a traditional Mozambican dish of marinated chicken that is fire-roasted until cooked and served with additional marinade sauce. In fact, you’ve probably heard of the famous Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken restaurant, which is based on this classic meal. There are varying degrees of spiciness of the chicken, from mild to extremely spicy, depending on the level of heat in the sauce.

The chicken is classically cooked over a wood-burning grill or pit. However, it can also be cooked on a smoker, gas grill, or oven. You will see different recipes for this chicken depending on who is making it and where it’s being made.

I believe simpler is better when it comes to making this chicken. For my version, I make my own peri peri sauce, that’s the secret to getting that incredible flavor. I cook it on the grill, and I’ll walk you through it step by step so you can make it just right. My family absolutely loves this one. It’s honestly hard to resist, and once you try it, you’ll see exactly what I mean.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Sauce – I make my own peri peri sauce for this recipe.
• Chicken – It is classical to use a flattened chicken.
• Lemon – You will need a few lemons to rub down the chicken before adding the marinade. You can substitute lime juice or white distilled vinegar.
• Water – I add water into one portion of the peri peri sauce for basting.
• Salt – I always use coarse salt in my cooking and baking.

How to Make Peri Peri Chicken

Remove the backbone: First thing I do is take a sharp pair of kitchen shears and cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it.

Flatten the chicken: After I remove the backbone, I turn the chicken over so it’s breast side up. Then, I press down firmly on the breastbone until it flattens out.

Dry: I grab a few paper towels and pat the chicken dry on all sides, making sure to get any moisture off the skin so it grills up nicely.

Add lemon juice: I place the chicken in a large bowl and rub it all over with the juice of one lemon, making sure to get some underneath the breast skin too.

Season: I sprinkle salt generously over the entire chicken, making sure every side is well coated. Then I set it aside at room temperature while I prep the sauce.

Make the sauce: I whip up a batch of my homemade peri peri sauce, then divide it into two containers, one for marinating and one for basting later. Note: I mix a half cup of water into one portion of the peri peri sauce and cook on low to medium heat for about to thin it out slightly and use it for basting while the chicken grills.

Coat the chicken: I take one portion of the peri peri sauce and rub it all over the chicken, making sure to get every side and even underneath the skin for extra flavor.

Marinate: I cover the chicken and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours, or up to 48 hours if I have the time.

Heat the grill: I fire up my grill – whether it’s gas, smoker, or charcoal – and let it heat up to high, aiming for a temperature between 500 and 600 degrees.

Bring the chicken to room temp: While the grill is heating, I take the chicken out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes so it’s not too cold when it goes on the grill.

Start grilling: Once the grill is hot, I place the flattened chicken skin side down on the grates. Then I quickly turn the heat down to medium so it cooks evenly without burning.

Grill the skin side: I let the chicken cook skin side down for 8 to 12 minutes until I see those nice charred grill marks. What I like to do is grill it for 4 to 6 minutes, then turn it 90 degrees and cook for another 4 to 6 minutes to get an even sear.

Flip and continue cooking: I carefully flip the chicken over and let it cook for another 30 to 40 minutes. I keep an eye on the temperature and cook it until the thickest part reaches around 160 to 162 degrees.

Baste the chicken: While it cooks, I brush the chicken with the second portion of peri peri sauce every 10 minutes to keep it juicy and packed with flavor.

Rest: Once the chicken is cooked through, I take it off the grill and let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes so the juices can settle before slicing.

Grill the lemons: While the chicken rests, I like to toss a few lemon halves on the grill. They get a little charred and make a great finishing touch when squeezed over the chicken.

Serve the chicken: I slice the chicken and serve it with the grilled lemon halves and a side of extra peri peri sauce for anyone who wants more heat and flavor.

Chef Tip + Notes

The tip I consider my secret for making the best peri peri chicken is getting the marinade under the skin. That one step takes the flavor to the next level. It’s something I never skip, because it helps the sauce soak deep into the meat, not just sit on the surface. It makes every bite taste seasoned and juicy, not just the outer layer.

