Portuguese Peri Peri Chicken

This traditional peri-peri chicken is one of my all-time favorite Portuguese dishes, and has become a Friday night tradition in our home. I usually season the chicken the day before, letting it marinate slowly in the refrigerator so it can fully absorb all those intense and spicy flavors. By the next day, the chicken is perfectly seasoned and ready to go on the grill on the terrace, filling the air with an irresistible aroma. It’s a classic that I never get tired of making!

In Portugal, the tradition is to serve this delicious grilled peri peri chicken with French fries, lettuce salad, or even white rice, depending on the region of the country. One thing I'm sure of: you'll love every bite of this delicious, crispy, and tender grilled chicken. Plus, it's a very simple dish to prepare, requiring only 5 basic ingredients to season the chicken!

Here are some simple and traditional dishes from our Portuguese cuisine that you can make any time of year: Portuguese style baked fish, Portuguese bread soup, Traditional baked cod or this Portuguese octopus rice!

HOW TO MAKE PERI PERI CHICKEN

Step 1: Remove the stems from the red chili peppers.

Step 2: Open the chicken along the breastbone and press firmly with the palms of your hands to flatten it, giving it a butterflied shape.

Step 3: Place the chicken on a tray and season with salt, red chili peppers cut into pieces, sliced garlic (or grated garlic), bay leaf cut into pieces and olive oil. Make sure the chicken is thoroughly coated in the marinade. Cover the tray with cling film and marinate for at least 2 hours (If you have a little more time, let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator overnight).

Step 4: Remove chicken from marinade (reserve the marinade).

Step 5: Place the chicken onto the hot grill and grill on both sides until golden brown. Keep turning the chicken pieces, brushing with the reserved marinade.

Step 6: Before serving, I like to season the chicken with lemon juice.

HOW TO STORE

If you have any leftovers or want to save to another occasion, store the Peri Peri Chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container (to prevent the growth of microorganisms). The chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Portuguese Peri Peri Chicken

Marinated in a chili, garlic, and olive oil sauce, this grilled peri peri chicken is irresistibly juicy and tender. With just 6 ingredients, it's the perfect weeknight meal!

5.00 from 1 reviews

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by Pedro Barbosa
Category:Chicken, Main dishes, Meat, Recipes, Traditional Portuguese recipes
Cuisine: Portuguese
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4
Prep Time:10 m
Cook Time:30 m
Total Time:2:40 h
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INGREDIENTS
• 1.2 kg (2 2/3 pounds) whole chicken
• 50 grams (1 3/4 ounces) red chili pepper
• 200 ml (about 1 cup) olive oil
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt (to taste)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Remove the stems from the red chili peppers.
2. Open the chicken along the breastbone and press firmly with the palms of your hands to flatten it, giving it a butterflied shape.
3. Place the chicken on a tray and season with salt, red chili peppers cut into pieces, sliced garlic (or grated garlic), bay leaf cut into pieces and olive oil. Make sure the chicken is thoroughly coated in the marinade. Cover the tray with cling film and marinate for at least 2 hours (If you have a little more time, let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator overnight).
4. Remove chicken from marinade (reserve the marinade).
5. Place the chicken onto the hot grill and grill on both sides until golden brown. Keep turning the chicken pieces, brushing with the reserved marinade.
6. Before serving, I like to season the chicken with lemon juice.
Portuguese Peri Peri Chicken
Nutrition facts
Serves 4
Per Serving:
% DAILY VALUE
Calories 770
Total Fat 33.5 g(43%)
Saturated Fat 6 g(29%)
Cholesterol 59 mg(20%)
Sodium 9818 mg(427%)
Total Carbohydrate 99 g(36%)
Protein 35.5 g