• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
AnotherFoodBlogger
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Appetisers
    • Mains
    • Desserts
    • Sauces
    • Snacks & Sides
    • Burgers/Sandwiches
    • Tacos
  • Articles
  • About
  • Contact

BBQ Peri Peri Chicken

Published: Feb 12, 2020 · Last modified: Jan 25, 2023 by AnotherFoodBlogger

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Peri Peri Sauce
Peri Peri Chicken
Peri Peri Chicken

Homemade BBQ peri peri chicken is what's going on at AnotherFoodBlogger's house and on the weber kettle right now.  The sauce is smokey from charring the veg on the bbq, spicy from all that chili and balanced out with the acidity from the lemon juice and sherry vinegar.  Marinade your chook overnight if possible and baste it during the cook and TRUST ME you shan't be disappointed!

Peri Peri Chicken

I'm sitting at the office desk AKA dining room table staring out the window trying to find inspiration.  The last few weeks/days my little terrorist has been waking me up at 3am.  Don't they understand I need to sleep off my alcohol intake from the previous night?  How else will I calm my nerves after a day of playing in the park, playing babies, begging them to eat some food or drink some water.  Let's not forget about the daily sun cream struggle here in Brisbane!!  People sometimes ask what's the secret to being a stay at home parent.  Well here it is.  Red wine is my 1st answer, followed by white wine being my 2nd and bubbly coming in a close third 😉

I can already feel today is gonna be a pinot noir day.  It's POURING rain today and doesn't look like it's gonna let up all week.  It's much needed rain at the moment but boy does it SUCK being stuck indoors all day playing babies!!  Luckily I'm being given 15 minutes to write this rant.  I'm on minute 11 so probably best I get back to the topic at hand - bbq peri peri chicken!!

WHAT IS PERI PERI?

When we think of peri peri most people jump straight to Portugal and the Portuguese chain Nando's.  Their worldwide chain has brought chicken to many and now their range of sauces are found in most grocery stores too.  For the "younger generation" who probably think that these guys created peri peri - sorry to say they didn't!  There are many fights around the world as to whose national dish it is.  The truth is it originated in Africa, Mozambique to be exact.  Their use of the African birds eye chili and cooking over charcoal was the backbone of this cracking dish.  The Portuguese who weren't adapt at cooking over charcoal discovered this method of cooking and marinading chicken and it was soon taken back to Portugal where they added acidity like lemon & garlic too it.  Over in South Africa they will claim it's their national dish and that knowing how to cook peri peri is a right of passage.  They talk about it's not just the cooking style but the sauce, marinade and basting too that makes the chicken dish what it is.

Nowadays though people (including yours truly) have taken the basis of the dish and put their own twists on it.  Some people add red win vinegar, others more lemon.  Some add red pepper/capsicum to balance out the heat where others will lather on the hot African chilis.  Most dishes we see on restaurant menus or on the interweb are adaptations of the original but DAMN tasty nonetheless.  I hope you enjoy my version!!

THE SAUCE

Peri Peri Sauce

So clearly it's ALL about the chilis!  My version uses a mix of the African red chili which is pretty darn hot.  Not as hot as the infamous ghost pepper but packs 175,000 units on the scoville scale.

By adding onion and red pepper/capsicum to mine it mellows the chili out a little.  I like to grill my veggies to begin with to bring out that smokey charred flavour.  Hit it with oregano, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar.  The beauty of the sauce is it's simplicity - just blend it all up!  You can use the sauce straight away but I find leaving it 30 minutes to 1 hour really helps everything come together a little better.  It kinda gives the spices a chance to sort themselves out after being churned about in the blender.   At this point you can use the sauce to drip chicken in, dunk some potatoes or in the case of peri peri chicken mariande!

MARINATING YOUR BIRD (CHOOK/CHICKEN)

Peri Peri Chicken

This is key.  Granted you can often just grill a piece of meat and add sauce on the side or chuck it in sauce afterwards to get the flavour BUT in dishes like this, fried chicken, chicken wings etc it's best to marinade in advance.  By adding a marinade to your meat whether it's salt, a brine, buttermilk or a peri peri sauce you will add extra layers of flavour and help tenderize the meat. This helps to make it moister and juicier.  After all that's the aim when cooking isn't it?  That is unless you are a well done kinda person.........................no comment!!

For me, I like to slice a little into the chicken, not to deep but just a small slice.  Rub the chicken in 1/3 of the sauce and place it on a tray covered in clingfilm or into a ziplock bag.  I try my best to do this overnight - that way when I wanna cook the next day I'm ready to go!  In this recipe you can cook the chicken whole, use it for chicken thighs or drumstricks but my favourite way to do it these days is to spatchcock the chicken.  Take the back bone out of the chicken and lay it flat.  You will need a VERY sharp set of kitchen scissors but nowadays most butchers or markets will either sell it spatchcocked or are happy to do it for you.

