Baked Piri Piri Chicken Thighs Recipes

MARINATED PERI PERI CHICKEN THIGHS AND DRUMSTICKS

Steps:

• Prepare the marinade by mixing minced garlic, lemon juice, orange juice and olive oil together with a whisk. Add lemon zest, sea salt, sweet paprika, black pepper, red pepper flakes and dry oregano (or use Italian Seasoning instead). Whisk everything together.
• Pour the marinade into a plastic bowl or large ziplock bag. Add chicken thighs and drumsticks to the bag with marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or preferable overnight.
• Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF. Sprinkle paprika on top of the chicken skin (this will create a nice color on the skin).
• Preheat an oven proof skillet, such as cast iron and add olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted and the skillet is hot, add chicken skin side down and cook undisturbed on medium high heat for 4 minutes or until chicken is nicely browned.
• Flip chicken over (skin side up) and move the skillet to the oven. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 400 F. Remove from the oven, ensure that the chicken is cooked through. Garnish with parsley.

PIRI PIRI CHICKEN

Steps:

• Use rubber gloves to mince the chiles and place into a mixing bowl. Add cilantro, garlic, vegetable oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Mix piri piri sauce well.
• Place chicken breasts and legs into a resealable plastic bag. Pour in piri piri sauce, seal the bag, and shake gently to completely cover chicken. Put the bag in the refrigerator to marinate at least 4 hours.
• Remove bag from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to allow chicken to come to room temperature.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from the bag; discard bag and cilantro. Cook chicken on the preheated grill, rotating as necessary to cook evenly, until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 25 minutes.

PIRI-PIRI CHICKEN WITH SPICY RICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Slash each piece of chicken 3 times, so the marinade can really flavour the meat. Pour over the sauce and leave in the fridge to marinate, if you have time. If not, mix well and arrange, skin-side up, in a roasting tin. Cook for 30 mins, then increase heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for about 15 mins more until the skin is crispy and golden.
• When the chicken is almost ready, heat the oil in a frying pan. Cook the peppers and white parts of the spring onions for 5 mins. Tip in the purée and paprika, stir, then add the rice, breaking up with a wooden spoon so all the grains are coated well. Use a high heat and scrape any that sticks off the bottom so you get some soft and some crispy parts. Heat until piping hot. Scatter the green parts of the spring onion on top and serve with the chicken, and some vegetables or salad, if you like.

ONE-PAN PIRI PIRI CHICKEN DINNER

Steps:

• Pound all the marinade ingredients together with 1 tsp salt using a large pestle and mortar, or blitz in a mini chopper to create a loose paste. Slash each chicken piece a few times, then tip into a bowl and coat in the marinade. Cover and chill for at least 1 hr or up to 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the chicken along with the marinade and potatoes into a roasting tin. Toss together, then arrange the chicken on top of the potatoes, thighs skin-side up. Roast for 35-40 mins until the chicken has browned.
• Remove the tin from the oven and mix the peppers in with the potatoes, baste the chicken in some of the juices in the tin and turn the drumsticks. Nestle the cherry tomatoes in among the chicken and roast for another 20-25 mins until the chicken is cooked through, the skin is crisp and the vegetables are nicely roasted. Scatter with the coriander and some flaky sea salt, if you like, and serve straight from the tin with the buttered corn on the side.

PIRI-PIRI CHICKEN WITH SMASHED SWEET POTATOES & BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the sweet potatoes with a generous drizzle of oil and some seasoning, and tip into a very large roasting tin. Push the potatoes to one end of the tin, then, in the other end, toss the chicken with the onions, spice mix, a drizzle of oil and some seasoning. Roast for 40 mins, stirring everything halfway through. Add the broccoli to the tin, drizzle with a little oil and season, then roast for 10-15 mins more.
• Remove the chicken, onions and broccoli from the tin. Roughly mash the potatoes using a fork, making sure you incorporate all the chicken juices and spices from the pan. Spread the mash over the base of the tin, then top with the broccoli, chicken and onions and serve from the tin in the middle of the table.

PIRI-PIRI CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make the marinade, tip the dried chillies and the vinegar into a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave the chillies to soak until the vinegar is cold. Put the red chillies, garlic, soaked dried chillies and vinegar in a food processor and blitz. Add the smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, sugar, a pinch of salt and the lemon juice. Blitz again to a paste and set aside.
• Sit the chicken in a shallow dish and use a small knife to score all over with cuts 1cm deep. Make sure you do the legs and the underside. Tip the marinade over the chicken and massage into the cuts. Cover and chill for at least 4 hrs, but overnight would be better.
• When you're ready to cook, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roast the chicken for 1 hr, then turn the heat up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for a further 30-35 mins until a crust has formed on the outside of the chicken.
• Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 30 mins. Serve with homemade wedges or jacket potatoes, coleslaw, some buttered corn cobs and chilli & mint peas.