This peri peri chicken recipe combines a flavorful and spicy peri peri marinade with juicy chicken thighs baked on a sheet pan with potatoes. The perfect easy sheet pan meal that’s packed full of flavor and nutrition.
What Is Peri Peri Chicken?
Peri Peri Chicken is chicken marinated in a peri peri sauce. Peri Peri sauce is also sometimes called Piri Piri Sauce. Both are accurate. Peri Peri sauce is a traditional African spicy sauce that also made it’s way to Portugal so it is oftentimes synonymous with Portugese food. However, its origins are truly in African countries and typically use a combination of African Bird’s Eye Chili peppers, lemon, oil and sweet paprika.
Why Make this Recipe?
- One Pan– That’s right! This whole recipe can be baked on one sheet pan (minus the sauce). Minimal clean-up required!
- Easy Meal Prep – You can easily prep the peri peri sauce and marinate the chicken in advance and then throw in the oven right before cooking!
- Nutritious + Flavorful – combining protein + veggies this peri peri chicken is both a nutritious meal and still packed full of flavor.
Ingredients in Peri Peri Chicken
- Chicken thighs – boneless skinless chicken thighs are ideal but you can also use bone-in chicken thighs or replace with chicken breasts
- Garlic cloves – Ideally use fresh garlic.
- Red Chili Peppers – traditionally you should use bird’s eye chili peppers but you can also use serrano pepper or another red chili pepper. Just be sure to seed it if you don’t like it super spicy.
- Lemon juice – Fresh lemon juice if you can!
- Olive oil – or replace with a more neutral oil like avocado oil.
- Paprika – Sweet paprika is the best choice but if not you can use smoked paprika in a pinch.
- Dried oregano – you could also use fresh oregano, you’ll just need to double the amount.
- Coconut sugar – or brown sugar. You could also replace with maple syrup or honey.
- Salt + Pepper – feel free to reduce if watching sodium levels or to preference.
- Fingerling Potatoes – Or other diced potatoes or mini potatoes
- Fresh parsley – for serving.
How to Make Sheet Pan Peri Peri Chicken
STEP 1: MAKE MARINADE
To a blender or food processor add 2 tbsp of olive oil, garlic cloves, chili pepper, lemon juice, paprika, oregano, coconut sugar, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. In a bowl add your chicken thighs and top with peri peri marinade. Allow to sit for 20 mins at room temperature or up to overnight in the fridge.
STEP 2: ROAST POTATOES
While chicken is marinating, add your potatoes to your sheet pan and top with 1 tbsp olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Roast in oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove sheet pan from oven and push potatoes to the side of the sheet pan.
STEP 3: COOK CHICKEN
Add your marinated chicken to the other side of the sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes. Set oven the broil and broil chicken and potatoes for 3-5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Watch carefully to ensure nothing is burning. Remove sheet pan from oven and mix together the chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle with some freshly chopped parsley and serve warm.
FAQs + Pro Tips
Yes, typically peri peri sauce has a little heat, however the spice-level can be controlled depending on the type of chili pepper you use and if you seed the pepper.
No! You can make the peri peri marinade and marinate your chicken then cook as desired. So if you’d rather grill your chicken or cook on the stove top, you certainly can! To grill your peri peri chicken you’ll want to heat your grill to 400 degrees F. then cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes per side (depends on how thick your chicken thighs are) or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
No, you can certainly use chicken breasts or even a different protein like beef or tofu for a plant-based option. Note that cooking times will be different.
No worries! You can use a different red chili pepper like serrano or fresno. That being said, you could also use a more common chili pepper like jalapeno but the flavors and color may be a bit different than typical peri peri sauce.
Storage Instructions
Fridge: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on stove top or in microwave.
Freezer: Chicken in peri peri marinade can easily be frozen in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw and then bake recipe as indicated.
More Sheet Pan Chicken Recipes:
Sheet Pan Peri Peri Chicken
This peri peri chicken recipe combines a flavorful and spicy peri peri marinade with juicy chicken thighs baked on a sheet pan with potatoes. The perfect easy sheet pan meal that’s packed full of flavor and nutrition.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Portugese
- Diet: Gluten Free
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 bird’s eye chili pepper (or serrano or fresno pepper), seeded, if desired
- juice, 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb fingerling potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
- handful fresh parsley, chopped
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- To a blender or food processor add 2 tbsp of olive oil, garlic cloves, chili pepper, lemon juice, paprika, oregano, coconut sugar, salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
- In a bowl add your chicken thighs and top with peri peri marinade. Allow to sit for 20 mins at room temperature or up to overnight in the fridge.
- While chicken is marinating, add your potatoes to your sheet pan and top with 1 tbsp olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Roast in oven for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes remove sheet pan from oven and push potatoes to the side of the sheet pan.
- Add your marinated chicken to the other side of the sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- Set oven the broil and broil chicken and potatoes for 3-5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Watch carefully to ensure nothing is burning.
- Remove sheet pan from oven and mix together the chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle with some freshly chopped parsley and serve warm.
