Quick & Easy Peri Peri Chicken Breasts

These quick & easy Peri Peri Chicken Breasts are juicy and bursting with incredible flavour – perfect for a busy midweek meal!

Peri Peri Chicken Breasts are an easy weeknight dinner featuring juicy chicken, roasted vegetables, and bold spicy-citrus flavour. Chicken breasts are marinated in tangy peri peri sauce and fresh lemon juice, then baked over a bed of peppers and onions until juicy and tender.

This simple recipe delivers all the spicy, citrusy flavours that peri peri chicken is known for without requiring a complicated homemade marinade. Serve it with roasted vegetables, rice, fries, or a fresh salad for an easy family dinner that’s ready with minimal effort.

What is Peri Peri Chicken?

Peri peri chicken is a spicy grilled or roasted chicken dish made with a chili-based marinade or sauce. It originated from Portuguese cooking traditions in southern Africa and is traditionally made with African bird’s eye chilies, lemon, garlic, and herbs.

Tips for Best Results

• Marinate overnight if possible for the boldest flavour.
• Don’t overcook the chicken and use a meat thermometer to ensure it reaches 165°F.
• Reserve fresh sauce for basting rather than using marinade that touched raw chicken.
• Cut vegetables into large pieces so they roast without becoming mushy.
• Rest the chicken for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to keep it juicy.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Chicken Breasts – You can use any cut of chicken for this recipe, from drumsticks to a whole chicken. Just adjust cooking times accordingly.
• Lemon – Adds a little more tang to the dish.
• Peri Peri Sauce – I use Nando’s pre-made peri peri sauce because its quick and easy and I don’t need to deal with any hot peppers myself. Feel free to make homade peri peri sauce though if you desire.
• Bell Peppers – I use a mix of yellow and red bell peppers. The sweetness of them roasted is perfect with the tangy heat of the marinade.
• Onion – Who doesn’t love roasted onion? Use any kind of onion you like. Yellow, red, or even shallots.
• Olive Oil – So your veggies roast nicely.
• Salt & Pepper – Because you should season your food, of course.

How to Pan Fry Peri Peri Chicken

If you’d rather cook peri peri chicken on the stovetop, butterfly the chicken breasts so they cook quickly and evenly. Marinate as directed.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4 to 6 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. The peppers and onions can be sautéed in the same skillet until tender or roasted separately in the oven.

How to Grill Peri Peri Chicken

Grilling adds smoky flavour that pairs perfectly with the tangy peri peri marinade.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, about 400°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place directly on the grates. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the thickest part reaches 165°F.

Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving. For an easy side dish, grill the peppers and onions in a grill basket or foil packet alongside the chicken.

What to Serve With Peri Peri Chicken

• Garlic bread
• Rice or cilantro lime rice
• French fries or potato wedges
• Roasted potatoes
• Simple green salad
• Coleslaw
• Corn on the cob

Frequently Asked Questions

Looking for more easy weeknight chicken dinners?

If you are looking more tasty and easy to make chicken dinner recipes, check out some of my favourites:

Make sweet and tangy pineapple chicken right in your slow cooker, made with plenty of pineapple, tender chicken and crisp red peppers.

This Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Bake is an easy dinner recipe filled with delicious cheese sauce and chicken. It is also inexpensive!

You could also serve this chicken dish up with a side of Air Fryer Corn!

Easy Peri Peri Chicken Breasts

Yield: 6 servings | Prep time: 15 minutes | Marinate time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½ cup peri peri sauce, plus extra for basting
• 4 sweet bell peppers, cut into large chunks
• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Place the chicken breasts in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag. Add the lemon juice and peri peri sauce, turning to coat the chicken evenly.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours for the best flavour.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
4. Place the bell peppers and onion in a large baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on top of the vegetables. Discard any marinade that has come into contact with the raw chicken.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part.
7. About halfway through cooking, brush the chicken with additional peri peri sauce.
8. If desired, place the dish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of cooking to lightly brown the chicken.
9. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving with the roasted peppers and onions.

Continue to Content

Yield: 6 Servings

Quick and Easy Peri Peri Chicken Breasts

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

These quick & easy Peri Peri Chicken Breasts are juicy and bursting with incredible flavour – perfect for a busy midweek meal!

Print

No Ratings

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½ cup peri peri sauce, plus extra for basting
• 4 sweet bell peppers, cut into large chunks
• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Place the chicken breasts in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag. Add the lemon juice and peri peri sauce, turning to coat the chicken evenly.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours for the best flavour.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
4. Place the bell peppers and onion in a large baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on top of the vegetables. Discard any marinade that has come into contact with the raw chicken.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part.
7. About halfway through cooking, brush the chicken with additional peri peri sauce.
8. If desired, place the dish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of cooking to lightly brown the chicken.
9. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving with the roasted peppers and onions.

Notes

For the best flavour, marinate the chicken overnight.

Use mild, medium, or hot peri peri sauce depending on your preferred spice level.

Chicken thighs can be substituted for chicken breasts.

Serve with rice, fries, roasted potatoes, or a fresh green salad.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Nando's PERi PERi Sauces Bundle
• 
  Swuut Matte Ceramic Appetizer Plates 6 Inch
• 
  Casserole Dish

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 Chicken breast
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 192Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 153mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 26g

This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although frugalmomeh.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag your creations with #FrugalMomEh on Instagram & subscribe for more!