This Portuguese Piri Piri Chicken is smoky, juicy, and irresistibly crispy! Marinated in a bold, smoky peri peri sauce, the chicken roasts over thinly sliced potatoes that soak up all those delicious juices. Serve with a cooling cilantro yogurt sauce. Video included!
This Portuguese Chicken, also known as Piri Piri Chicken (or peri peri chicken), is one of my favorite cozy winter dinners. Smoky, crispy-skinned chicken roasts over thinly sliced potatoes, filling the house with the most wonderful aroma. The prep is simple, and the oven does most of the work.
There’s something so comforting about a roast chicken on a cold winter evening. As the snow begins to fall and the days grow shorter, I find myself drawn to the warmth of the kitchen, a crackling fire, and the simple pleasure of a meal roasting in the oven.
Brilliant recipe. A firm favorite of family and friends. A keeper.
Why you’ll love this Piri Piri Chicken
Smoky, bold flavor. Ancho chilies, smoked paprika, and garlic create a deeply flavorful marinade with just a gentle kick of heat.
Crispy skin, juicy chicken. Roasting at high heat gives the chicken beautifully golden, crispy skin while keeping the meat tender and juicy.
The potatoes are incredible! Thinly sliced potatoes roast beneath the chicken, soaking up the savory drippings and becoming tender with delicious crispy edges.
Perfect for a cozy dinner. The oven does most of the work, and the cooling cilantro yogurt sauce brings everything together.
What is Piri Piri Chicken?
Piri Piri Chicken is a flavorful dish with roots in southern Africa and Portugal. Traditionally made with fiery African bird’s-eye chilies, garlic, and spices, the chicken is marinated and then grilled or roasted. My version uses milder ancho chilies and smoked paprika for a deep, smoky flavor without too much heat.
Piri Piri Chicken Ingredients
- Whole chicken - A small, 3-4 pound chicken, preferably pasture-raised, for juicy, flavorful meat and crispy skin. Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces work, too.
- Potatoes - Yukon Gold or red potatoes, thinly sliced, become tender and crispy as they roast beneath the chicken, soaking up all those delicious juices.
- Dried ancho chilies - Add a rich, earthy, smoky flavor with mild heat. Rehydrate before blending into the marinade.
- Smoked paprika - Gives the marinade its signature smoky depth and beautiful reddish color.
- Garlic - Fresh cloves add bold, savory flavor.
- Ground coriander - Adds a subtle citrusy warmth to both the marinade and cilantro sauce.
- Sherry vinegar - Brings brightness and acidity to balance the smoky spices. Red wine vinegar or lemon juice work just as well.
- Olive oil - Helps create a rich, flavorful marinade and encourages beautifully roasted chicken.
- Salt and black pepper - Season the chicken and bring all the flavors together.
- Plain yogurt - Creates the creamy, cooling base for the cilantro sauce. Use a dairy-free yogurt if preferred.
- Fresh cilantro - Adds a bright, herbaceous flavor that balances the smoky chicken.
- Lemon juice - Gives the cilantro sauce a fresh, tangy finish.
How to make Piri Piri Chicken
Step One: Spatchcock the chicken
You can butterfly (or “spatchcock”) a whole chicken for this recipe, roast a whole chicken, or buy pre-cut bone-in, skin-on pieces. I prefer butterflying the chicken for this recipe, which allows it to cook fast and evenly, and is a good technique to learn. Watch how to spatchcock a chicken here (video). You’ll need a good pair of kitchen shears to cut the backbone out of the chicken, which I’ll show you below.
Pat the chicken dry. Place the whole chicken, breast-side down on a cutting board.
Using sharp kitchen shears, remove the spine, cutting on each side of the spine.
Open the chicken wide and turn it over so the breast side now faces up.
Press down firmly on the chicken’s breastbone to flatten it. You may hear some cracking, which can be disconcerting the first time. Just press down as hard as you can. And that’s it- you’ve spatchcocked a chicken!
Step Two: Make the Piri-Piri Marinade
In a blender or food processor, blend the marinade ingredients into a thick paste. Set aside a little marinade for basting, then generously brush the chicken on both sides with the remaining marinade.
Step Three: Assemble the Piri Piri Chicken
If making the crispy potatoes that go with this, (which I highly suggest) brush marinade on the bottom of your sheet pan. Sweet potatoes would also work well.
TIP: Do not use a 9×13 inch baking dish– use a large, rimmed, metal sheet pan for best results. This enamel pan is deceiving; it is very large (16×22).
Layer thinly sliced potatoes, overlapping only slightly, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken, skin side down, tucking the wings under, over top of the potatoes.
