Piri piri belongs on charcoal. The fat drips, the marinade catches at the edges, and the smell alone is reason enough. Built on a mango and lime base — the mango gives the marinade body and softens the chilli without dulling it; the lime keeps it sharp. The marinade is split before the chicken touches it: half for marinating, half kept clean as a glaze and sauce. The rice earns its place.
Prep ahead2 steps, start 12-24 hours
Ingredients
- For the marinade
- 2 Chicken quarters
- 150 g Mango, ripe, flesh only
- 1 Lime zest
- 3 tbsp (45g) Fresh lime juice
- 1 Red chilli, roughly chopped, or 1–2 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 tsp Sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 tsp (7g) Honey
- 13 g Fine sea salt
- 0.5 tsp Black pepper, freshly cracked
- 2 tbsp (28g) Extra virgin olive oil
- For the spiced rice
- 300 g Microwave basmati rice, see notes
- 1 White onion, small, finely diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, sliced
- 1 tbsp (16g) Tomato purée
- 1 Chicken stock cube, crumbled
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp Hot smoked paprika, or cayenne
- 1 tsp Ground turmeric
- 0.5 tbsp (7.5g) Fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 Lemon zest
- 1 tbsp (4g) Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 20 g Butter
- For the garlic and herb sauce
- 75 g Mayonnaise
- 75 g Full-fat Greek yoghurt
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely grated
- 7 g Fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 tsp (2.5g) Red wine vinegar
- 0.5 tbsp (2g) Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 0.5 tsp Dried oregano
- 0.25 tsp Fine sea salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- To serve
- 1 Lime, cut into wedges
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Digital probe thermometer
- Carbon steel wok or large frying pan →
- Charcoal grill or barbecue
- Microplane grater/zester →
Blend the mango, lime zest, lime juice, chilli, garlic, smoked paprika, dried oregano, honey, fine sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil until completely smooth.
Before the chicken goes anywhere near it, transfer half the marinade to a separate bowl or jar and set aside. This half is kept clean for glazing and serving — it must be separated before raw chicken is added.
Taste the remaining marinade and adjust the chilli now. It is much harder to judge the heat once it is on the chicken.
Slash the chicken quarters 2–3 times through the thickest parts of the leg and thigh, cutting down to the bone. Rub the marinade thoroughly over the chicken, working it into the slashes and underneath any loose skin.
Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours — overnight is better, 24 hours is ideal. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
Mix the mayonnaise, Greek yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, parsley, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper together until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Grill over charcoal on a medium-high heat, turning every few minutes, until the chicken is deeply charred and approaching the correct internal temperature.
When the thickest part of the thigh reads around 65°C (149°F), brush the reserved marinade over the chicken as a glaze. Continue cooking, turning and glazing, until the internal temperature reaches 79°C (174°F) at the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone. See how to cook chicken to temperature for a full guide.
Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before serving.
Heat a carbon steel wok or large frying pan over a medium heat. See how to cook with a wok for technique guidance.
Add a generous amount of oil and fry the onion until soft and starting to colour at the edges — about 4–5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the tomato purée, smoked paprika, hot smoked paprika, turmeric, and crumbled stock cube. Stir and press the tomato purée against the pan for 2 minutes until it darkens slightly and smells toasted.
Add the cooled rice and toss to coat in the spice base. Fry over high heat, keeping the rice moving, until hot, dry, and lightly toasted — about 3–4 minutes.
Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter. Toss until the butter has melted and the rice is glossy. Stir through the parsley, taste, and season with fine sea salt.
Spoon the rice onto hot plates and place the chicken on top. The reserved marinade can be used as a sauce alongside if desired. Serve with the garlic and herb sauce and lime wedges.
Notes & Substitutions
Rice: Microwave rice pouches are the best option — perfectly cooked, dry, and go straight into the pan cold from the packaging. Do not heat them first. If cooking from scratch, cook the rice well ahead, spread on a tray, and refrigerate uncovered until completely cold and dry.
