This Portuguese shop style piri piri chicken has the smoky, garlicky, lemony flavor I love in a good grilled whole Portuguese chicken. A simple dry rub seasons the bird, then a bright olive oil marinade adds citrus and chili.
I like to cut the chicken into halves before grilling: theyโre easier to handle, and they cook evenly over indirect heat before a quick finish over the flames.
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Why My Recipe Works
- Easy to prepare: Mix a dry rub and a quick sauce, season the chicken, then let the grill or oven do the work.
- Great for grilling season: Itโs a lovely centerpiece for a summer cookout, though the oven option makes it easy to enjoy any time of year.
- Easy to serve: Pair it with fries, rice, salad, or grilled vegetables for a relaxed Portuguese-inspired meal.
Ingredients
Hereโs what you will need:
- Whole chicken: Ask your butcher to cut it into halves; theyโre easier to manage on the grill. Or use sharp kitchen shears to cut down the back bone and breast bone yourself.
- Dry Coriander: So, dry coriander is not really a standard piri piri chicken ingredient, but my favorite Portuguese chicken shop in Montreal always included crushed whole coriander seeds in the marinade. They provided a nice flavor and crunch. It just brings back so many memories, so I developed my recipe to include them.
- Smoked Paprika: Brings a warm, smoky note to the seasoning. It also helps add smoky flavor in case you plan to cook this chicken in the oven.
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Expert Tips
- Cut the chicken in half for easier grilling. The two halves are more manageable to move and turn than a whole bird.
- Start over indirect heat, then finish over direct heat. This lets the chicken cook through more gently before the final move to the hot side adds color to the skin.
- Let the seasoning rest. An hour in the fridge gives the dry rub time to season the skin; leaving it overnight builds even more flavor.
- Rest before serving. A short rest gives the juices time to settle and makes the chicken easier to carve.
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Portuguese Shop Style Piri Piri Chicken
This Portuguese shop style piri piri chicken has the smoky, garlicky, lemony flavor I love in a good grilled whole Portuguese chicken. A simple dry rub seasons the bird, then a bright olive oil marinade adds citrus and chili. I like to cut the chicken into halves before grilling: theyโre easier to handle, and they cook evenly over indirect heat before a quick finish over the flames.
Equipment
- Outdoor grill โ Or use an oven, see notes
Ingredientsย
- 1 Whole chicken, cut into halves
Dry Rub
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- ยฝ teaspoon Black pepper
Sauce/Brush on
- 3 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
- 2-3 Garlic cloves (minced or grated)
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Dry coriander โ use ground or crush some whole coriander seeds in a mortar if you can
- ยฝ teaspoon Chili flakes โ Use more or less to taste
Garnish/Serve With
- Fresh parsley and lemon wedges
Instructionsย
- Make the dry rub. Stir together the garlic powder, smoked paprika, ground coriander, salt, and black pepper.
- Make the sauce. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, paprika, ground coriander, chili flakes, and fresh garlic. Divide the sauce into 2 small bowls (one will be used to brush on the chicken while it grills; the other will be used as a serving sauce). Refrigerate the sauce for now.
- Season. Rub the dry seasoning all over both halves. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for deeper seasoning.
- Grill. Heat the grill and set it up with two heat zones: one side for indirect heat (where the flame is set to the lowest) and one for direct heat (where the flame is higher). Spray or brush cooking oil on the grates. Place the chicken halves skin-side up over indirect heat. Close the lid and grill, turning as needed for even cooking. When the chicken is nearly cooked through, move it over direct heat to brown and color the skin. Turn as needed so it colors without burning. Check that the thickest part of each half reaches 74ยฐC (165ยฐF), without the thermometer touching bone.
- Brush. Towards the end of the cooking, brush the chicken with the marinade.
- Serve. Let the chicken rest before serving. Serve with lemon wedges, parsley and the reserved, unused sauce.
Notes
Use an oven instead: To roast instead of grilling, heat the oven to 200ยฐC (400ยฐF). Place the seasoned chicken halves in a roasting pan and cook until they reach 74ยฐC (165ยฐF) in the thickest part of the bird, basting with the reserved marinade near the end. You may need to use your broiler for a few minutes to get some char on the skin.ย
Nutrition
Calories: 1029kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 72g, Fat: 79g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g, Monounsaturated Fat: 39g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 286mg, Sodium: 4348mg, Potassium: 841mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1668IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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