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Peri Peri Chicken Recipe
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4.74 from 15 votes

Peri Peri Chicken Recipe

This peri peri chicken recipe smothers chicken in a homemade peri peri sauce then bakes or grills them and serves them with extra sauce. It's a quick and easy weeknight meal. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken legs, peri peri, spicy
Servings: 4 chicken leg and thigh combos
Calories: 885kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken leg and thigh quarters separated (you can also use chicken wings or a whole chicken)
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE PERI PERI SAUCE

  • pound  red chilies  chopped (I'm using 2 medium red bells, 2 Fresno chilies, and 4 African Bird’s Eye peppers. You can use other chilies if needed.)
  • cloves  garlic chopped
  • teaspoon  smoked paprika
  • 1/2  cup  chopped cilantro
  • 1/4  cup  chopped basil
  • 1/2  cup  olive oil or vegetable oil
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • Salt to taste
  • FOR SERVING: Chopped parsley, spicy chili flakes

Instructions

FOR THE PERI PERI SAUCE/MARINADE

  • For the peri peri sauce, add the peppers, garlic, paprika, cilantro and basil to a food processor. Process until well mixed.
  • Drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to process until the mixture thickens up.
  • Stir in the lemon juice and adjust for salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.

FOR THE PERI PERI CHICKEN

  • Pat the chicken pieces dry and rub them down with the paprika, garlic, and salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
  • Cover the chicken with half of the peri peri sauce in a large bowl or baggie. Be sure to get the chicken nicely coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to marinate.
  • FOR BAKING: Bake the chicken for 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees F (204 C), or until they are nicely cooked through. They should measure 165 degrees F (74 C) internally.
  • FOR GRILLING: Heat the grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Grill the chicken for about 35-40 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes to keep from burning, until they are cooked through. They should measure 165 degrees F (74 C) internally.
  • Remove from the oven and toss in the remaining peri peri sauce.
  • Sprinkle with fresh herbs and spicy chili flakes. Serve!

Notes

For more developed peri peri flavor, cover the chicken and set it into the fridge once you’ve coated them with the first round of peri peri sauce. You can also marinate it this way overnight.
The peri peri sauce yields about 2 cups.
Heat Factor: Medium, though the heat and spice levels will vary based on the peppers you choose.

Nutrition

Calories: 885kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 72g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 39g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 240mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 1182mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5561IU | Vitamin C: 174mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 5mg