The Best Spicy Grilled Chicken You'll Ever Make
I only publish recipes that I think are good, but this really is the best spicy grilled chicken you’ll ever make. Use my code Brian25 for 25% off your first month of Seed’s DS-01
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Ingredients
Dry Brine (Whole Chicken)
∙25g (4 t) kosher salt
∙12g (1 T) sugar
Dry Brine (Chicken Leg Quarters)
∙20g (3 ¼ t) kosher salt
∙10g (2 ½ t) sugar
Piri Piri Marinade/Sauce (yields approx. 3 cups)
∙150g (1 c) chopped onion
∙250g (1 ½ c) chopped red bell pepper
∙30g (6-8 cloves) garlic
∙15g (5-6) Thai bird’s eye chiles (sug 2 small habaneros)
∙10g (1 1/2 T) smoked paprika
∙15g (1T) kosher salt
∙30g (2 ½ T) sugar
∙200g (¾ c + 2 T) olive oil
∙Zest of 2 lemons
∙50g (3 T) lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
∙20g (1 T + 1 t) white distilled vinegar
For Roasting the Whole Chicken
∙1 whole chicken, preferably under 1.8kg (4 lb)
For Grilling
∙6 chicken leg quarters, deboned (or bone-in if preferred)
∙Olive oil or pan spray, for grill grates
Instructions
1. In a food processor, process onion, red bell pepper, garlic, chilis, paprika, salt, sugar, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vinegar until smooth but still a little chunky
2. Blend until broken down and saucy, but not completely smooth. The texture should be loose and rustic.
3. Reserve half of the marinade in the fridge for use during cooking and finishing.
Oven Method (Whole Spatchcocked Chicken)
1. Flip the chicken breast-side down. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the spine and remove it. Flip the chicken breast-side up and firmly press down to crack the breastbone so the bird lays flat.
2. Rub chicken all over with the salt and sugar mixture. Let sit uncovered for 25 minutes at room temperature.
3. Liberally brush both sides of the chicken with half of the prepared marinade. Refrigerate uncovered overnight. Reserve/refrigerate unused marinade.
4. The next day, preheat oven to 285°F (140°C). Place chicken on a rack-lined tray and roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 135–140°F (57–60°C) in the breast.
5. Increase oven temperature to 475°F (245°C). Brush the bird liberally with reserved marinade (about ¼ cup). Roast for 15 minutes, then brush again lightly and roast an additional 10–15 minutes until deeply browned. Rotate bird during the final 5 minutes for even caramelization.
6. While the chicken finishes roasting, pour the remaining marinade (approx. 1 ½ c) into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes to reduce and sterilize. Stir frequently.
7. Once chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) in the breast and 175°F (80°C) in the thigh, remove from oven. Brush one final time with the cooked sauce and let rest for 10–15 minutes. Carve and serve.
Grilled Method (Chicken Quarters)
1. Using a paring knife, debone the chicken leg quarters, keeping skin intact. You can also grill bone-in.
2. Season both sides of deboned leg quarters with salt and sugar mixture. Let sit for 25 minutes.
3. Spoon approximately 3 T of marinade per piece, coating thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight uncovered.
4. Preheat grill to 375–400°F (190–205°C). Oil grates generously to prevent sticking.
5. Place chicken skin-side up on the grill. Dab with more marinade. Close lid and cook 3–5 minutes.
6. Carefully flip to skin-side down. Grill another 3–4 minutes. Sauce the exposed side again. Repeat flipping every 3–5 minutes, saucing and rotating as needed for even browning.
7. Grill for a total of 25–30 minutes until skin is well rendered and internal temp reaches ~180°F (82°C). Remove from grill and brush with cooked, reduced peri peri sauce while resting.
CHAPTERS
0:00 spatchcocking and brining the chicken
1:42 making the peri peri marinade/sauce
3:54 roasting and saucing the chicken
5:07 reducing the sauce
5:28 keeping it smooth
6:33 finishing the sauce and final oven result
8:31 deboning, brining, marinating chicken for grill method
10:13 grilling and finishing
🎧MUSIC:
EPIDEMIC SOUND
#periperi #piripiri
source
I add crushed peanuts to the last sauce cover…..try it , its delicious😋
I used to crack the bone the same way, until I got a piece of bone in a piece of meat. Now I pop it with the sharp end of my cleaver, from the inside of the chicken. Great video!
what sorcery did you employ to cut through that drum/thigh joint on the first try without extending the joint to see where it bent?
