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Plated roasted Piri Piri Chicken legs served with lemon wedges, fresh parsley, and spicy dipping sauce on a light oak counter.

Best Piri Piri Chicken Nando's Style Copycat

Smoky, juicy piri piri chicken with crisp skin and adjustable heat, made with a fresh chilli-garlic-lemon marinade, a hot oven and a quick broil. Includes a reserved basting sauce for a fresh, safe finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Nando's-Inspired, Portuguese-African
Calories: 460
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Piri Piri Marinade and Basting Sauce
  • 6 Red Bird's Eye Chillies stems removed, adjust to taste
  • 5 cloves Garlic peeled
  • 80 g Roasted Red Peppers (jar) drained
  • 1 Lemon, zest
  • 60 ml Lemon Juice about 2 lemons
  • 3 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
  • 4 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 2 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 1½ tsp Fine Salt
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper
Chicken
  • 4 Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs about 700g
  • 4 Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Drumsticks about 600g

Equipment

  • 1 Blender for the marinade
  • 1 Baking Tray and Wire Rack for crisp skin
  • 1 Instant Read Thermometer to check 165°F (74°C)
  • 1 Pair of Disposable Gloves for handling chilies
  • 1 Clean Jar for the reserved basting sauce

Method
 

Marinate
  1. Blend the Marinade Wearing gloves, blend chilies, garlic, peppers, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, oil, paprika, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper until mostly smooth.
    Blender jar filled with chillies, garlic, lemon, and spices to make Piri Piri Chicken marinade.
  2. Reserve Basting Sauce Pour about a third (100ml) into a clean jar, cover and refrigerate. Keep it away from anything that has touched raw chicken, including the basting brush.
    Pouring blended sauce into a clean glass jar to reserve basting sauce for Piri Piri Chicken.
  3. Marinate Pat chicken dry, slash the skin and meat, and coat in the remaining marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.
    Chicken coated in red piri piri marinade, ready for marinating to make Piri Piri Chicken.
Cook
  1. Heat the Oven Heat to 220°C (425°F), 200°C fan. Set a wire rack on a lined tray.
    Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan) and set a wire rack over a lined baking tray to prepare for roasting.
  2. Arrange Lift out the chicken, shake off the excess, and place skin-side up with space between pieces. Discard the leftover marinade.
    Marinated chicken quarters placed skin-side up on a wire rack for baking Piri Piri Chicken.
  3. Roast Roast for 30 minutes.
    Golden roasted chicken quarters cooking on a baking rack for Piri Piri Chicken.
  4. Baste Spoon about 3 tbsp of the reserved sauce into a clean bowl and brush the chicken from that bowl only (never back into the jar). Discard what's left in the bowl. Roast 8 to 10 minutes more, until at least 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, not touching bone.
    Basting roasted chicken with sauce using a brush for Piri Piri Chicken.
  5. Broil Broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely.
    Charred Piri Piri Chicken quarters being brushed with sauce after broiling.
Serve
  1. Rest and Serve Rest 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with the rest of the reserved sauce, parsley and lemon wedges.
    Resting Piri Piri Chicken served with lemon wedges, parsley, and extra sauce.

Notes

Heat level?
6 bird's eye chillies is hot. Use 3 to 4 for medium, 1 to 2 (seeded) for mild.
Marinating time?
4 to 24 hours in the fridge. 24 hours is the outer limit for texture and safety.
Leftover marinade?
Discard it. It has touched raw chicken. Use the reserved sauce for basting (from a separate bowl) and serving (from the jar).
Storage?
Refrigerate cooked chicken within 2 hours (1 hour if hot). Fridge 3 to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F (74°C).
Freezing?
Cooked: for best quality use within 2 to 3 months. Raw in marinade: for best quality use within a few months. Thaw in the fridge.
Times are estimates.
Check the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C) whichever method you use.