Piri Piri Chicken or Frango Piri Piri is a Portuguese grilled chicken that’s glazed with chili sauce and served with fries. This dish is believed to have originated in Guia, a small town near Albufeira, it’s perhaps the Algarve’s most popular dish. You will even find several restaurants specialized in the dish scattered across the Algarve.
Authentic Piri Piri Chicken Using an Air Fryer
Traditionally, the chicken is cooked on a charcoal grill. Often though, a barbecue is not the most practical nor the most neighbour friendly item to cook with. So, I’ve been experimenting with different methods to recreate that rotisserie chicken deliciousness without using the barbecue. I’ve done it in the oven before, like a regular roast chicken. Although really delicious, it takes longer to achieve the charred barbecue look, and you might risk ending up with a dry chicken. To me nothing beats the air fryer when it comes to ‘roasting’ something quickly at high temperatures. So, my fellow air fryer devotees, this recipe is for you! A piri piri chicken that’s crispy but juicy, it has just the right amount of spicy, and it is super easy to prepare.
Ingredients For the Perfect Air Fryer Piri Piri Chicken
This recipe has two components: the butterflied chicken, and the homemade piri piri sauce. In most Portuguese supermarkets you will find frango para churrasco, a small chicken of approx. 1k that’s butterflied and ready for cooking. You can also request the same thing at the butcher’s counter. If your air fryer has a large basket like mine, you can cook the entire chicken, if not, just ask your butcher to cut the chicken into eights instead.
For the sauce you will need olive oil, port wine, garlic, fresh coriander, piri piri (red chilies), pepper paste, lemon juice, salt and pepper. I used 4 piri piri chilies with the seeds for moderate heat. For a milder sauce you can either use less chilies or remove the seeds. Now let’s dive into the recipe.
Air Fryer Piri Piri Chicken Recipe
The first step is to take the chicken out of the fridge at least 30 minutes in advance. In the meantime, you prepare the chili sauce. In a food processor, blend the olive oil, port wine, garlic, fresh coriander, piri piri (red chilies), pepper paste, lemon juice, salt and pepper, until smooth. Set aside.
Pre heat the air fryer, line the bottom basket with foil, place the chicken in the top basket with the opening facing down. Season with a little salt and pepper. Air fry it for 10 minutes at 195°C.
Brush the skin of the chicken with the piri piri sauce, pop it back in the air fryer, cook for another 10 minutes at 195°C.
Repeat the process once more, at this point your chicken should have a light charred look. Baste the chicken with the juices that dripped on the foil. Carve the chicken, serve with some French fries!
How to Make Air Fryer Piri Piri Chicken
Air Fryer Piri Piri Chicken – Portuguese Grilled Chicken
4
servings10
minutes30
minutes742
kcalPiri Piri Chicken or Frango Piri Piri is a Portuguese grilled chicken that’s glazed with chili sauce and served with fries.
Ingredients
1 Small chicken, butterflied
80 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Lemon, juiced
3 Garlic Cloves
5 g Fresh Coriander with Stems
4 Red Chilli Peppers with Seeds
1 tbsp Roast Pepper Paste
Salt
Black Pepper
Directions
- Start by pre heating the air fryer. In the meantime, add the olive oil, port wine, garlic, fresh coriander, piri piri (red chilies), pepper paste, lemon juice, a tbsp of salt, and a scrunch of black pepper, to a food blender. Blend until smooth, set aside.
- Line the bottom basket of the air fryer with foil. Place the butterflied chicken on the top basket, with the opening facing down. Season with a little salt and pepper, air fry for 10 minutes at 195°C.
- Brush the chicken with the chili sauce, cook for another 10 minutes at 195°C.
- Repeat the process once more.
- To finish it off, baste the chicken with the juices that dripped on the foil. Carve the chicken, serve with some French fries or a simple salad.
Notes
- Take the chicken out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Deseed the chilies for a milder sauce.
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments!