Portuguese
Frango Piri-Piri
Charcoal-grilled chicken with a bright Portuguese piri-piri, garlic, lemon, and olive-oil sauce.
4 servings · 30 minutes prep · 40 minutes cook
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Piri-Piri Sauce
- 8 fresh red bird's eye chiles, stemmed
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup Portuguese extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 bay leaf, torn
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
Directions
Dry-Brine and Make the Piri-Piri Sauce
- Spatchcock the chicken by removing the backbone; flatten firmly and tuck the wing tips. Season all over and under the skin with the kosher salt and black pepper. Refrigerate uncovered, skin-side up, for 8 hours, then let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Pound the chiles, garlic, coarse salt, and paprika to a paste. Stir in the vinegar, lemon juice, sauce avocado oil, Portuguese olive oil, and bay leaf. Let stand for at least 30 minutes, then remove the bay leaf. Reserve one-third in a clean bowl for finishing.
Grill the Chicken
- Prepare a charcoal grill with a medium direct zone and a cooler indirect zone. Rub the chicken with the chicken oil. Grill skin-side up over indirect heat, covered, for 20 minutes.
- Turn skin-side down over direct heat and grill for 5 minutes. Continue grilling for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 3 to 4 minutes and brushing lightly with the non-reserved sauce, until charred in spots, the breast reaches {{temperature:165°F}}, and the thigh reaches {{temperature:175°F}}. Move the chicken away from flare-ups rather than allowing the sauce to burn.
Rest, Sauce, and Serve
- Rest for 10 minutes. Stir the finishing olive oil into the reserved sauce, brush it over the chicken, and cut into serving pieces.
