Peri-Peri chicken is a breeze to make at home and its as simple as making a marinade. Peri-peri sauce is the marinade and ts a combination of chilies, garlic, lemon, ginger, and vinegar, it is such a powerful flavor that you can use is different ways. We are going to use them to marinate the chicken and also to baste it, first, have your red long chili a cut them into smaller pieces along with two dried chilies. They have two different flavors, the fresh one is going to impact fresh flavor and the dried one is going to add a more intense flavor and a slight smokiness. So, two chilies are going to the food processor so you can blend this marinade, three cloves of garlic, ginger, make sure you take the skin off, zest your emo then juice it, add a little bit of chyme then finely chop all the ingredients in the food processor.

Add the lemon juice with red wine vinegar and paprika to give that really vibrant red color then bring everything together. Add a quarter cup of olive oil and the last thing to add is a little bit of chili water that you rehydrated the dried chilies in there and continue to process that until fine paste forms. The next thing is to marinate the chicken in about half of that paste and then use the rest to baste and finish off the dish. If you are preparing the whole chicken, take off the wings of the chicken because they are going to burn on the grill. Turn the chicken over so the breast sides down and then take the back rib out, you can use a knife or kitchen scissors to make this easier. Flatten the chicken over so the breast side faces up and then very carefully break it and use a little bit of pressure just to press down the chicken.

This is a great way to cook the chicken because it cooks faster, marinate the chicken and then use your hands to smear that rich peri-peri sauce all over the chicken and ideally marinate this overnight because this will tenderize the chicken. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. You can add oi in the pan if you did not use oil to marinate the chicken. Place the chicken skin side down and this is going to cook for about three to four minutes on each side or until you get that nice charred look then take that into the oven for 35 to 40 minutes then serve the peri-peri chicken.

Ingredients;

The Marinade:

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Cracked black pepper, to taste (optional)

Chicken:

  • 3-4 pounds (or 1 1/2kg to 2kg) whole chicken
  • Salt and pepper to season

Instructions;

  1. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together until well combined.
  2. Using 3/4 of the marinade, coat the chicken evenly on the outside, as well as under the skin where possible, until fully coated in sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight if time allows.

For the oven;

  1. When ready to cook, arrange oven shelf to the middle of the oven, and preheat to 470°F | 245°C.
  2. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit on a bench top for 20 minutes, or just enough time to take the chill out of the chicken.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in an oven proof pan or well-seasoned skillet over medium heat.
  4. When the pan is hot, place the chicken, breast-side down into the pan, and sear for a good 5-6 minutes, until the skin becomes golden brown.
  5. Flip and sear on the other side for a further 5 minutes.
  6. Add 2 more tablespoons of vegetable oil to the remaining marinade, and pour half of it over the chicken.
  7. Use a basting brush to coat evenly.
    Place the chicken in the preheated oven, and cook for 55-60 minutes, or until cooked right through to the center and juices run clear.
  8. Once the chicken is done, baste with the pan drippings and serve with any remaining marinade to use as a dipping sauce.

For the BBQ;

  1. Place chicken on well-greased grill over medium heat, skin-side down, for 10-12 minutes, until the skin begins to have a nice char on it.
  2. Add 2 more tablespoons of vegetable oil to the remaining marinade. Flip and baste with a small amount of sauce.
  3. Close barbecue lid and cook for 40-45 minutes, flipping once or twice while cooking, until chicken is completely cooked through and juices run clear.