Nashville Hot Chicken and other spicy chicken dishes are riding a current wave of adoration and cravings amongst the masses. Whether it be a fast food spin-off or high end restaurant, dozens of varying spicy chicken dishes are finding their way onto people's plates and into their desired palates. Today's recipe, Piri Piri Chicken, is a spicy marinated chicken dish that can be prepared ahead of time before baking, grilling, or even sauteing! Rooted in both Africa and Portugal, Piri Piri Chicken, also known as Peri Peri Chicken, combines the heat of the African Bird's Eye chili with savory garlic and herb flavors infused into an acidic oily marinade sauce. The secret is truly in the sauce so even though it sounds a bit difficult, this recipe is quite straightforward and simple. Hang with me as I walk you through the steps to create your own delicious Piri Piri Chicken at home....Let's Get Cooking!
As I mentioned in the introduction, the marinade is key to this recipe so we will start by preparing it first. Add the roasted red peppers, garlic, pepper flakes, cayenne, paprika, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, oregano, red onion, lemon juice, and a bit of salt/pepper to a blender and pulse until smooth and well blended. Traditionally this recipe is based on the African Brid's Eye chili, but it is seldom found outside of Africa and Portugal, so feel free to substitute your favorite spicy pepper. I have found that the pepper flakes and cayenne do a pretty good job as fill-ins, but any fresh hot pepper like a habanero or serrano will also work. Keep in mind that this recipe is supposed to be somewhat spicy, but the other ingredients really help tame down the heat and produce a wonderful overall balance of heat and sweet. My specific recipe stays in that medium-hot range most people are comfortable with, so if you are a true chili head you will want to add a bit more hot pepper/chili to your marinade. When it is all said and done, the marinade should be a gorgeous red-orange color and even the slightest sniff will really get your mouth salivating for a taste!
Now that the marinade is out of the way, the only remaining prep step is to break down your chicken. As usual, I highly recommend using chicken thighs for this recipe, but breast or tenders will also work quite nicely. Chicken prep is the biggest variation for this recipe. You can apply the sauce to a whole chicken, cut your chicken into strips, or dice it into bite-sized pieces. Boneless, skinless, whole thighs also provide a great option for this recipe, so figure out just exactly how you want to serve your Piri Piri Chicken and prep it accordingly. If you plan to grill the chicken as strips or pieces, skewers make a great option for cooking and even later serving to guests. For this particular example, I diced chicken thighs and put them in a ziplock bag with the marinade.
Be sure to marinate the chicken at least 8 hours, if not overnight, at a minimum. We really want all those flavors to penetrate the chicken and provide full savory satisfaction! One of the great aspects of this recipe is that you can actually freeze the chicken in the marinade until you are ready to cook and serve it. Plan ahead and double up a batch so you can enjoy it again a few weeks later! That being said, after your chicken has fully marinated, drain the excess marinade and skewer your chicken if needed. If you really want to go all out, heat the excess marinade up in a pot for 8 to 10 minutes and turn it into a basting sauce for the cooking process. As long as you bring the marinade up to a boil for a couple minutes, any raw chicken/salmonella worries will be alleviated. Otherwise, just reserve some extra sauce before marinating the chicken to use as a basting sauce while cooking or as a dipping sauce for service.
Heat your grill up to a medium-high temperature. We really want to get a little char on the outside to not only enhance the overall flavor, but also make the chicken stand out and look extra delicious. I do think grilling is the best option for this recipe, but anyone wanting to bake theirs should preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Obviously, cooking times will vary based on how you prepped your chicken, but pieces or strips on skewers should take around 6 to 8 minutes. Whole thighs or breasts will cook in 8 to 10 minutes and baking should be done in 30 minutes, flipping at the half-way point. Like any other chicken recipe, you want to aim for 165 degrees internal temperature for white meat and closer to 175 degrees internal temperature for dark meat chicken. For demonstration purposes, I used an indoor grill and cooked some on skewers and some chicken pieces as is. You will definitely want to use skewers on a traditional grill to prevent any pieces from falling through the grates.
Believe it or not, that's all this wonderful recipe requires to serve up a delicious spicy chicken unlike no other! I think the skewers make a perfect appetizer/snack food and whole pieces or along with some rice can act as an entree. The serving options are nearly limitless so do whatever you like that pairs best with the rest of your meal.
Will this spicy chicken dish be making an appearance at one of your next meals? Piri Piri Chicken is a great option for lunch or dinner so give it a try and let me know what you and your guests thought? Did you go wild and really crank up the spice level or find my base recipe just about right? Take those sexy pics and tag me on Instagram under @grubbongrub with #PiriPiriChicken! Even though this recipe has that international spicy flair, it really is quite simple so get in the kitchen and give it a go.....Just Keep Cooking!
PIRI PIRI CHICKEN
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