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Frango piri-piri
Frango piri-piri: Algarve-style spatchcocked chicken with hot chilli and lemon sauce
Guia, a small inland village in the Algarve, is famous across Portugal for its churrasqueiras, where flattened chickens are grilled over charcoal and painted with fiery piri-piri sauce; families drive out on summer evenings just to eat it. The bird marinates in a blend of small hot chillies, garlic, lemon, paprika and olive oil, then grills until the skin is blistered and the meat juicy. Serve with chips, rice or a tomato salad, and extra sauce for brave diners. Chef's tip: keep back some of the sauce before it touches the chicken; that fresh portion is for basting and the table.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the piri-piri sauce
For the chicken
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Blend 6 red bird's eye chillies, 1 red pepper, 5 cloves garlic, 4 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ cup olive oil and 2 tsp salt to a smooth, loose sauce. Pour a third into a clean jar for basting and serving, and keep it away from the raw chicken.
5 minStep 2: Slash the thickest parts of 3 ½ lb whole chicken (legs and breast) a few times, down to the bone. Rub the rest of the sauce all over and under the skin. Wear gloves or wash your hands well afterwards, as the chillies burn.
5 minStep 3: Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Take it out 30 minutes before cooking.
240 minStep 4: Heat a barbecue for indirect cooking (coals to one side), or the oven to 425°F (400°F fan). Wash anything that touched the raw chicken.
10 minStep 5: Grill skin side down over the hot side for 5 minutes until marked, then move to the cooler side, cover and cook for 35–40 minutes, turning once. In the oven, roast skin side up on a rack for 40–45 minutes. Brush with a little of the reserved sauce in the last 10 minutes.
45 minStep 6: Check the thickest part of the thigh: it must reach 165°F (165 °F) and the juices should run clear, not pink. A common mistake is grilling over fierce direct heat the whole time; the skin burns black before the legs are cooked.
2 minStep 7: Rest the chicken for 10 minutes under loose foil, then cut into pieces. Serve with 1 lemon and the rest of the reserved sauce on the side.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does frango piri-piri take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of red pepper?
- Any colour of bell pepper, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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