Portuguese Peri-Peri Chicken – Succulent ‘Flattie’ on the barbecue

This tender Portuguese Peri-Peri Chicken is so luscious and flavoursome that it will easily become a frequent weekend meal. The secret to the soft, succulent chicken is definitely in the marinade. It is best to marinate the chicken the night before. However, if you are short on time, two hours in the fridge before the barbecue will suffice.

Certainly, there is a myriad of ways to prepare chicken, but this Portuguese Peri-Peri Chicken recipe is without a doubt one of the most delicious ways. Each bite through the crispy chicken skin into the soft, spicy chicken meat will make your taste buds burst into a happy dance.

To make it a real Portuguese evening, serve the Portuguese Peri-Peri Chicken with toasted Prego rolls and a side salad. Or, make it a mixture between a South-African and Portuguese dinner, and serve it with a potato salad and green salad.

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Portuguese Peri-Peri Chicken – Succulent ‘Flattie’ on the barbecue

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Recipe by Irene Muller Course: DinnerCuisine: PortugueseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

5

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

Prepare an unforgettable Portuguese evening with this delicious recipe.

Ingredients

• 1½ – 2 kg whole chicken

• MARINADE

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• ⅓ cup BBQ sauce, homemade or any brand of your choice

• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2-4 teaspoons sriracha  

• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard

• 2 teaspoons salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Method

• CHICKEN
• Butterfly the chicken by cutting through the back (also known as spatchcocking)
• To remove the backbone, flip the chicken on its back (poultry or chicken shears are the best tools for this task). Cut along each side of the spine and remove. 
• To make a notch, lay the chicken flat, breast side up. Make a notch in the white cartilage (it’s in the breastbone at the neck end). Make a slit on each side of the cartilage. Pop out the breastbone and remove it entirely.  The chicken will cook more evenly and much faster.
• MARINADE
• Mix all the marinade ingredients (except for the sriracha) together until well combined. 
• Add 2 – 4 teaspoons of sriracha. You can adjust the quantity of sriracha according to taste.
• Using ¾ of the marinade, coat the chicken evenly on the outside, as well as under the skin, especially the chicken breast, until fully covered in the sauce. 
• Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight if time allows.
• BARBECUE
• Place the chicken inside a well-greased barbecue folded grid. Place the chicken skin-side down over medium heat on the barbecue for 10 – 12 minutes until the skin becomes crispy. 
• Add vegetable oil to the remaining marinade. 
• Flip the chicken and baste with a small amount of sauce (not too much or it will burn). Flip once or twice while cooking until chicken is completely cooked through.

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Looking for more delectable dishes to make at home for your family and friends? We have excellent suggestions for you to try, just check out our recipes.