Piri Piri Chicken
You are going to love this one!
My son loves going to Nando’s. He loves the spicy piri piri sauce and challenged me to do a better job of it. Not one to turn down a good challenge, I decided to give it a go.
I already had a piri piri sauce recipe in a family cookbook that was handed down to me that my late grandfather called Brazilan Piri Piri. I’m not really sure what makes the sauce Brazilian as it has many of the same ingredients listed on Nando’s bottles.
Whatever you call it, this is an excellent recipe for the summer barbecue.
If the weather doesn’t play ball this recipe also works well cooked in the oven. You could also grill the chicken over direct heat so there are lots of alternatives if the British weather you down.
I only marinated the chicken for three hours but marinating it over night would be better. It allows the flavours to develop. The piri piri sauce is used both as a marinade and it is also slathered over the cooked chicken.
Whether you are stuck indoors or enjoying the sun outside, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. Nando’s, eat your heart out!
If you like this spicy chicken recipe try these others:
Spicy Chicken Wings
Spicy Chicken Vegetable Noodle Soup
Spicy Chicken Wing Curry
Fiery Hot Naga Chicken Curry
Spicy Griled Chicken with Tomato Salsa
Spicy Chicken Parmasans
Spicy Fried Chicken Lollipops
Spicy Chilli Garlic Roast Chicken
Frying the vegetables in the hot oil with the spices.
The vegetables will begin to break down as they simmer.
Blend it all up nice and smooth.
Chicken ready for the oven.
Ready to serve!
Brazilian Piri Piri Chicken
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons rapeseed oil
- 1/2 onion - finely chopped
- 1 red capsicum (bell pepper) - roughly chopped
- 8 cloves garlic - skinned and whole
- 4 green chillie - roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons smoked or normal paprika
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili flakes
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 60ml (1/4 cup) cup white wine vinegar
- 1.5 kilos chicken thighs - with bone in and skin left on
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lime slices to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium high heat and then add the chopped onion and capsicum.
- Fry until the onion is translucent and soft and then add the garlic and green chillies. Fry for a further minute or so and pour in one tablespoon of the paprika, the chilli powder, salt, black pepper and chilli flakes.
- Add the lemon juice and vinegar and simmer for about five minute. Allow to cool slightly.
- Blend until very smooth and place this marinade in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- When ready to prepare your chicken, season generously with salt and pepper and the remaining paprika and then pour half of the piri piri sauce over the thighs. Stir it all up so that the chicken is nicely coated.
- Marinate for three hours or overnight.
- When ready to cook, heat your oven to it's highest temperature. Place the chicken on a roasting tray and cook for 40 minutes to one hour until the chicken is crisp and cooked through,
- Serve drizzled with the remaining Brazilian piri piri sauce and top with slices of lime.
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I hope you give this one a try. Please let me know what you think if you do. 🙂
Disclaimer: I was paid by Aldi UK to develop this recipe in the run up to the Rio Olympics. As always, their products were spot on!
This recipe sounds great and is definitely similar to the Nando’s one. Did you know that the Portugese brought us the most divine Peri-peri chicken and Periperi prawns to Southern Africa specifically to Angola and Mocambique which they had colonised? Nando’s was originally opened in South Africa by two Portuguese friends who left Mocambique and brought their recipe with them to South Africa?
I have only recently come across your blog and am thoroughly enjoying your recipes. Keep up the good work and best of luck with your cook book.
Hi Denise
Thank you very much. Really glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Dan
I love your reference to Nando’s. I am South African living in Cape Town and am proud to say that Nando’s is pure South African, with a number of overseas branches. As I love Nando’s flavours, I am looking forward to making your recipe. It looks very nice.
Thanks Pieter. Hope you like it. 🙂
Dan
Hi
Thank you for sharing the recipe. Would you have the peri peri sauce recipe?
Hi Dan, I love your book and recipes; keep up the good work! I always, since getting ‘The Curry Guy’ book, have some Base Curry Sauce/Gravy in the fridge or freezer. Have you ever used or do you think you could use Base Curry Sauce in a Piri-Piri recipe? Cheers, Paul.
Hi Paul
Thank you very much. I haven’t tried it with piri-piri but the answer is you definitely can. Go for it. The base sauce is just the liquid required to cook the curry just like a more authentic Indian base masala with oil, onions, tomatoes and water is.
Thank you very much,
Dan