GRILLING & BASTING BBQ PERI PERI CHICKEN

Peri Peri Chicken

This is where it's at.  You have done the hard work by making a kick ass homemade peri peri sauce no point in ruining it.  Firstly split the remainder of your peri peri sauce into 2 jars.  One is to baste during the cook and the other to finish the cooked chicken with.  You may have figured it out already but if not.........  One you baste with is going onto raw chicken so it will get cooked in your oven/bbq where as the other will be added at the end to finish the cooked chicken.  Therefore no contamination!

PERSONALLY when making a dish like this it's best done over the bbq.  More importantly a charcoal bbq.  You honestly can't beat the flavour and juiciness of chicken cooked correctly over coals.  I've got a gas bbq too for quick cooks when I'm feeling lazy and it does a cracking job too but charcoal all the way for me.  If you aren't fortunate enough to live in sunny Queensland where you can bbq pretty much everyday then the oven will defo work too.

Basting - during the cooking process using a basting brush add some of the peri peri sauce to both the top and bottom of the chicken.  This allows the flavours to enhance and keep the meat moist.  The final layer of sauce is to make sure you get that sticky, spicy glaze that will hit you with a punch of deliciousness.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH BBQ PERI PERI CHICKEN

Keep it simple with this one.  For me I like to continue the bbq/outdoor theme so I did a little coriander yoghurt which helped balance out the spice without taking over, some pickled onions and a sprinkle of coriander garnish.  On the side some grill veggie skewers would work a treat, maybe some grilled corn or even a simple salad.  Often peri peri chicken can be served as a sandwich or wrapped in pita too.  Rice is a good starch to have with the chicken drizzled with extra sauce of course 😉 or even some crispy smashed potatoes would be killer.  The aim of the game is to keep the accompaniments simple and complimentary.  You have such great bold flavours with bbq peri peri chicken that you don't want the sides to take over!

ALTERNATIVE BBQ CHICKEN RECIPES & BBQ CHICKEN SAUCES

Grilled Chicken w/ Corn & Avo Salad by Yours Truly

Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce by Kellie Hemmerly of 'The Suburban Soapbox'

Indonesian Cantaloupe BBQ Sauce Chicken by Mireille Roc of 'The Schizo Chef'

Grilled Chicken Satay Sandwich by Yours Truly

BBQ Chicken Pizza by Susie Anderson Williams of 'We Are Not Martha'

Pineapple Glazed Chicken Wings by Yours Truly

Baked BBQ Chicken Legs & Thighs by Kelly Anthony of 'The Anthony Kitchen'

Happy Cooking and Happy Eating Friends!!

Peri Peri Chicken

BBQ peri peri chicken

Smokey, spicy and deliciously charred!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Marinade Time: 1 hour
Course: BBQ, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: African, Australian, BBQ, Portuguese
Keyword: bbq chicken, bbq peri peri chicken, peri peri chicken
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 785kcal
Author: AnotherFoodBlogger
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

  • 1 whole chicken spatchcocked

Peri Peri Sauce

  • 2 red peppers / capsicums
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tsp ginger grated
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 2 tbsp lemon
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 4 red cayenne chilis
  • 2 African birds eye chilis
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1/2 onion
  • 150 ml olive oil

Instructions

Peri Peri Sauce

  • Grill the onion, chilis and red peppers on a bbq or grill pan until charred (5-10 minutes).
  • Remove seeds from peppers and slice, slice onion and slice up chilis too (removing pith if you don't want it too spicy).
  • Place all peri peri sauce ingredients in a blender and blend into a paste. Adding more olive oil if necessary. Allow to cool and refrigerate until use.

BBQ CHICKEN

  • Once sauce has cooled split it into 3 equal amounts. 1 to marinade the chicken, 1 to baste the chicken with and the other to finish the cooked chicken with.
  • Rub the marinade all over the chicken and leave to marinate 1 hour but overnight if possible.
  • On a charcoal bbq grill on indirect heat @ 160c for 45 minutes, basting twice. Then char it on direct heat for the final 10 - 15 minutes until the internal temp of the thigh/leg is 75c (see tips/tricks)
  • Once cooked add a final coating of per peri sauce and ENJOY!!

Notes

Essential Tools

  • bbq/grill pan (for veggies)
  • chopping board
  • chef knives
  • measuring utensils
  • blender
  • tongs
  • basting brush

Tips/Tricks

  • when working with chili peppers removing the inner white pith/membrane will soften the spice level of the chili
  • when cooking it's important to measure the thigh/leg over the breast for temperature and to make sure not to touch the bone with the thermometer.  
  • In this recipe I like to cook chicken at a lower temp on indirect heat to keep the bird moist and then char it over coals afterwards.  You can cook it at a higher heat over coals or in the oven which will cook the chicken a little quicker - approx 45 minutes cook time.
  • When asking the butcher to spatchcock the chicken also ask them to remove the breast bone. Makes for a quicker cooktime and easier to eat too!
 

