Peri Peri Chicken Recipe
This Peri Peri Chicken recipe results in crispy, smoky chicken that is tender and juicy, with the most flavorful peri peri marinade! Bake it over potatoes and serve with the Green Sauce!
How to Make the Best Peri Peri Chicken
Peri peri chicken is a beloved Portuguese dish that has gained worldwide popularity for its bold, smoky, and slightly spicy flavors. This recipe delivers tender, juicy chicken with perfectly crispy skin, all achieved by roasting it directly over a bed of potatoes that soak up all those delicious pan drippings.
The secret to authentic peri peri flavor lies in the marinade—a vibrant blend of rehydrated ancho chilies, smoked paprika, garlic, and tangy vinegar. Unlike store-bought marinades, making your own allows you to control the heat level and develop deeper, more complex flavors. The ancho chilies provide a subtle warmth without overwhelming spiciness, making this dish approachable for the whole family.
Don’t skip the cilantro sauce! This cool, creamy accompaniment is the perfect counterbalance to the smoky, spiced chicken. The combination of fresh cilantro, yogurt, and a hint of coriander creates a refreshing dip that ties the entire meal together. Serve this dish family-style and watch it disappear.
Peri Peri Chicken
This Peri Peri Chicken recipe results in crispy, smoky chicken that is tender and juicy, with the most flavorful peri peri marinade! Bake it over potatoes and serve with the Green Sauce!
Ingredients
Chicken and Potatoes
Peri Peri Marinade
Cilantro Sauce
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Rehydrate dried chilies in a small pot of simmering water on the stove for 20 minutes. Remove stem and seeds.
- Butterfly the chicken: Rinse inside and out, removing innards. Pat dry. Place on a cutting board, breast down. Using sharp kitchen scissors, cut along both sides of the spine, remove and discard. Turn the chicken over, and placing your hand on the breast bone, press down hard with the palm of your hand to flatten.
Make the Marinade and Assemble
- Make the marinade by blending the marinade ingredients into a paste with a blender or food processor. Brush a layer of the marinade on the bottom of your large sheet pan.
- Place the thinly sliced potatoes on top of the marinade and sprinkle with a generous pinch of kosher salt, overlapping slightly but not too much.
- Brush all sides and crevices of the chicken with the marinade, coating fairly heavily. Save the remaining marinade for later.
- Place the chicken on the potatoes and put in the hot oven.
Roast the Chicken
- After 15 minutes, brush more marinade all over the chicken, really lathering it up. Return to the oven.
- Bake until cooked through, another 15-30 minutes, or until legs, thighs, and breast all reach an internal temperature of 165°F. A larger chicken may take an additional 20 minutes.
- To crisp the skin and get it deeply brown, broil for a few minutes. A little char is good here!
- Remove chicken when done and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving. Continue to cook or crisp the potatoes under the broiler while the chicken rests.
Make the Cilantro Sauce
- While chicken is roasting, combine cilantro sauce ingredients together in a bowl mixing by hand, or in a food processor.
- Serve cilantro sauce on the side with the chicken and potatoes.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken pieces for the whole chicken. Adjust cooking time as needed for smaller pieces.
- The bigger the chicken, the longer it will take to cook. A 5-6 pound chicken may need an extra 20 minutes.
- For best results, let the chicken marinate for a few hours or overnight before cooking.
