Peri Peri Chicken

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

4 medium red Fresno peppers (medium spicy) or 1/2 loosely packed cup red Thai or African bird’s-eye chiles (very spicy), stems trimmed and Fresno peppers coarsely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, drumsticks, or a combination

Directions

Marinate the chicken

Step 1: Marinate the chicken

Process 4 trimmed and chopped medium red Fresno peppers, 1 trimmed and chopped medium red bell pepper, 6 coarsely chopped garlic cloves, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt in a food processor until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the vessel if needed, about 20 seconds total. If you have difficulty blending, add some of the lemon juice to assist in the blending. Transfer to a large bowl.

Step 2: Marinate the chicken

Stir in the juice of 1 medium lemon, 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. The marinade should be just loose enough to be easily spreadable. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade (cover and refrigerate) for brushing the cooked chicken.

Step 3: Marinate the chicken

Pat 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks dry with paper towels. Add to the marinade in the large bowl and toss until evenly coated. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate up to overnight.

Option 1: Grilling

Step 1: Option 1: Grilling

Heat a gas grill for direct, medium heat (about 350ºF), or prepare a charcoal grill for both direct and indirect medium heat (pile the coals on one half the grill). If the chicken has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature while the grill heats.

Step 2: Option 1: Grilling

When the grill is ready, scrape the grates clean. Oil the grill grates with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the remaining marinade) and place on the grill skin-side down in a single layer, grilling over direct heat if grilling on charcoal. Cover and cook undisturbed until grill marks appear on the bottom, about 10 minutes.

Step 3: Option 1: Grilling

Flip the chicken. Reduce the heat to low on a gas grill, or transfer to indirect heat on a charcoal grill. Continue to grill, flipping the chicken every 5 minutes, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the meat not touching bone registers at least 165ºF, 20 to 30 minutes more. Brush with the reserved 2 tablespoons marinade before serving.

Option 2: Roasting

Step 1: Option 2: Roasting

Heat the oven to 350°F. If the chicken has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature while the oven heats. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Step 2: Option 2: Roasting

Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve the remaining marinade) and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Brush with some of the reserved marinade in the bowl and bake for 15 minutes more. Discard any remaining marinade left in the bowl.

Step 3: Option 2: Roasting

Turn on the broiler and broil until the chicken is cooked through and the skin and bits of the marinade have browned and charred slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Brush with the reserved 2 tablespoons marinade before serving.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition

• Serving Size: Serves 6
• Calories: 408 cal
• Total Fat: 23.3 g
• Saturated Fat: 5.9 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0.0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 676.7 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 5.7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.1 g
• Total Sugars: 2.6 g
• Protein: 42.1 g