Nutrition

Calories: 785kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 639mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2558IU | Vitamin C: 148mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @another_food_blogger
« Ricotta Cherry Toast
Vanilla Coconut Rice Pudding »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bec

    February 19, 2020 at 5:15 pm

    Wooow! This looks so freaking GOOD.
    Kinda mad that I've already eaten dinner because I feel like I *need* this NOW.

    Reply
  2. Robyn

    February 18, 2020 at 5:21 pm

    5 stars
    This looks so packed with flavour - when you manage to get SO much flavour on so little sleep, you know it's a winning recipe!

    Reply
  3. Andrea

    February 17, 2020 at 3:21 pm

    5 stars
    How good is this chicken! Yum!! Incredible flavours, thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • AnotherFoodBlogger

      February 17, 2020 at 4:24 pm

      My pleasure!! I hope you and the fam enjoy it

      Reply
  4. Sylvie

    February 17, 2020 at 3:14 pm

    5 stars
    That chicken looks so juicy, and oh my... that sauce... SO flavourful! Wish you could come and make me dinner every night haha

    Reply
    • AnotherFoodBlogger

      February 17, 2020 at 3:15 pm

      I think the “boss” might have a few things to say about it ?

      Reply
  5. Jim

    February 16, 2020 at 4:50 pm

    5 stars
    WOW. What a post. I will be making that soon. Thanks for sharing. I love BBQ!

    Reply
    • AnotherFoodBlogger

      February 16, 2020 at 4:53 pm

      Pleasure mate - hope you enjoy it ??

      Reply
  6. Alisa Infanti

    February 14, 2020 at 7:40 am

    5 stars
    I love Peri-Peri chicken and have been looking for a good recipe to complete with the Portuguese restaurant near me. This recipe did not disappoint. It was delicious!

    Reply
    • AnotherFoodBlogger

      February 14, 2020 at 7:42 am

      Thanks Alisa - glad you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  7. Maureen

    February 14, 2020 at 7:24 am

    Holy smokes! This looks awesome! I’m always on the hunt for new grilling recipes and this one is definitely on my list!

    Reply
    • AnotherFoodBlogger

      February 14, 2020 at 7:41 am

      Thanks Maureen - hope you enjoy it ??

      Reply
  8. Jeremy Park

    February 12, 2020 at 6:08 pm

    5 stars
    I so love bbq chicken and I’ll definitely try this bbq recipe someday. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • AnotherFoodBlogger

      February 12, 2020 at 6:12 pm

      Thanks mate - lemme know if you have any Q’s and would LOVE to see the finished product

      Reply
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Who is AnotherFoodBlogger

So I am Gavin, ‘another food blogger', and if you’ve got this far you are hopefully as into food as I am!

In a nutshell, AnotherFoodBlogger is about me, my life in the kitchen, my love & passion for food and about how food features in my life. It’s about what I am cooking right now, what and where I have eaten and how those experiences have inspired me...
Read More…

Dont Miss New Recipes

Featured Recipes

This week we are tackling the age-old mission of 'getting veg into your child'.  Anyone else have that problem?  I think what I find most frustrating about it is both my wife and I eat pretty much everything and love eating out and trying new food things.  Our daughter - the COMPLETE opposite.  So, when...

Read More

Creamy, full of veggies, tasty chicken thighs and buttery mashed potatoes. You are going to want to get this chicken and mushroom pie on your table ASAP! Initially, I created this chicken and mushroom pie for my toddler but over the years my wife and I have loved it equally and it's now a great...

Read More

This delicious flap steak recipe is a great one to have up your sleeves, in fact flap steak in general and knowing how to cook it is one everyone should know about! Succulent perfectly cooked beef, crisp pear, crunchy broccoli and some raisins all tossed in a delicious maple mustard dressing. Salivating much? sponsored by...

Read More

Gooey Lemon Squares

This week it's all about some GOOEY lemon squares.  These little beauties are so simple to make, only using a few ingredients and the finished product is well - delish!  It all starts with a simple baked shortcrust base, a tart, and sweet baked lemon curd, and don't forget a ton of icing sugar on...

Read More

This isn't just any old "prawn risotto"! This delicious prawn and tomato risotto is made using a simple but flavoursome tomato stock and topped with delicious fresh Mooloolaba prawns that have been tossed in my spicy miso butter. Are you hungry yet? sponsored by Marri Wood Park, Yallingup, WA Why You Will Love This Recipe...

Read More

Copyright © 2023 AnotherFoodBlogger.com

110 shares
  • 17