One-Pan Piri Piri Chicken Recipe

Serves: 4-6 people
Cooking Time: 1 hour (plus 30 minutes marinating)
Difficulty: Easy

What You’ll Need

For the piri piri marinade:

• 6-8 dried red chilies (or 3-4 fresh red chilies)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the chicken and vegetables:

• 3 pounds chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, or cut-up whole chicken)
• 1 pound small potatoes, halved
• 2 red onions, cut into wedges
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Fresh parsley for serving
• Lemon wedges for serving

Creating the Piri Piri Sauce

If you’re using dried chilies, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes until they’re soft, then remove the stems and most of the seeds. For fresh chilies, remove the stems and some seeds if you want less heat.

Put the chilies, garlic, chopped red bell pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, smoked paprika, salt, oregano, and black pepper into a blender or food processor. Blend everything until you get a smooth, thick sauce. It should be the color of deep red sunset and smell incredibly fragrant.

Taste the sauce and adjust it to your liking. If it’s too spicy, add more olive oil and lemon juice. If you want more heat, leave in more chili seeds next time. The sauce should be bold and flavorful with a good kick of heat.

Marinating the Chicken

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and place them in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Pour about three-quarters of the piri piri sauce over the chicken, saving the rest for later. Use your hands to rub the sauce all over every piece of chicken, making sure it gets into all the nooks and crannies.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or seal the bag, then let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. If you have more time, marinating for 2-4 hours will give you even better flavor. The acid in the lemon juice and vinegar will help tenderize the chicken while the spices work their magic.

Preparing the Vegetables

While the chicken is marinating, prepare your vegetables. Cut the potatoes in half so they cook evenly with the chicken. Cut the onions into thick wedges that won’t fall apart during roasting. The bell peppers should be cut into strips about 1 inch wide.

Put all the vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle them with olive oil and salt. Toss everything together so all the pieces are lightly coated. This will help them brown nicely and prevent sticking.

Setting Up for Roasting

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Take out your largest roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet – you want everything to fit in a single layer without crowding. If the chicken and vegetables are too crowded, they’ll steam instead of getting nicely browned.

Arrange the marinated chicken pieces skin-side up in the pan, then scatter the prepared vegetables around them. Try to keep the potatoes and onions closer to the edges where they’ll get more direct heat, and put the bell peppers in spots where they’re partially protected by the chicken.

Roasting to Perfection

Put the pan in the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes without opening the door. After 25 minutes, check how everything is browning. The chicken skin should be starting to turn golden and the vegetables should be sizzling nicely.

Brush or spoon some of the reserved piri piri sauce over the chicken pieces, then continue roasting for another 15-20 minutes. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part with a knife.

The vegetables should be tender and lightly caramelized around the edges. The potatoes should be crispy outside and fluffy inside, and the peppers should be soft and slightly charred.

The Final Touch

Remove the pan from the oven and let everything rest for 5 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute and makes the chicken easier to serve. Drizzle any remaining piri piri sauce over the chicken and vegetables.

Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley over everything for a pop of color and freshness that balances the rich, spicy flavors. The bright green herbs also add a nice contrast to all the golden and red colors on the plate.

Serving Your Piri Piri Feast

Serve the chicken and vegetables directly from the roasting pan for a rustic, family-style presentation. Provide lemon wedges on the side – a squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens up the rich, smoky flavors beautifully.

This meal is complete on its own, but it’s also wonderful with crusty bread to soak up all the delicious pan juices, or a simple green salad to add some fresh crunch.

Customizing Your Heat Level

The beauty of making your own piri piri sauce is that you can control exactly how spicy it is. For a milder version, use only 4-5 dried chilies and remove all the seeds. For those who love serious heat, leave the seeds in and add an extra chili or two.

You can also adjust the flavors by adding a touch of honey for sweetness, or extra smoked paprika for more smoky depth without additional heat.

Make-Ahead Tips

The piri piri sauce can be made up to a week ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The chicken can be marinated overnight, which actually improves the flavor. Just remember to bring everything to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before roasting for even cooking.

Leftovers keep well for 3-4 days in the refrigerator and reheat beautifully in the oven. The flavors often taste even better the next day after they’ve had time to meld together.