If you’re craving something different this summer, here’s a great recipe that will give Nando’s Peri-Peri Chicken a run for their money. It will definitely get you excited about firing up the grill. You can make it mildly spicy or crank up the heat as much as you want. I won’t judge. I’ve made this recipe mildly spicy because my son isn’t a big spicy food fan. So, I made sure he’d enjoy these grilled chicken as much as I did. But of course, I separated a few pieces so I could add more spice because hubby and I love them that way. 😉 This delicious hot sauce blends piri piri chilies, lemon, olive oil, herbs, and spices with a perfect balance of sour, sweet, and salty. The complex and versatile sauce goes great on any meat, like chicken, pork, and beef.
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Peri Peri Chicken
Marinate the Chicken
Trim chicken of excess fat and pat dry with a cloth or paper napkin. (Photo 1) Rub with lemon and 2 teaspoons of Creole spice or salt and pepper. (Photo 2) Marinade – Place the onions, garlic, basil, oregano, bell pepper, and peri peri sauce in a food processor or blender, then add olive oil. Pulse for about 30 seconds until well blended. (Photos 3-4) Marinate – Put the chicken in a stainless steel or glass bowl and drench with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. (Photos 5-6)
Grill the Chicken
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Drain – When ready to grill, remove the chicken from the marinade with tongs and drain excess marinade. Reserve the marinade. (Photo 7) Grill the chicken for 10-15 minutes on each side. You may need to turn the chicken occasionally until it cooks through. (Photos 8-9) Sauce – Simmer the reserved peri-peri marinade in a small saucepan for about 7 minutes. Serve with chicken and sides. (Photo 10)
Recipe Variations
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Marinate your chicken for about 12 hours to absorb all the flavors for the best results. Refrigerate the marinated chicken in an airtight container or ziplock bag for 2 days maximum or freeze it for up to 2 months. Refrigerate leftover grilled chicken in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Or freeze it for up to 4 months. Thaw frozen chicken in the fridge overnight and reheat it in one of the following ways:
What to Serve With Peri Peri Chicken
Steamed rice and dinner rolls are perfect with this baked chicken. But jollof rice and baked plantains are fantastic.
More Deliciously Satisfying Chicken Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”pVSxYN5C” upload-date=”2021-08-09T07:00:00.000Z” name=”Peri Peri Chicken” description=”Peri-Peri Chicken – a mildly spicy luscious chicken dish bursting with interesting complex flavors from Peri-Peri Sauce, Creole Seasoning, lemon, and herbs. Grilled to perfection until tender and juicy. Certainly, a mouthwatering chicken recipe that is amazingly good whether it’s grilled or baked.” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”] This post was originally published in 2014 and has been updated with new photos, a video, and additional information
