Peri Peri Chicken
intro
Juicy, charred chicken coated in zingy, fiery peri peri sauce with bright citrus and garlic notes, perfect for casual summer outdoor gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Make peri peri marinade
Add 60g stemmed bird’s eye chilies, 100g roasted peeled seeded red bell pepper, 20g peeled garlic, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp light brown sugar, 1.5 tsp kosher salt, 0.5 tsp black pepper, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, and 60ml of the olive oil to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 45 seconds until completely smooth, with no visible chili or garlic chunks remaining.
Prep the chicken thighs
Pat 800g of boneless skin-on chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. Use a sharp paring knife to make 2 shallow, 1cm-deep diagonal cuts across the skin side of each thigh to help marinade penetrate, then trim any excess loose skin or thick fat deposits from the thigh edges.
Marinate the chicken
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the smooth peri peri marinade in a small ramekin for later basting. Pour the remaining marinade over the scored chicken in a large glass baking dish, turning each thigh to coat fully on all sides. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours for deeper flavor); do not marinate longer than 6 hours, as the vinegar will break down chicken texture and make it mushy.
Preheat the grill
Preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (190°C / 375°F). Scrub the grill grates thoroughly with a wire grill brush, then wipe the grates with a paper towel dipped in the remaining 20ml of olive oil to prevent chicken skin from sticking. If using an indoor grill pan, preheat it on the stovetop over medium-high heat for 5 minutes before cooking.
Grill the chicken thighs
Place marinated chicken thighs on the preheated grill skin-side down first. Cook for 6 minutes with the grill lid closed, then flip each thigh using long metal tongs. Baste the crispy cooked skin side with half the reserved marinade, close the lid, and cook for another 6 minutes. Flip again, baste the opposite side with the remaining reserved marinade, and cook for a final 3-4 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 75°C / 165°F, with slightly charred, crispy edges.
Rest and serve
Transfer cooked chicken to a clean ceramic serving platter, and let it rest for 5 minutes at room temperature to allow juices to redistribute through the meat, preventing juice runoff when cutting. Drizzle any collected platter juices over the top before serving.
Tips
2.Avoid pressing down on chicken with tongs while grilling, as this squeezes out flavorful juices and leads to dry, tough meat.
3.If no grill is available, cook marinated chicken on a rimmed baking sheet in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 20–22 minutes, flipping once halfway through, for a similarly crispy result.
OMG this peri peri chicken is a total game changer for weeknight dinners! I was so intimidated to make peri peri at home but this was so easy, the 45 minute cook time is no joke. My husband and two kids devoured every bite — even my picky 7 year old asked for seconds! I served it with roasted corn and coleslaw for our family dinner last night, 10/10 will be making this on repeat.
Added this to my weekly meal prep rotation! I batch cook 4 servings every Sunday, chop it up, and throw it on salads, wraps, and rice bowls all week. The spice level is perfect — not so hot that I can’t eat it at my desk for lunch, but has that nice zing that keeps it from being boring. SO good, way better than the overpriced takeout peri peri I used to order near my office.
Quick question y’all — I only have regular paprika at home right now, no smoked paprika. Will that totally mess up the recipe? I really want to make this tonight for my date night in, don’t wanna mess it up!
Made this on my charcoal grill this weekend instead of baking it, and holy cow it was perfect. The marinade caramelized so nicely on the grates, got that little crispy char that makes peri peri taste straight from a restaurant. My only PSA is wear gloves when handling the hot chilis if you’re sensitive — I got capsaicin in my eye and was tearing up for 10 minutes lmao, total rookie move.
I was a little worried the spice would be too much for my friend group since a couple people hate super hot food, so I used half the amount of bird’s eye chilis the recipe calls for and it was perfect! Everyone raved, even the guy who puts ketchup on literally everything said it was the best chicken he’d had all month. Will absolutely be making this for our next game night watch party.
Quick question — how long do you recommend marinating the chicken for? I threw the marinade together this morning before work and left the chicken in it in the fridge, is 8 hours too long? I don’t want it to get all mushy or weirdly textured!
I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead of boneless skinless breast like the recipe suggests, and wow that was the right call. So juicy, no dry chicken at all even when I baked it a couple minutes too long because I got distracted letting my dog out in the yard. The skin got perfectly crispy, 10/10, zero notes.