Peri-peri spatchcock chicken with homemade peri-peri sauce

• Peri-peri spatchcock chicken tips
• Peri-peri spatchcock chicken recipe
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We love flavour in South Africa and our food represents our wide variety of tastes. One of our favourite ways to enjoy our food is with a bit of spice and with chicken, it’s often peri-peri which derives from Portuguese cuisine. With sweet peppers, cayenne and some chilies, you’ve got the perfect homemade peri-peri sauce for your peri-peri spatchcock chicken. It’s tender, aromatic and perfect for a weeknight dinner with your family.

Peri-peri spatchcock chicken tips

To spatchcock/butterfly the chicken, simply remove the backbone of the chicken using sharp scissors. Turn it over, remove the wishbone and press down to flatten. This will help with more even cooking without drying out the chicken breasts. You can also pop it onto the braai this weekend with the method below and is best served with some roasted vegetables and crispy potatoes. On the braai, the sauce gives the chicken a chance to char for more flavour.

The summer rains are here and comfort food is on the menu. A aromatic and spicy peri-peri spatchock chicken will warm-up the whole family.

Last updated on 2 November 2022

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Peri-peri spatchcock chicken recipe

5 from 8 votes Recipe by Jessica Alberts Course: DinnerCuisine: GlobalDifficulty: Easy Servings

4

servingsPrep time

20

minutesCooking time

1

hour Total time

1

hour 

20

minutes

You can’t beat a chicken ‘flattie’ on the braai! Coated in a delicious homemade peri-peri sauce, this chicken is spicy, juicy and full of flavour.

Ingredients

2 red peppers, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled

5 red chillies

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp cayenne pepper

1½ tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp dried herbs (rosemary or basil)

⅓ cup vegetable oil

4 tbsp vinegar

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• INGREDIENTS – Chicken

1 whole chicken, butterflied

salt and pepper to season

Method

• METHOD – Peri-Peri Sauce
• In a frying pan, sauté the red peppers and onion in olive oil until soft. Add the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon of the salt.
• Add the garlic, chillies, white pepper, lemon juice, sugar and dried herbs.
• Add the mixture to a blender and blend until a smooth paste forms.
• Add the vegetable oil, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce blend again.
• METHOD – Chicken
• Spatchcock the chicken by removing the backbone and flattening out the chicken (See notes above)
• Place the chicken on a tray and season with salt and pepper.
• Pour over the peri-peri sauce, keeping some to baste the chicken later.
• To cook the chicken in the oven: Place the chicken on an oven tray and cook in a preheated oven at 180Cfor 45 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, baste the chicken with the remaining sauce and cook for a further 15 minutes.
• To cook the chicken on the braai: Wrap the chicken in foil and cook on a low heat for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and baste with the remaining sauce. Cook the chicken for another 10 minutes in a braai grid.

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Looking for more tasty chicken recipes to prepare for your family and friends? Just have a look at our recipe page, we have excellent suggestions for you to try.

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