Portuguese BBQ — piri-piri chicken and espetada | The Rub Kitchen
Portugal boasts one of Europe's richest grilling cultures — yet it remains relatively unknown outside the Iberian world. Two dishes stand out: frango piri-piri (spatchcock chicken with the spiciest marinade on the European continent) and espetada (beef cubes on Madeiran laurel sticks). Both are direct, smoky, and full of flavour — typically Portuguese.
Frango piri-piri — the chicken that conquered the world
Piri-piri chicken became globally famous through Nando’s — but the authentic version is a product of Portuguese-Mozambican colonial cuisine. The piri-piri is the African bird's eye pepper (Capsicum frutescens), also known as African bird’s eye chili, which Portuguese traders brought from their African colonies to Portugal and vice versa. The marinade made with it became the trademark of Portuguese grilling.
The classic piri-piri marinade
- Piri-piri peppers (or bird’s eye chili) — fresh or dried
- Garlic — plenty
- Lemon — juice and zest
- Smoked paprika (pimentão fumado)
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Oregano or coriander — depending on the region
- Salt and pepper
Everything is ground into a paste, and the chicken marinates for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. The chicken is spatchcocked (backbone removed, flattened) to cook evenly on the grill.
On the BBQ
- Start indirectly at 160°C, 30–40 minutes until internal temperature reaches 70°C
- Finish over direct heat — skin side down — for crispy skin and grill marks
- Baste with extra marinade or piri-piri sauce in between
- Internal temperature breast: 74°C, thigh: 80°C+
Espetada — the pride of Madeira
Espetada is a dish from the island of Madeira: large chunks of beef (traditionally vinha d’alhos — marinated in wine and garlic) skewered on thick laurel sticks and slowly grilled over a wood fire. The laurel wood imparts a subtly aromatic smoky flavour like no other.
- Meat: beef rib or neck in 4–5 cm cubes
- Marinade: garlic, bay leaf, sea salt, pepper, white wine — at least 12 hours
- Technique: on laurel sticks or metal skewers, slowly over wood fire or charcoal
- Serving: hung from a hook above the plate — the fat drips onto the side dishes below
Side dishes: fries, milho frito (fried corn porridge), or bolo do caco (Madeiran sweet potato bread).
More Portuguese grilling traditions
- Leitão da Bairrada — whole roasted suckling pig from the Bairrada region, cooked over wood in a stone oven. Crispy skin, succulent meat — the Portuguese counterpart to Filipino lechón.
- Sardinhas assadas — grilled sardines on a simple grate, Lisbon's summer dish during the Festa de Santo António (June). Only salt, no marinade.
- Polvo grelhado — grilled octopus, marinated in olive oil, garlic, and paprika.
Rub Kitchen tip
The Jamaican Jerk BBQ Rub shares piri-piri's heat-plus-citrus profile: scotch bonnet, allspice, thyme. For quick piri-piri-style chicken without marinating: rub in the rub, add a tablespoon of olive oil and a generous squeeze of lemon — straight onto the BBQ.