🍗 Piri Piri Chicken

Name: Piri Piri Chicken
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Portugal · Algarve
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (about 1.4 kg), butterflied; 4–6 fresh red piri piri (bird's eye) chillies; 4 garlic cloves; Juice of 2 lemons; 4 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp salt

Origin: Portugal · Algarve

645kcal

per serving · 300 g

215kcal

per 100 g

72 gProtein24 g / 100 g

36 gFat12 g / 100 g

6 gCarbs2 g / 100 g

Frango piri piri is Portuguese grilled chicken marinated in a fiery sauce of piri piri chillies, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. The chicken is usually butterflied and grilled over charcoal, basted with more sauce as it cooks, so the skin chars and blisters while the meat stays juicy. It is served hot with extra sauce on the side, often with fries and a simple salad.

Diets

✓

No porkfor halal, the meat must be halal-slaughtered

✓

Gluten-freeno wheat, barley or rye in a typical recipe

✓

Dairy-freeno milk, cheese, butter or yogurt in a typical recipe

✓

Keto-friendly2 g carbs per 100 g

✓

High protein24 g protein per 100 g — 45% of the calories

Not vegetarianbecause of: chicken

Not veganbecause of: chicken

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.

What it is made of

chickenpiri pirigarliclemonolive oil

Recipe

4 servings60 min

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (about 1.4 kg), butterflied
4–6 fresh red piri piri (bird's eye) chillies
4 garlic cloves
Juice of 2 lemons
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt

Method

Blend the chillies, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, paprika and salt into a smooth sauce.
Rub half of the sauce over the chicken and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Grill over medium charcoal or bake at 210 °C for 40–45 minutes, skin side up, until the juices run clear.
Baste with the remaining sauce during the last 10 minutes.
Rest for 5 minutes, cut into pieces and serve with lemon wedges.

How to make it lighter

Remove the skin before eating to cut a good share of the fat.
Choose breast pieces over legs and thighs for more protein per calorie.
Serve with a large tomato and onion salad or grilled vegetables instead of fries.

History

Piri piri chillies reached Portugal through its former African colonies, especially Mozambique and Angola; the name is often said to come from Swahili. Grilled piri piri chicken is especially associated with the Algarve, where the town of Guia is often named as its home.

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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →