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-
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6 chicken legs
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1 tablespoon smoked paprika
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1 tablespoon garlic powder
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Salt and pepper to taste
INGREDIENTS FOR THE PERI- PERI SAUCE -
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1 pound red chilies chopped – African Bird’s Eye peppers are traditional, but you can sub with red peppers available to you
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4 cloves garlic chopped
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1 teaspoon smoked paprika you can sub in other chili powders
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1/2 cup chopped cilantro
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1/4 cup chopped basil
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1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
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Juice from 1 lemon
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Salt to taste
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FOR SERVING: Chopped parsley, spicy chili flakes
LET'S MAKE IT! -
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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!