Oven Roasted Piri Piri Chicken

Easy weekday meal loading! Piri Piri Chicken is a juicy, flavorful and flavorful fried chicken recipe that we’re sure will be added to your weekly rotation. Piri piri chicken is a traditional South African dish that was imported to Portugal, so it has ties to both places.

It’s traditionally fire roasted or grilled, but for any easy weeknight meal, the chicken can be oven roasted! What makes this dish special? The marinade! This sauce uses bird’s-eye peppers, which add fiery heat to the chicken.

This delicious chicken is easy to prepare and even easier to eat. This is a great recipe to try if you want something more than traditional fried chicken without having to worry about a super complicated new recipe. It only requires marinating and then roasting the chicken. just right?

What are piri piri peppers?

Piri Piri peppers are African bird’s eye peppers native to this region – they have a slightly fruity flavor but definitely a peppery spiciness. They are 10 times hotter than jalapeno peppers! They are mainly used in marinades, soups and pepper extracts. You can usually find them online or in specialty stores.

Why we marinate chicken

It all comes down to taste! When you marinate your chicken, all of the flavor seeps through the entire cut of meat—you get a tangy, tangy flavor in every single bite. Plus, that marinade makes this chicken so juicy!

I recommend marinating the meat overnight for maximum flavor, but if you’re short on time I’d say at least 3 hours.

I would not marinate the chicken longer than 24 hours as it can over tenderize the meat and make it mushy.

Tips and tricks for preparing Piri Piri Chicken

Here are some tips and tricks to help you cook juicy chicken pieces:

• I like to use chicken thighs, legs, and leg quarters when making this recipe. Chicken drumsticks and thighs don’t dry out as much as chicken breasts. Also, legs and thighs are cheaper, which is easy on the budget.
• I definitely use gloves or tongs when putting the marinade on the chicken. This prevents sauce residue from being left on my hands which could cause burns if I touch my face. Another note: Always wash your hands well after treating the chicken with this peppery marinade because those peppers are hot!
• I’m always looking for easy cleaning methods or ways to cut corners when it comes time to wash the dishes. When cooking, use foil as a liner in your pan for easy cleaning. You don’t have to worry about putting too much elbow grease to clean the pan when using foil. After cooking, simply remove the foil and throw in the trash. All the sticky residue that you normally have to soak and scrub away goes straight into the trash.

Make tips ahead

You can speed up dinner by making this sauce ahead of time. After you’ve made the sauce, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days. Just factor in the time it will take to marinate the chicken so you don’t exceed the two-day refrigerator shelf life.

You can also make this sauce ahead of time and freeze it! Simply store the sauce in an airtight, freezer-friendly storage container with a lid and it will keep for two months. Simply let the sauce thaw in the fridge for a few hours, then use as directed.

Sometimes I try to create a meal plan by putting marinated meat in the freezer. Try it! Combine the chicken and marinade in an airtight freezer-friendly container and place in the freezer. When ready, thaw the chicken in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, then it’s ready to cook.

Exchange and substitution of ingredients

The best thing about this recipe? It lends itself to a few swaps and subs if needed:

• If you don’t have African birdseye chili on hand, that’s fine. Try using other hot peppers like Thai chillies, serrano peppers, habaneros, or Scotch bonnet peppers.
• I used leg quarters for this recipe, but you can always use just chicken thigh or thigh portions.
• This chicken is spicy, but you can leave out 1-2 peppers to lessen the heat if your family isn’t particularly fond of spices.
• If you don’t have red wine vinegar on hand, you can use white vinegar and still get that tangy flavor.

Piri Piri Chicken Variations

You can definitely use this piri piri marinade for other proteins like shrimp and fish. Allow shrimp or fish to marinate briefly, about 15 to 30 minutes, before grilling or searing for delicious results.

You could even make a fried chicken recipe with this recipe! Almost reminds me of a buttermilk marinade for roast chicken. After marinating the chicken, you can dredge it in flour and fry it in buttermilk like this fried chicken recipe.

serving suggestions

French fries, rice, potatoes and salads are usually what popular restaurants serve with this delicious chicken.

These Oven Roasted Potatoes are easy to make and have crispy edges that remind me of a healthier french fries option that would go great with this dish.

To keep the traditional french side dish theme going, try these simpler, healthier crispy air fryer side fries.

Fragrant yellow rice would be a great accompaniment to this meal! Clove, cumin, chili and turmeric in this Indian-style rice pair well with the piri-piri chili flavors. Plus, the rice is great for soaking up any extra sauces on your plate! The sauce is almost like a nice little sauce for the rice.

Storage Instructions

Usually when I make this chicken there are no leftovers because everyone is asking for seconds (including me)! If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for about two days.

You can even freeze these leftovers for quick grab and eat later. Simply place leftovers in an airtight container and place in your freezer. You can keep them in the freezer for up to four months.

Warm up tips

When ready to use the leftovers, place in a baking dish and cover with foil (this will help keep the chicken moist) and bake at 350F for about 15 minutes.

If you’re using leftovers that you put in the freezer, let them thaw in the fridge overnight first, then reheat. This helps ensure the chicken thaws completely, so you don’t have issues with overcooking chicken that may still be frozen.

More Weeknight Chicken Recipes

• Classic chicken from Provence
• Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken with Potatoes, Tomatoes and Capers
• Easy Green Chicken Chili
• Stuffed chicken with ricotta
• Kung Pao Chicken