Looking for the best peri peri chicken burger out there? Here you go…
In my cookbook ‘The Curry Guy Bible’ I featured a peri peri chicken recipe that got top marks! People love a good peri peri chicken! In this recipe I changed the original some to come up with another favourite, the peri peri chicken burger.
You won’t find a peri peri chicken burger this good anywhere else. I promise!
Get your mouth around this!
The origins of peri peri sauce…
You might think that peri peri and for that matter burgers like this peri peri chicken burger originated in South Africa.
That’s a good guess but it was actually the Portuguese that first came across this delicious recipe when they colonised Mozambique. They brought this recipe to the wider world and yes it has become a South African specialty because of that.
Other versions of the sauce have also been developed like the Goan cafreal sauce. The Goans loved peri peri and decided to give it their own touch substituting green ingredients like green chillies, coriander and mint and leaving the red alternatives out.
Hot to make the best peri peri chicken burger…
If you want to make the best peri peri chicken burger possible, use the best quality ingredients you can get your hands on.
Although you can get away with just marinating the chicken for 30 minutes in the peri peri marinade, it will be much better if you marinate the meat overnight. Be sure to butter and toast those buns! It really does take this recipe to the next level.
When it comes to chicken, I used chicken breast. That’s good and looks great too but if you want an even better flavour, use thigh meat.
Step by step photos…
Fry all the onion and bell peppers until soft. About five minutes should do. Then stir in the chillies and garlic and fry for a further minute.
Stir in the ground spices and chilli flakes.
Pour in the lime juice and vinegar and simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Allow to cool and then blend to a smooth paste.
This special peri peri mayonnaise sauce can be made ahead of time and keeps for at least three days.
Peri Peri Chicken Burger
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
- 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 4 red bird’s eye chillies, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp paprika, smoked or unsmoked
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp dried red chilli flakes
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 70ml (1/4 cup) white wine vinegar
- Salt to taste
- 4 large chicken breasts
- FOR THE BURGERS
- 4 burger buns
- 125ml (1/2 cup) mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp reserved peri peri marinade (more or less to taste)
- Lettuce to garnish
- Onion slices to garnish
- Sliced tomato to garnish
- Pickled jalepeno slices to garnish
- Hamburger cheese slices (optional)
- More reserved marinade (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium high heat and when visibly hot, add the chopped onion and red bell pepper. Fry for about 5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Then add the garlic and chillies and fry for a further minute or so.
- Stir in one tablespoon of the paprika, the chilli powder, black pepper and chilli flakes until the vegetables are nicely coated with the spices.
- Pour in the lime juice and vinegar and simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Allow to cool and then blend to a smooth paste.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt to taste and the remaining paprika and then cover with about half of the marinade and allow to marinate in the fridge for about an hour or longer if you like. Be sure to take out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- When ready to cook, build a multi level direct heat fire. When the coals have ashed over and it is uncomfortably hot to hold your hand two inches above the grill for more than two seconds, you’re ready to start cooking.
- Place the chicken on the grill over the hottest part of the fire and begin cooking. When it looks like the chicken has cooked up about half way from the bottom, which should take about 5 minutes, turn to cook the other side.
- While the chicken continues to cook, butter the buns and toast them over a medium heat part of the fire. Be sure to watch them so that they don’t burn. The chicken is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 74c/165f. Transfer to the cooler side of the cooking grate while you stack the burgers.
- Mix three tablespoons of the reserved marinade with the mayonnaise and spread it equally on the bottom buns. Top with lettuce, onion and tomato and then place a cooked chicken breast on top of each.
- Place pickled jalepeno slices to taste on top of the chicken and then cover with a slice of burger cheese. Cover with the top bun and serve.
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