Peri Peri Style Chicken

Name: Peri Peri Style Chicken
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Ingredients: Whole Chicken; 2 Fresh Habanero Peppers; 1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro; 15 Leaves Fresh Basil; 4 Cloves Garlic; 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice (About ½ Lemon); 2 Jarred Roasted Red Bell Peppers; 1 Tbsp Molasses; 75ml / ⅓ Cup Olive Oil; 1 Tbsp Hot Smoked Paprika; 1 Tbsp Fine Salt

Spatchcocked with Habanero Peppers

Don't be chicken, give this recipe a try. It's cooked in a sweet, smoky, and spicy marinade, so have your favorite cooling beverage on standby.

Complexity

Nice and Easy

Prep Time

0 H 30 M

Appliance

Oven

Cook Time

1 H 0 M

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Let’s Cook

Ingredients:

Whole Chicken

About 2kg / 5 lbs recommended Should be thawed to fridge temperature before starting cook

2 Fresh Habanero Peppers

If unavailable, substitute serrano or jalapeño peppers Habanada peppers can be used for less heat

1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro

15 Leaves Fresh Basil

4 Cloves Garlic

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice (About ½ Lemon)

Freshly squeezed recommended

2 Jarred Roasted Red Bell Peppers

1 Tbsp Molasses

Pure sugar cane molasses recommended

75ml / ⅓ Cup Olive Oil

Pure (not virgin or extra virgin) olive oil recommended due to higher smoke point

1 Tbsp Hot Smoked Paprika

1 Tbsp Fine Salt

Tools:

Paper Towels

Blender

Kitchen Scissors

Citrus Squeezer

Roasting Rack

Baking Tray

Knife

Cutting Board

Heat-Resistant Gloves

About This Recipe:

Brace yourselves, it's about to get hot in here. This is a traditional Portuguese recipe with an exotic blend of flavors that hit nearly every flavor palate. It's usually made with peri peri peppers (or African bird's eye chilis), but we swapped them out for habanero peppers since they've got more heat with a little sweet. Fair warning, though: Habanero peppers fall between 100,000 and 350,000 on the Scoville scale, which is basically a fancy way of saying that you should maybe have some milk nearby to stop the burning. There are two main tricks to getting a perfectly juicy bird with crispy skin. The first is spatchcocking the chicken so it cooks more evenly (which we'll cover in the recipe, so don't worry if you have no clue what that means). The second is starting with higher heat and reducing it partway through, which is where the MEATER app's custom alerts come in handy. Because this chicken is made with spicy habanero peppers, it works best with milder side dishes like white rice or a fresh green salad. Or if you like the feeling of your mouth being on fire, you can just get some fresh vegetables and drown them in your extra peri peri sauce, you daredevil, you. Bitter beverages are known for making spicy sensations worse, so you can grab one of those if you're into that sort of thing, or you can find a bit of relief with something with more sugar content. Fruity red wines like pinot noir or dark and sweet ales are your best bet.

Cooking Method:

Pre-Heat Oven

Pre-heat your oven to 425°F (220°C). This can take up to 15m.

Starting with higher heat lets your sauce and chicken cook together, and turning it down later in the cook will prevent the sauce ingredients from getting too charred. You want your face to burn, not your food.

Remove Cilantro Stems

Cut off your cilantro stems.

Cilantro is a great complement to poultry dishes because it has a bit of a citrus flavor. It also has a strong herby taste, so it's a perfect addition to a bold sauce like peri peri. Unless, of course, you have that weird olfactory gene variation that makes cilantro taste like soap.

Remove Habanero Stems

Cut the stems from your habanero peppers, then wash your hands.

We wanted this recipe to have a lot of heat while still maintaining flavor, so we chose habanero peppers for their unique sweet and spicy taste. After cooking, the chicken itself might be mild enough that it can be enjoyed by even the wimpiest of spice wimps, but our recipe calls for some uncooked sauce to be set aside (spoiler alert) for those who like to live dangerously. If you want your sauce to be less spicy, you can use fewer peppers, as well as remove the seeds and pith.

Remove Basil Stems

Pick off the stems from your basil leaves.

Basil is an aromatic herb with a touch of sweetness, so it helps to balance out the spiciness of the peppers and the acidity of the lemon juice. It's important to remove the stems, because no one likes a chewy sauce.

Peel Garlic

Peel your garlic.

Garlic is almost as much of a staple in savory dishes as salt and pepper. It's a powerhouse of flavor that pairs with and enhances foods of every flavor profile. Do you really need to add garlic to all of your recipes? That's like asking if you really need oxygen.