A Portuguese recipe with African roots Peri Peri Chicken is a such delicious and flavoursome dish that is also so easy and quick to prepare. Here we have cooked a whole butterflied chicken but you could use the same marinade with baked skin-on chicken pieces or with barbecued diced chicken thighs threaded on skewers.
Serve the chicken with boiled corn on the cob, a salad and extra lime or lemon wedges on the side.
Peri Peri Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 large organic whole chicken
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 cloves garlic , crushed
- 1 lime or lemon , juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C (fan forced).
- Butterfly the whole chicken by placing the chicken breast side down on a chopping board. With sharp kitchen shears or scissors cut down the backbone and open the chicken like a book. Turn the chicken over and press down firmly on the chicken until it is flat.
- Mix all of the other ingredients in a small bowl and then rub the mixture all over the chicken.
- If you have time leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge 1-24 hours. If you don't have time for this you can cook the chicken straight away. It will still be delicious.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
- Place the chicken in a large roasting pan and place in the oven for 75 minutes. Take the chicken out of the oven and baste it a couple of times during the cooking period.
- Cut the chicken into pieces and serve with corn on the cob, salad leaves and lime or lemon wedges.