Piri-Piri Chicken

Name: Piri-Piri Chicken
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h 30 min
Cuisine: Portugal / Mozambique
Ingredients: 6 red bird's-eye chilies, or 3 red chilies plus 1 tsp cayenne; 1 red pepper, roasted from a jar, drained; 6 cloves garlic; 2 lemons, zest and juice; 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika; 1 tsp dried oregano; 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) olive oil; 1 tsp sugar; 5 g (¾ tsp) fine sea salt; 1 whole chicken, about 1.6 kg (3½ lb); 12 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt

Spatchcocked chicken in a hot, garlicky, lemony chili marinade

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 30 min
Total: 5 h 30 min
Level: Some skill

Piri-piri is a Portuguese-African dish of chicken grilled with a sharp sauce of hot chilies, garlic, lemon and oil. Spatchcocking the bird flattens it so it cooks quickly and evenly over two-zone heat, and half the sauce is saved for basting and serving.

Ingredients

Piri-piri sauce

6red bird's-eye chiliesor 3 red chilies plus 1 tsp cayenne
1red pepperroasted from a jar, drained
6 clovesgarlic
2lemonszest and juice
2 tspsweet smoked paprika
1 tspdried oregano
2 tbspred wine vinegar
100 mlolive oil (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp)
1 tspsugar
5 gfine sea salt (¾ tsp)

Chicken

1whole chickenabout 1.6 kg (3½ lb)
12 gfine sea salt (2 tsp)

Diet: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Allergens: sulphites
Origin: Portugal / Mozambique
Season: Summer

Method

Blend all the sauce ingredients until smooth. Pour half into a jar for serving and refrigerate.
Spatchcock the chicken: set it breast-down, cut along both sides of the backbone with strong kitchen scissors and remove it. Turn the bird over and press hard on the breastbone to flatten. Slash the legs and thighs twice.
Season all over with the salt and rub with the remaining half of the sauce. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. 4 h
Set up the grill for two-zone heat (see the chapter introduction), about 200°C (400°F) under the lid on the cool side.
Place the chicken skin-side up on the cool side, legs toward the heat. Close the lid and cook until the thickest part of the thigh reads 74°C (165°F) and the breast 65°C (150°F), 35–45 minutes. 40 min
Move the chicken over direct heat, skin-side down, and grill until crisp and charred in places, 3–5 minutes. Watch for flare-ups and move it if they flare. 4 min
Rest 10 minutes so the juices settle; the breast rises a few degrees more. Chicken held at 65°C (150°F) for several minutes is as safe as chicken taken instantly to 74°C (165°F). Cut into pieces and serve with the reserved sauce, lemon and French Fries or a salad. 10 min

Why it works

Spatchcocking puts the whole bird at an even thickness, so legs and breast finish together and more skin is exposed to the heat. Because the dark meat is closest to the fire and the breast furthest, the breast can be pulled at 65°C, where several minutes of holding make it safe while it stays juicy, and the thighs reach the 74°C they need.

Common mistakes

Grilling over direct heat the whole time: the skin burns and the inside stays raw.
Using the marinade as a sauce: always keep a clean half for serving.

Variations

With thighs: Use 8 bone-in thighs; cook on the cool side 30–35 minutes to 74°C (165°F), then crisp over direct heat.

Make ahead and storage

The sauce keeps 1 week in the fridge.

Notes

Oven fallback: roast the spatchcocked chicken skin-side up on a rack over a sheet pan at 220°C (425°F) for 40–50 minutes, until the thigh reads 74°C (165°F), then grill (broil) 3 minutes for color.