National Dishes of the World

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Piri-piri chicken
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main dish

Piri-piri chicken

frango à piri-piri

Chicken marinated in fiery piri-piri chillies, garlic and lemon, grilled over charcoal.

Eaten in: Mozambique

Prep
20 min
Cooking
50 min
Resting
4 h
Total
5 h 10 min
Servings
4

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About the dish

Piri-piri chicken is one of the dishes most closely tied to Mozambique, named after the small, fiercely hot chillies used to season it. A spatchcocked chicken is marinated in a paste of chillies, garlic, lemon juice and oil, then grilled slowly over charcoal and basted with the remaining marinade until the skin is charred in places. It is served with rice, chips or bread and extra piri-piri sauce. The dish pairs an African chilli with a Portuguese grilling tradition and is now popular in Portugal and South Africa too.

Main ingredients

  • chicken
  • piri-piri chillies
  • garlic
  • lemon
  • oil
  • paprika

Recipe

Piri-piri chicken

https://foodmap.ominuvo.com/dish/piri-piri-chicken

Ingredients

4 servings

4 servings

Method

  1. Blend the chillies, garlic, lemon juice, oil, paprika, oregano, vinegar and salt into a smooth paste.

  2. Cut the chicken along the backbone, press it flat and slash the thickest parts deeply.

  3. Rub the chicken with two-thirds of the paste, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

  4. Light a charcoal grill and set up a moderate-heat zone, or heat the oven to 200°C.

  5. Grill the chicken skin side up for 20 minutes, then turn it and grill for another 20–25 minutes, basting with the remaining paste, until the juices by the bone run clear.

  6. Rest for 5 minutes, cut into portions and serve with rice or chips.

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