Grilled Peri Peri Chicken (Peri-Peri Hoender)
Peri-peri hoender Say it: PEH-ree PEH-ree HOON-der
Peri peri chicken is South Africa's favourite fire-cooked bird: a whole chicken flattened out, bathed in a sharp, fiery sauce of bird's-eye chillies, garlic, lemon and vinegar, then roasted and charred until the skin blisters. It reached the country through Portuguese-Mozambican kitchens and is now eaten at weekend braais, in takeaways and with a pile of chips. The heat is bright and acidic rather than smoky, with a strong garlicky edge and just enough sourness to keep you coming back.
Grilled Peri Peri Chicken (Peri-Peri Hoender)
Peri-peri hoender
Pronounced PEH-ree PEH-ree HOON-der
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: none of the major allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Peri peri sauce
Chicken
Method
Make the sauce. blend the chillies, bell pepper, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, paprika, oregano and salt to a smooth paste, about 1 minute. With the motor running, pour in the oil in a thin stream until you have a loose, glossy sauce.
Spatchcock the chicken. with kitchen shears cut along both sides of the backbone and lift it out, then turn the bird breast-side up and press firmly on the breastbone until it lies flat. Pat the skin very dry with paper towels.
Spoon about half the sauce over the chicken and work it in with your hands, pushing some under the skin of the breasts and thighs and rubbing it into the joints. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Keep the remaining sauce in a jar for serving.
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the upper third. Set the chicken skin-side up on a wire rack over a foil-lined tray and roast for 30 minutes, basting once with the marinade that has collected in the tray.
Turn on the broiler to high and cook 5-8 minutes more, until the skin is blistered and charred in dark patches and a thigh reads 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer with clear juices running from the joint.
Rest the chicken for 10 minutes, then cut it into 6-8 pieces. Serve with the reserved sauce and lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Regional variant: Frango à Zambeziana (Mozambican coconut peri peri chicken)
Whisk 1/2 cup (120 ml) coconut milk into the blended sauce, replacing half the oil, and add an extra garlic clove. Grill the chicken over charcoal rather than roasting it, basting every few minutes with the coconut sauce so it slowly glazes, and finish it directly over the coals for a smoky char.
Cook's notes
- Wear gloves when handling the chillies and keep your hands away from your face; the heat lingers on the skin.
- For a charcoal braai, cook the flattened bird over medium indirect heat for 30-35 minutes, then move it directly over the coals for the last 5 minutes to crisp and char.
- Never spoon sauce that has touched raw chicken over the finished bird; the jar you set aside at the start is the one for the table.
Serve with
Slap chips (soft, thick-cut fries) or Portuguese rolls, extra peri peri sauce on the side, and a cold beer or sparkling water.
Make ahead and storage
The sauce keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for 1 week, and the chicken can marinate up to 24 hours ahead. Leftovers keep 3 days and are good cold or in a sandwich.