Step Four: Bake the Peri Peri Chicken
Place the pan on the middle rack of a 425°F preheated oven. After 15 minutes, turn the chicken over and roast for another 15 minutes, basting with more marinade after flipping.
Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through and the breasts, legs and thighs all reach 165°F. It’s okay if the thighs and legs go over. Depending on the size of the chicken, this could be 20-50 more minutes.
Then broil until the skin gets crispy and slightly charred in places. This step is important!
The flavorful juices from the Peri-Peri Chicken and marinade will seep into the potatoes which will have softened and also become crispy a nice contrast. Place it in the oven.
Step Five: Make the Green Sauce
Green Sauce. While the peri peri chicken bakes, make the flavorful green sauce. Cilantro and yogurt are combined to make a delicious cooling sauce- a delicious accompaniment to the smoky chicken.
Rest. Once the chicken is cooked through (thighs, legs, and breasts all reach 165 F) let it rest for 5-10 minutes, so all the juices don’t run out of the meat too quickly. This will ensure a juicier chicken.
To serve, cut the piri-piri chicken into pieces and serve with the green sauce and the crispy potatoes. The crispy potatoes are deliciously addictive, and the chicken comes out perfectly crispy and delicious.
What to serve with Piri Piri Chicken?
We love serving this with a hearty green salad. Either our Caesar Salad, this Kale salad, Caprese Salad or this Arugula Salad.
Chef’s Tips
- Use a large sheet pan. For the crispiest potatoes, use a large, rimmed metal sheet pan rather than a glass baking dish. Giving the potatoes room to roast instead of steam makes all the difference! (The enamel pan in my photos is much larger than it looks.)
- Choose your chicken. I love using a whole, spatchcocked chicken for its juicy meat and crispy skin, but bone-in chicken pieces work beautifully, too. For a lighter option, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts.
- Adjust the cooking time. The chicken in my photos weighs about 3½ pounds. Larger chickens (5-6 pounds) may take 70-90 minutes, while boneless pieces cook much faster. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness (165°F for breast, 175f for thigh). If the chicken finishes before the potatoes are crispy, remove it and let the potatoes continue roasting.
- Marinate overnight. For even deeper flavor, marinate the chicken overnight in a covered container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator.
- Make it spicier! Ancho chilies give this version a mild, smoky heat. For a more traditional fiery kick, add cayenne or a little African bird’s-eye chili to the marinade.
- Don’t skip the final broil. A few minutes under the broiler gives the chicken beautifully golden, crispy skin and those delicious lightly charred edges. Watch carefully to prevent burning!
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make ahead: The peri peri marinade and cilantro yogurt sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated separately. You can also spatchcock the chicken and marinate it overnight in the refrigerator. For the crispiest potatoes, slice and assemble them just before roasting.
- To store: Refrigerate leftover chicken and potatoes in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Store the cilantro yogurt sauce separately.
- To reheat: For the best texture, reheat the chicken and potatoes on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until heated through (165°F). This helps restore the crispy skin and potatoes. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
- To freeze: Freeze cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The potatoes are best enjoyed fresh, as their texture can become soft after freezing.
I hope you enjoy this delicious Peri Peri Chicken! And please leave your comments and ratings below. Always appreciated! For another delicious sheet pan dinner, check out our Quick & Easy Baked Feta with Harissa Chickpeas! Cheers and love, Sylvia
More Chicken recipes you’ll love!
- Berbere Chicken with Ethiopian Lentils
- Portuguese Fish Stew (Caldeirada)
- Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup)
Watch how to make Piri Piri Chicken
Piri Piri Chicken with Crispy Potatoes
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: chicken recipe, dinner recipe, entertaining, fall dinner, Main, sheet-pan dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Portuguese
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, high protein, Keto, Paleo
Description
This Piri Piri Chicken recipe results in crispy, smoky chicken that is tender and juicy, with the most flavorful peri peri marinade! Bake it over potatoes and serve with the Green Sauce!
Ingredients
- 1 small Whole Chicken (3–4 lbs) or sub chicken pieces ( see notes)
- 1 1/2 lbs potatoes (Yukon or reds), thinly sliced ( 1/4 inch thick)
Marinade:
- 2 dried ancho chilies -rehydrated
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar or lemon juice.
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cilantro Sauce:
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 bunch Cilantro – finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- Cracked pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Chilies. Rehydrate dried chilies in a small pot of simmering water on the stove for 20 minutes. Remove stem and seeds.
- Chicken. Butterfly the chicken: Rinse inside and out, removing innards. Pat dry. Place on a cutting board, breast down. Using sharp kitchen scissors, cut along both sides of the spine; remove and discard. Turn the chicken over, and placing your hand on the breastbone, press down hard with the palm of your hand to flatten.