• Flattened chicken: I use a whole chicken with the backbone removed. It’s also called a spatchcock chicken and helps it cook evenly.
• Save the backbone: I freeze the backbone to use later in homemade chicken stock. It adds great depth of flavor.
• Tame grill flare-ups: If I see too many flames, I toss a few ice cubes onto the hot spots. It cools things down fast without a smoky mess.
• Grill the lemons: I like to grill lemon halves to soften them up. They’re easier to squeeze and add a smoky finish to the chicken.
• Don’t skip resting the chicken: Letting the chicken rest after grilling is key. It keeps the meat juicy and gives me time to finish off any sides or grilled lemons

Serving Suggestions

Whenever I grill up this peri peri chicken, I’ve got to have my cucumber salad on the side, it cools everything down and just works. Those crispy potato wedges? Always a favorite too especially when I have friends over. And don’t even think about skipping the coconut rice, my wife and daughter pretty much demand it every time.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 30 minutes ahead of time. Just keep it covered in a pan in the oven or in a grill at low temperatures (<200°).

How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of peri-peri chicken to a 13×9 casserole dish with ½ cups of water and cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until hot.

More Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Enchiladas
• Shredded Chicken
• Chicken Milanese
• Peruvian Chicken
• Orange Chicken

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Peri Peri Chicken Recipe

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5 from 5 votes

My Peri Peri Chicken is marinated in a spicy chili and lemon sauce, then grilled until golden and juicy. The flavor comes from just a few simple ingredients like fresh lemon, garlic, and my homemade peri peri sauce. If you love smoky and spicy meals, this one’s absolutely worth trying.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 1 whole roasting chicken, about 3 1/2 to 4 pounds, backbone removed
• juice of 1 lemon, about 2 to 3 tablespoons
• 1 peri peri sauce recipe
• coarse salt to taste
• 1/2 cup water, for the basting sauce

Instructions

• Remove the backbone of the chicken. Turn the chicken over and press down on the chicken breast sternum to flatten it.
• Dry the chicken well on all sides with paper towels. Add it to a bowl and rub it down with the juice of 1 lemon, including underneath the breast skin.
• Generously season the chicken on all sides with salt. Set it to the side at room temperature.
• Make the peri peri sauce and divide it into two containers.
• Using 1 portion of the sauce, generously coat the chicken, rubbing it down on all sides and underneath the skin.
• Cover it and store it for 4 to 48 hours. In the refrigerator.
• Mix a half cup of water into one portion of the peri peri sauce and cook on low to medium heat for about 20-30 minutes to thin it out slightly and use it for basting while the chicken grills.
• Heat your gas grill, smoker, or charcoal grill to high heat, which is between 500° and 600°.
• While the grill is heating, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and set it at room temperature for about 30 minutes to remove the chill.
• When the grill is preheated, Place the flattened chicken skin side down. Immediately turn the heat down to medium.
• Cook for a total of 8 to 12 minutes or until charred grill marks are formed on the skin side. I like to cook for 4 to 6 minutes then turn it 90° and cook for a further 4 to 6 minutes.
• Carefully flip the chicken over and cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the thickest part of the chicken reads about 160° to 162°.
• During this process, baste the chicken every 10 minutes with the cooked peri peri sauce.
• Remove the chicken and let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes. During this time, you can optionally grill a few lemon halves.
• Serve the chicken with optional lemons and additional peri peri sauce.

Notes

The tip I consider my secret for making the best peri peri chicken is getting the marinade under the skin. That one step takes the flavor to the next level. It’s something I never skip, because it helps the sauce soak deep into the meat, not just sit on the surface. It makes every bite taste seasoned and juicy, not just the outer layer.

Flattened chicken: I use a whole chicken with the backbone removed. It’s also called a spatchcock chicken and helps it cook evenly.

Save the backbone: I freeze the backbone to use later in homemade chicken stock. It adds great depth of flavor.

Tame grill flare-ups: If I see too many flames, I toss a few ice cubes onto the hot spots. It cools things down fast without a smoky mess.

Grill the lemons: I like to grill lemon halves to soften them up. They’re easier to squeeze and add a smoky finish to the chicken.

Don’t skip resting the chicken: Letting the chicken rest after grilling is key. It keeps the meat juicy and gives me time to finish off any sides or grilled lemons

Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 30 minutes ahead of time. Just keep it covered in a pan in the oven or in a grill at low temperatures (<200°).

How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of peri-peri chicken to a 13×9 casserole dish with ½ cups of water and cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until hot.

Course: Main

Cuisine: South African

Author: Chef Billy Parisi