peri peri chicken recipe nando copycat

Peri peri chicken masala roast is made by applying a special sauce made in an original sauce procedure and then applying the sauce to the leg quarters and baking well.

It is an International chicken making recipe which is now available in many Indian restaurants and if made homemade it tastes better than the restaurant one's and can be made in a healthy manner.

I have tried to replicate the original form of peri peri chicken in homemade style and hope my viewers like it and appreciate the efforts.

About Peri Peri Chicken:

To make this chicken recipe, we first need to make the piri piri sauce or peri peri sauce and then apply to the chicken legs before baking.

The baking is done at right temperatures to get the perfect juicy flavor from the chicken.

The sauce made for this recipe is African based sauce which is actually made from bird's eye red chilli peppers. These can be hot and sweet at times.

I have modified and made it moderately spicy by using red bell peppers. To make it spicy bell peppers of any kind can be added to the sauce while blending.

I have used 3 kinds of peppers one is the bird's eye red chili pepper, red bell pepper and green chili and tried to use Indian ingredients.

I am first mentioning below the ingredients I have used to make the piri piri sauce as well as the variations and enhancements that can be done to the recipe.

How to make the peri peri sauce:

To make the sauce all the ingredients required to make it are blended well into a fine paste and then applied to the chicken.

Below are the ingredients to make the sauce:

Red bell peppers : I am using these peppers as they are moderately spicy but there are many kinds of peppers and chilies which can be used to make the sauce.

Serrano bell pepper too can be used to make the sauce which can be hot and spicy.

Bird's eye red chili: This is one of the main chilies added to the sauce but every region do not have these kind of chilies. Therefore, they can be replaced with big red chilies from their respective countries.

In India, it is hard to find Serrano peppers or bird's eye chilies but there are many more tasty red chilies which can be replaced to make this sauce.

Some use even green capsicum and many other varieties of chilies, but I am using three types of chilies and can be enhanced in many other ways.

Garlic cloves: It is added to make the sauce strong and flavorful.

Green chili: I have added 1 chili but the quantity can be increased for more spice flavors. My recipes ingredients are exactly moderate and not too spicy as this is a tried and tested recipe.

Smoked paprika: Adding paprika powder gives a strong color and flavor to the sauce but not every region has paprika powder but can have other form of paprika powder like ordinary red chili powders which can be used to make the sauce.

Salt and pepper: These are the basic dry spices that go into making the sauce as well as give a good taste to the plain sauce and balance the spicy flavors too.

Lemon extract: It reduces the spice flavors in the sauce and balances it while blending and killing too hot flavors.

Bay leaf: For a good aroma fresh bay leaf or its dried form is added to make the sauce flavorful.

Olive oil: The peri peri chicken marinade turns out dry and the chicken too turns extremely dry if no sufficient oil is added. I have added olive oil for healthy options and also this recipe mostly uses this oil.

If it is not handy, it can be replaced with other oils such as vegetable oil but olive gives a delicious taste.

Therefore, adding oil during the cooking of the sauce is essential which keeps the chicken juicy from inside and out when this sauce marinade is applied.

Cooking the sauce: Once, the sauce is blended it is now time to cook the sauce well for at least 20 minutes. Cooking the sauce remove all the raw flavors and makes the dish full of flavors.

Step by step procedure for the recipe:

To make the sauce:

• Take a blending jar, add red bell peppers which are roughly chopped. Add sliced onion into it. Add small red chili pepper or bird's eye red chili pepper. Add garlic cloves, add a green chili.

• add lemon extract.

• Add salt as per taste, black pepper powder, smoked paprika powder.

• Blend all the ingredients into a thick paste. Add very little water if required to blend it into a fine smooth paste.

• Take a sauce pan, heat it. Add the blended peri peri sauce into the pan.
  • Add bay leaf, olive oil, stir.

• Let it simmer for at least 20-25 minutes.

• Switch off the flame and lastly add lemon extract. Mix well.

Baking the chicken:

• Take the chicken leg quarters, wash them well.
  • Make cuts to the chicken with a knife. Make long cuts to both the leg quarters.

• Apply the sauce to the chicken. Apply the sauce to the front and back section. Make sure the sauce is applied well inside the cuts.

• Take a baking tray. Spread aluminium foil according to the size of the tray used.

• Place the chicken pieces on the tray. Apply the sauce again to all over the chicken cuts and to the whole chicken leg quarters (front and back).

• Pre heat the oven to 380° F/ 200 °C and bake the chicken for 40 minutes.

• The peri peri chicken turns out juicy and soft from inside and out.

• Serve hot with dip or sauce.

Other recipes on the blog:

tandoori chicken in oven

kadai chicken

KFC fried chicken

Video for the recipe:

FAQ'S FOR THE RECIPE:

Can we make the sauce and enhance it in other ways?

Yes, the sauce can be made in slightly different way.

Some try to cook the raw ingredients by boiling them well and then making the sauce.

The procedure is to boil all the chili peppers such as bell peppers, capsicums, green chilies or whichever chilies used. Boil all of them well, cool them down and blend them by adding garlic, dry spices, bay leaf.

Lastly, mixing oil and lemon extract and mixing the sauce well. This is another simple method to make the sauce.

Can we add other dry spices to the sauce?

Yes, many other sauce varieties can be added such as coriander powder, cumin powder,whole spice powder, oregano etc... Any flavor giving ingredient can be added to make it delicious.

Other enhancements or variations to the sauce can be garlic powder, onion powder, tamarind powder, parsley and many other ingredients can be added and modified to the chicken sauce.

Is it mandatory to use the mentioned chillies?

No, any kind of chili can be used mainly red one's as every region and country produces different varieties of chilies. Other than the chilies the rest of the ingredients are easy to find.

Where can this sauce be used?

It can be used for chicken as well as fish too can be used in a similar way and cooked.

Can we slow cook the coated chicken with sauce?

It is better to bake the chicken as it can be more juicy and if slow cooked there are chances for all the masala to burn and chicken may not taste good for slow cooking this recipe.

Recipe Card for Peri Peri Chicken: