Peri Peri Chicken
Peri-Peri chicken is irresistibly spicy, smoky, garlicky, tangy, and utterly addictive! It's the most succulent chicken you'll ever cook on an outdoor grill!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 (4 to 4-1/2 lb.) whole chicken butterflied
PERI PERI SAUCE:
- 2 red bell peppers seeded & roughly chopped
- 6 birds eye chili peppers roughly chopped with seeds
- 4 long red chili peppers roughly chopped with seeds
- 1 red onion peeled & roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic peeled & roughly chopped
- Zest of a half lemon
- Zest of a half lemon
- 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
ADD IN:
- 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
- Zest of a half lemon
- Zest of a half lemon
- 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- PERI PERI SAUCE: Prep all veggies before you begin.
- Add red bell peppers, birds eye peppers, long red peppers, red onion, garlic cloves, 1/2 lemon zest, ½ lemon juice, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, smoked paprika, oregano, sea salt and black pepper to a food processor. Puree until smooth.
- Pour blended sauce into a medium saucepan. Add bay leaves and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves.
- ADD IN: Remove from heat and add ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ½ a lemon zest, ½ a lemon juice. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. With the blender on, slowly drizzle in the ½ cup olive oil, blend until smooth.
- Cool sauce for about 15-20 minutes then ladle into a jar or jars with lids and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes 3 cups
- CHICKEN: To spatchcock or butterfly a chicken, cut along each side of the backbone with kitchen shears. Remove the backbone, and reserve it for stock (it can be frozen up to three months). Turn the bird breast side up; flatten it with your palm.
- Place chicken in a 9×13-inch glass dish. Pour ¾ cup Peri Peri sauce over the chicken, cover and marinate the chicken for 8 hours or preferably overnight. Discard marinade.
- Heat grill to medium-high or set up for indirect heat. Grill chicken, breast side down, covered with vent open, until nicely charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Flip; cook 30 minutes more. Flip again and brush with more Peri Peri sauce; grill until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees in thickest part of breast, about 5 minutes more. Loosely cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve chicken with extra sauce for dipping at the table.
Notes
Cook’s Note: Alternately, you can use a cut up fryer chicken if desired.
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