You are always on point.. love your vids ❤
My OCD is triggered! The plastic film was never peeled from your stove's controls.
this is an excellent recipe, highly recommended. i also recommend the marinade for chicken wings too. brine and marinade overnight, deep fry, brush with a reduced glaze and roast a few minutes in a hot oven.
Someone needs to tell this guy that brushing and dabbing are different things.
I made this yesterday for a suite of guests. Now I know many people claim that a recipe is "the best I've ever eaten" but this actually was the best chicken I've ever eaten. It's got literally every perceivable flavor: savory, sweet, acidic, spicy, juicy. The chicken was bursting with juices. It is the whole package. It's not the first recipe I've made from Brian, but I'm stunned by the quality each time. He really is a world class chef
Ok ok ok.
Tried this tonight. the grilled version.
Actually insane how good that was. 10/10.
the reduced sauce 🤯🤯🤯 I want it on everything.
Anyone from England this reminds me of nandos…..but way better. Cannot tell you how delicious this was. Make this you won't be dissapointed.
Ayam taliwang looking at you 🤨
Cooking this tomorrow! Chicken is in the fridge right now absorbing the piri piri. Can’t wait thanks for the recipe Brian.
My fiancé and I JUST made this and we agree it is the best meal we’ve ever made. The best chicken recipe also. You guys HAVE to try this. Finally, I have to say that I love that me, a brown girl, learned this from you, a white guy 🙃🙃🙃
please use cups instead of grams
Great recipe – i would recommend doubling the sauce if you want extra for rice/side dippage.
What's the thing in the oven on top of the wire rack?
The oven method of low and slow and then cranking it is intriguing to me. I assume you could apply this to a variety of marinade recipes? Or just a plain 24hr dry-brined bird?
Thank you Brian for this recipe. I made it tonight (grilled version) adapted to my wife's preference for boneless skinless chicken breasts and it was a hit. Better than the peri peri chicken I've had at a number of restaurants.
Diabolical thumbnail
Yep, that dude can cook did this a ways back , love it!
So easy, so good. I make chicken like this weekly now. Cheers, brother!
It looks AMAZING. However, could you please move your grill further back from that wood railing. Just as a precaution. 😅
Think this would also be good if I cooked the thighs on a flat top instead of the grill? Thank you!
Everyone at the bbq wants the recipe. Thanks for another banger!
This is an example of fusion at its best – the Portuguese bring the marinading technique and Africa gives them chilli or peri peri and the rest is history. Like the vindaloo – fusion.
Ahh man you must the trick, this recipe over lumpwood ohh baby
I used this marinade for oven baked wings and it was amazing, thanks!
Hey Bri
Greetings from Sydney Australia. I just did this for my family of 6… mixed Chinese and huge age range… and it was amazing everyone loved it.
Cooked bone in chicken thighs on the Weber (it’s cold out yo) which just gives a flavour and tenderness I can’t do in the oven
Thanks for this one and the many other recipes of yours I’ve done.
I really like the idea of the boning a chicken quarter and then grilling it!
Huh, I'd always assumed "peri peri" was a type of chili.
my chicken is marinating as we speak
your recipes inspire me, thank you
This is truly an excellent dish and an amazing sauce. Tried it today and it's super delicious. Thanks Brian!
PS. The sauce, although quite spicy, is not unbearably so and doesn't overpower the dish. But it does change a bit once it's heated (to serve with the chicken). The taste is not as strong (actually, mine (after heating to kill any germs) became milder!
Next time, I will keep 1/2 of the marinade / sauce aside (untouched by brushes, utensils, etc), and serve it unheated with the cooked chicken! 👍
Gas BBQ is the same like cooking tour chicken on frying pan. What’s the point.
asap
I really like the idea of the boning a chicken quarter and then grilling it!
;o)
im glad my nearest 2 butchers here in germany have polo fino, which is are exactly those boneless skin on chicken thighs. best part of the chicken by far
Can I sous vide this easier than all that time in the oven?
My name is Katerina I live Germany I really like your video thanks u
2:14 do you mean the same amount as the habaneros or the original chiles? Like 4-5 or 2-3?
This was sooo good. I doubled the recipe for a family get-together, cooking two chickens at once and it worked out great. Thank you. The sauce tastes so good.
I like his hat.
I was planning on making this on the grill, but the weather turned and it's looking like I'll have to do it indoors instead. Any recommendations on oven times/temps for deboned thigh pieces vs a whole chicken?