Peri-peri chicken recipe — South African BBQ recipe with spicy marinade
Deel
Peri-peri chicken is the most famous grilled classic from South Africa and Mozambique — a whole chicken or chicken thighs marinated in a fiery sauce of African piri-piri chili peppers, garlic, paprika, and lemon. This is the recipe with homemade marinade.
What is peri-peri and where does it come from?
Peri-peri (also spelled piri piri) is the Swahili name for the African bird's eye chili — a small, extremely hot chili pepper originally from America but brought to Africa via Portuguese trade routes in the 16th century. The pepper found its home in Mozambique and spread from there to South Africa through the Portuguese colonial presence.
The combination of African chili pepper, Portuguese olive oil, and citrus forms the base of peri-peri — a marinade that transforms chicken into something smoky, spicy, and deeply flavorful. More on the background: South African Grilling — The Braai Culture.
Ingredients for homemade peri-peri marinade
For the peri-peri marinade (4 servings):
- 4–6 red chili peppers (fresh or dried — piri piri or cayenne)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- Juice of 1 lemon + zest of the peel
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- Optional: 1 tsp oregano
For the chicken:
- 1 whole chicken (approx. 1.5 kg), spatchcocked — or 8 skin-on chicken thighs
The heat of peri-peri comes entirely from the chili peppers. Use fewer peppers (2–3) for mild, more (6–8) for authentic spiciness. Piri-piri peppers are hotter than cayenne — if you can find them at an Asian or African supermarket, use them.
How to make peri-peri chicken step by step?
Combine all marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until a smooth, fiery red sauce is formed. Taste and adjust saltiness and heat. The marinade should taste intense — it will mellow when diluted by the chicken meat.
Spatchcock the chicken — remove the backbone with kitchen shears so the chicken can lie flat. This ensures even cooking on the grill. Rub the marinade generously over the entire chicken, including under the skin on the breast meat. Marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.
First grill the chicken over indirect heat for 25–30 minutes at 160–180°C with the skin facing up. The marinade will slowly cook into the meat without burning.
Move the chicken to direct heat, skin-side down, for 5–8 minutes at high temperature for crispy, slightly charred skin. Check for internal temperature: 74°C in the thickest part of the breast.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before carving. Serve with extra peri-peri sauce on the side, Portuguese bread or rice, and a simple green salad.
Peri-peri chicken and dry rub: the hybrid approach
Want the peri-peri flavor without the long marinating time? Use a dry rub of smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, lemon peel powder, and salt — applied 30 minutes before grilling. You'll miss the depth of the marinated version, but the spicy, smoky flavor profile will definitely be there.
Check out Chicken on the BBQ — the complete guide for temperatures and spatchcock technique, and BBQ Spices by Country for more on the peri-peri tradition in South Africa. More on the origin: Piri piri — Wikipedia.
More international grilling flavors
From peri-peri spicy to Jamaican Jerk — discover the complete rub collection.
View all rubsStarter Pack · 3 flavors