Recipes / International dishes / Grilled Dishes

Piri Piri Grilled Chicken Legs

Name: Piri Piri Grilled Chicken Legs
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mozambique, Portuguese influence
Ingredients: Chicken leg quarters 4 (about 1kg); onion 1/3, cut into pieces; red horn chili 1 to 3; chopped cilantro roots or stems 1 tablespoon; finely minced shallot 2 tablespoons; finely minced garlic 2 tablespoons; chili powder 1 teaspoon; dried oregano 1 tablespoon; juice of 1 lime; honey 3 tablespoons; cooking oil or olive oil 4 tablespoons; salt 1 teaspoon; black pepper 1 teaspoon; coconut milk 120ml

International dishesGrilled DishesMozambique, Portuguese influence40 minutes roasting, at least 90 minutes marinating

The skin comes out browned and blistered, hot with chili and fragrant with oregano. What makes it good is a blended marinade that works its way right into the meat. Time is the difficulty, since a rushed marinade seasons only the skin.

Three deep cuts are scored across each leg and it marinates for at least 90 minutes, ideally overnight. The whole marinade is blended smooth so it coats the meat evenly. It roasts at 180 degrees C for 30 to 40 minutes.

This batch weighs about 1.5kg, at roughly 223 calories per 100g.

Nutrition (this recipe makes 4 servings)

223.1kcal

11.8gprotein

17.4gfat

3.2gsugar

This recipe is sweetened with honey. Honey is still sugar, so keep the portion sensible.

Estimated from raw ingredients; the real numbers shift a little depending on how you cook and what you buy.

This batch makes 4 servings. This batch roasts 4 chicken leg quarters, one per person.

Ingredients for the batch

Chicken leg quarters 4 (about 1kg)
onion 1/3, cut into pieces
red horn chili 1 to 3
chopped cilantro roots or stems 1 tablespoon
finely minced shallot 2 tablespoons
finely minced garlic 2 tablespoons
chili powder 1 teaspoon
dried oregano 1 tablespoon
juice of 1 lime
honey 3 tablespoons
cooking oil or olive oil 4 tablespoons
salt 1 teaspoon
black pepper 1 teaspoon
coconut milk 120ml

Method

Put everything for the marinade into a blender: 1/3 onion cut into pieces, 1 to 3 red horn chilies, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro roots or stems, 2 tablespoons minced shallot, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, the juice of 1 lime, 3 tablespoons honey, 4 tablespoons cooking oil or olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 120ml coconut milk. Blend until smooth.
Without a blender, pound the onion, fresh chili, cilantro, shallot and garlic to a paste and stir in the rest.
Score three deep cuts across each chicken leg so the marinade gets in faster.
Lay the 4 chicken leg quarters, about 1kg, in a container and pour the marinade over until they are covered.
Marinate for at least 90 minutes, ideally overnight for 8 hours in the fridge.
Heat the oven to 180 degrees C with top and bottom heat, set the chicken on a rack and slide a parchment lined tray into the shelf below to catch the drips.
Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the skin is browned and blistered.

Tips

For something close to the way it is cooked at home in Mozambique, grill over charcoal for the smoke.
In an air fryer, hold the same temperature and cover with foil, opening it only for the last 10 to 15 minutes so the skin colors.
Adjust the chili to the heat you can take.
The honey in the marinade is still a sugar, so measure it rather than pouring by eye.
A few minutes of rest out of the oven before carving keeps the juices in the meat.

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