Every four years, the World Cup comes to the global stage with much passion and fanfare. Our family has a tradition to pick a team playing each day, and cook a famous dish from that country. It’s an interactive, multi-dimensional way to experience a different culture on a deeper level. My kids have an opportunity to experience flavors and textures from around the world through a context they know and love – soccer!
Today’s recipe is from Portugal, with roots from Africa — Piri-Piri Chicken. Serve alongside Roasted Potatoes or Portuguese Cauliflower Rice.
Piri Piri Chicken
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2" piece ginger, minced
- 4 lemons, zest + juice
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup piri-piri sauce, or other hot pepper sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- Additional 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 skin-on chicken breasts
- 4 skin-on chicken drumsticks
Instructions
Combine first 8 ingredients into bowl and mix well. Place 3/4 of mixture in large container (large enough to hold 8 pieces of chicken). Set aside remaining quarter of mixture in fridge.
Place raw chicken in large container with Piri-Piri mixture. Coat chicken well on all sides. Allow to marinate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
After four hours or so, heat a large Dutch oven, skillet, or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil. Place chicken, skin side down, in oil. Sear chicken skin for about 4-5 minutes and then turn to cook other sides. Chicken will not be cooked through at this point.
Transfer chicken (in same dish) to preheated oven. Make sure chicken is skin-side up. Cook for 25 minutes and then pour additional sauce on top of chicken. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Spoon juice from bottom of dish on top of chicken before serving. Top with cilantro.