- Marinade. Make the marinade by blending the marinade ingredients into a paste with a blender or food processor.
- Assemble. Brush a layer of the marinade on the bottom of your large sheet pan. Place the thinly sliced potatoes on top of the marinade, sprinkle with a generous pinch of kosher salt, and overlap slightly, but not too much. Brush the chicken with the marinade, coating all sides and crevices fairly heavily. (You will add more marinade during cooking, so save the rest.) Place chicken, skin side down on the potatoes. Open side up.
- Bake. (Allow 60 mins total) Place in the oven on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over and return it to the oven. After 15 more minutes, brush more marinade over the chicken on the skin side, really lathering it. Return the chicken to the oven and bake until cooked through, another 15-30 minutes, or until legs, thighs, and breast all reach an internal temperature of 165 F. (It is OK if the thighs go over.)
- Note: The bigger the chicken, the longer this will take. (A large, 5-6 pound chicken may take an additional 20 minutes!) To crisp the skin and get it deeply brown, broil for a few minutes. A little char is good here! Remove chicken when done and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving. You can continue to cook the potatoes or crisp them up ( with broiler) while resting the chicken and cutting it into pieces.
- Green sauce. While the chicken roasts, combine the cilantro sauce ingredients in a bowl, mix by hand, or blend in a food processor. Serve cilantro sauce on the side.
Notes
For a lighter version, use skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breast. Feel free to marinate overnight in a Ziploc bag. Cooking time will shorten significantly, so you may have to remove the chicken and let the potatoes continue cooking to get them crispy.
Whole chickens. Baking time will vary depending on the chicken’s size (weight). This one in the photos was a small 3.5 pound chicken. Larger 5-6 lb chickens will take longer in the oven ( 70-90 minutes). So plan accordingly.
Tip: Use a large rimmed metal sheet pan, rather than a glass baking dish, so air can circulate and potatoes can get crispy! (This enamel baking dish in the photos is much larger than it looks! )
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 2.2 g
- Sodium: 1295.2 mg
- Fat: 15.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.2 g
- Fiber: 4.6 g
- Protein: 54.3 g
- Cholesterol: 165.5 mg
Piri Piri Chicken Faqs
This version is mildly spicy! Ancho chilies and smoked paprika give the chicken a deep, smoky flavor without too much heat. For a spicier version, add cayenne or African bird’s-eye chilies to the marinade.
Absolutely! Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs work beautifully, and boneless, skinless thighs or breasts are a lighter option. Adjust the roasting time accordingly, as smaller pieces cook much faster than a whole chicken. The potatoes may need additional time to crisp up.
The most common culprit is overcrowding the pan. Use a large, rimmed metal sheet pan and arrange the potatoes in a thin layer with only slight overlapping. If the chicken finishes cooking first, remove it and continue roasting the potatoes until golden and crispy.
you mentioned the large baking pan. I don’t think they exist. is yours vintage? if not, where did you get it from?
Hi Trudi, yes, mine is vintage in the photos, but a standard large sheet pan (21×15) with a small 1-inch lip will work.
Outstanding!
Glad you enjoyed!
Does this need to be marinated for a couple of minutes/ hours?
Hi Cherlyl – the marinade is so flavorful you don’t really “need” to marinate it, but if you want to, feel free!
Hi, if I can’t find dehydrated ancho chiles, will fresh peppers do? Also cannot find ancho fresh, would need to be another variety.
Thank you!
The ancho chiles are a unique flavor in this dish. Have you checked ordering online? I have used ancho chile powder here instead, with great success.
Ok, this is wonderful. Too good to share!
Glad you are enjoying Arif!
Brilliant recipe. A firm favourite of family and friends. A keeper
Glad you are enjoying! Thanks for the review.
Delicious recipe. Everyone loved it and there were no leftovers…except for the cilantro sauce. I have so much leftover. Do you have any ideas on repurposing it?
Hi Stefanie, happy to hear everyone enjoyed! You could make some bowls with grains, veggies and protein- top it off with the sauce. Roasted yams, peppers, onions…with chickpeas or chicken, rice or quinoa.
How many tablespoons / cups is 2 Dried Ancho Chilies-rehydrated?
Hi Mike, if I were to guess, about a half cup?
I have try perry perry at location restaurant & love it. I decided to make it myself. Overall it was good plus I didn’t make yogurt sauce because it has plenty sauce but next time I will add spicy pepper to this recipe. Thanks
Glad you gave it a try Gymrat.
Boy …I absolutely love this recipe! My entire Caribbean household is sold!!! Thank you…my first time making it…it shall not be my last!!!
Great to hear!