Portuguese Chicken

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe

This Portuguese chicken recipe (aka piri piri chicken) is a zillion times better than Nando’s!!   Neither of us are fans of Nando’s but we have spoken loads of times about making our own piri piri chicken.   This recipe is from the UK September 2019 Food to Love magazine – unfortunately, it’s not a magazine that’s online, so I’m afraid I can’t provide the recipe link.   It was the fact that the chicken was spatchcocked that made it really appealing to make, however, I’m sure it would still be delicious if you wanted to use chicken drumsticks, thighs and/or legs…you’d just need to adjust the cooking time to approx. 20 to 30 minutes.

Other recipes you might also like to try

Click here for all chicken and turkey dishes.

Recent New Recipes

Category Spotlight...

PASTA

There's loads of delicious pasta recipes to choose from...salads, pasta bakes, hot and cold pasta dishes and lasagnes...enjoy!

Browse pasta recipes

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 small red chillies, roughly chopped
• 80g roasted red peppers, from a jar
• 0.5 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp sweet pimenton or smoked paprika
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1.6 to 2kg whole chicken (preferably free range – they’re juicier!)
• 150g mayonnaise (good quality – Heinz is my favourite!)
• 2 lemons, halved
• sea salt flakes or fine sea salt

Instructions

1. Combine the garlic, chilli, pepper, oregano, paprika, lemon zest and juice, and Worcestershire sauce in a blender or small food processor. Blend to a smooth paste.   Reserve a third of this pepper mixture.
2. Line a baking tray with greaseproof baking paper. Now it’s time to spatchcock that chicken:  using sharp kitchen scissors, cut the chicken either side of the backbone.  Remove and discard the backbone.   Open the chicken out, turn it over and flatten it by pressing down with the heel of your hand along the breastbone.   Place the now spatchcocked chicken on the prepared baking tray, along with the lemon halves.   Score the skin and flesh and then brush the remaining pepper mixture all over the chicken.   Cover and put it into the fridge for 1 hour to marinate.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan.
4. Season the chicken with sea salt flakes or fine sea salt. Roast for 50-60 minutes, occasionally brushing the pan juices back over the chicken.
5. Meanwhile, mix the reserved pepper mixture with the mayonnaise – set aside for serving.
6. Remove the chicken from the oven and cover with tin foil. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
7. Serve the chicken with the pepper mayonnaise and chargrilled lemon halves. We enjoyed ours with chunky oven chips and tender stem broccoli.   The choice of sides is yours…salad and baked potatoes would be good too!

Recipe Collection Spotlight...

13 FAVOURITE COMFORT FOOD RECIPES

What do you think of when asked 'what's comfort food?'...top of my list is macaroni cheese!!  There's LOADS of comfort food recipes on Felly Bull - here's 13 of my favourites:

Browse the collection

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to hear how it went…both good and bad!

Please go to the bottom of the page to rate the recipe and/or leave your comments.

It would also be great if you could take a photo and tag Felly Bull on social media, thanks.

Subscribe to receive our new and highlighted recipes in your email inbox each week...plus receive our new e-Cookbook for free!!!

Portuguese Chicken

Deborah

The spatchcocked chicken is delicious and tender, and the piri piri sauce is full of flavour with a nice kick of heat!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Marinating time 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine Portuguese

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 small red chillies roughly chopped
• 80g roasted red peppers from a jar
• 0.5 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp sweet pimenton or smoked paprika
• 1 lemon zest and juice
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1.6 to 2kg whole chicken (preferably free range – they’re juicier!)
• 150g mayonnaise (good quality – Heinz is my favourite!)
• 2 lemons halved
• sea salt flakes or fine sea salt

Instructions

 

• Combine the garlic, chilli, pepper, oregano, paprika, lemon zest and juice, and Worcestershire sauce in a blender or small food processor. Blend to a smooth paste. Reserve a third of this pepper mixture.
• Line a baking tray with greaseproof baking paper. Now it’s time to spatchcock that chicken: using sharp kitchen scissors, cut the chicken either side of the backbone. Remove and discard the backbone. Open the chicken out, turn it over and flatten it by pressing down with the heel of your hand along the breastbone. Place the now spatchcocked chicken on the prepared baking tray, along with the lemon halves. Score the skin and flesh and then brush the remaining pepper mixture all over the chicken. Cover and put it into the fridge for 1 hour to marinate.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan.
• Season the chicken with sea salt flakes or fine sea salt. Roast for 50-60 minutes, occasionally brushing the pan juices back over the chicken.
• Meanwhile, mix the reserved pepper mixture with the mayonnaise – set aside for serving.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and cover with tin foil. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Serve the chicken with the pepper mayonnaise and chargrilled lemon halves.   We enjoyed ours with chunky oven chips and tender stem broccoli.   The choice of sides is yours…salad and baked potatoes would be good too! 

Notes

• It was the fact that the chicken was spatchcocked that made it really appealing to make, however, I’m sure it would still be delicious if you wanted to use chicken drumsticks, thighs and or legs…you’d just need to adjust the cooking time to approx. 20 to 30 minutes

 

You might also like to try:

• chicken and turkey dishes

 

Keyword Nando's, piri piri, spatchcock chicken, whole chicken