PERI-PERI CHICKEN

I have always had this crazy hankering for peri-peri (piri-piri) chicken and guess what, this is my yet again favorite snaccck! Well my dinner does not consist of a whole heavy meal, I keep it light and healthy, and peri - peri chicken does get included sometimes. The chicken pieces as soon you take a bite melts right on your taste buds and the first word you'd say is "ummm wow". This peri peri chicken recipe smothers chicken in a homemade peri peri sauce then bakes or grills them and serves them with extra sauce. It’s a quick and easy weeknight meal. What are you waiting for, make it tonight and don't forget to share it with me. 

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 SERVINGS-

  • 6 chicken legs

  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • Salt and pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PERI- PERI SAUCE -

  • 1  pound  red chilies chopped – African Bird’s Eye peppers are traditional, but you can sub with red peppers available to you

  • 4  cloves  garlic chopped

  • 1  teaspoon  smoked paprika you can sub in other chili powders

  • 1/2  cup  chopped cilantro

  • 1/4  cup  chopped basil

  • 1/2  cup  olive oil or vegetable oil

  • Juice from 1 lemon

  • Salt to taste

  • FOR SERVING: Chopped parsley, spicy chili flakes

LET'S MAKE IT! -

  • Pat the chicken legs dry and rub them down with the paprika, garlic, and salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

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  • Heat your oven to 400 degrees F.

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  • For the peri peri sauce, add the peppers, garlic, paprika, cilantro and basil to a food processor. Process until well mixed.

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  • Drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to process until the mixture thickens up.

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  • Stir in the lemon juice and adjust for salt.

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  • Use half of the peri peri sauce to cover the chicken. Toss them together to get the chicken legs nicely coated. You can cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour at this point if you’d like more developed flavor.

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  • FOR BAKING: Bake the chicken for 35-40 minutes, or until they are nicely cooked through. They should measure 165 degrees F internally.

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  • FOR GRILLING: Fire up the grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Grill the chicken legs for about 35-40 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes to keep from burning, until they are cooked through. They should measure 165 degrees F internally.

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  • Remove from the oven and toss in the remaining peri peri sauce.

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  • Sprinkle with fresh herbs and spicy chili flakes. Serve!