Mango: The mango needs to be ripe — underripe mango is too acidic and doesn’t blend smoothly. If your mango isn’t there yet, a day at room temperature usually does it. Frozen mango, defrosted, also works well and is reliably ripe.
Heat level: One fresh chilli gives a moderate heat. Taste the marinade before adding the chicken and adjust — add a second chilli or 1–2 tsp of dried chilli flakes if you want it hotter. The mango softens the heat considerably, so don’t be shy.
Cooking indoors: Cook the chicken under a hot grill or in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. The smokiness won’t be there, but the marinade will still colour and caramelise well. Finish in a 200°C (400°F) oven if the outside is colouring before the centre is cooked through.
Garlic and herb sauce: Keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge. Worth making a larger batch — it works as a dip, a dressing, and alongside grilled fish or lamb.
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Piri Piri Chicken and Spiced Rice
COOKED
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Ingredients
- 2 Chicken quarters
- 150 g Mango (ripe, flesh only)
- 1 Lime zest
- 3 tbsp Fresh lime juice
- 1 Red chilli (roughly chopped, or 1–2 tsp dried chilli flakes)
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 tsp Sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 tsp Honey
- 13 g Fine sea salt
- 0.5 tsp Black pepper (freshly cracked)
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 300 g Microwave basmati rice (see notes)
- 1 White onion (small, finely diced)
- 3 cloves Garlic (sliced)
- 1 tbsp Tomato purée
- 1 Chicken stock cube (crumbled)
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp Hot smoked paprika (or cayenne)
- 1 tsp Ground turmeric
- 0.5 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 Lemon zest
- 1 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
- 20 g Butter
- 75 g Mayonnaise
- 75 g Full-fat Greek yoghurt
- 2 cloves Garlic (finely grated)
- 7 g Fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 tsp Red wine vinegar
- 0.5 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
- 0.5 tsp Dried oregano
- 0.25 tsp Fine sea salt
- Black pepper (to taste)
- 1 Lime (cut into wedges)
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Digital probe thermometer
- Carbon steel wok or large frying pan
- Charcoal grill or barbecue
- Microplane grater/zester
Method
Make the marinade
150 g Mango · 1 Lime zest · 3 tbsp Fresh lime juice · 1 Red chilli · 4 cloves Garlic · 2 tsp Sweet smoked paprika · 1 tsp Dried oregano · 1 tsp Honey · 13 g Fine sea salt · 0.5 tsp Black pepper
Blend the mango, lime zest, lime juice, chilli, garlic, smoked paprika, dried oregano, honey, fine sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil until completely smooth.
Before the chicken goes anywhere near it, transfer half the marinade to a separate bowl or jar and set aside. This half is kept clean for glazing and serving — it must be separated before raw chicken is added.
Taste the remaining marinade and adjust the chilli now. It is much harder to judge the heat once it is on the chicken.
If the mango isn’t fully ripe, the marinade will be less sweet and more acidic. Add an extra half teaspoon of honey to balance it.
Marinate the chicken
2 Chicken quarters
Slash the chicken quarters 2–3 times through the thickest parts of the leg and thigh, cutting down to the bone. Rub the marinade thoroughly over the chicken, working it into the slashes and underneath any loose skin.
Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours — overnight is better, 24 hours is ideal. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
Slashing down to the bone isn’t just for marinade penetration — it also helps the thickest part of the leg cook at the same rate as the rest of the piece, reducing the risk of undercooked meat near the joint.
Make the garlic and herb sauce
75 g Mayonnaise · 75 g Full-fat Greek yoghurt · 2 cloves Garlic · 7 g Fresh lemon juice · 0.5 tsp Red wine vinegar · 0.5 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley · 0.5 tsp Dried oregano · 0.25 tsp Fine sea salt · Black pepper
Mix the mayonnaise, Greek yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, parsley, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper together until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Make this at least an hour ahead — ideally longer. The raw garlic mellows significantly as it sits in the acid from the lemon juice and vinegar, moving from sharp to rounded and creamy.
Grill the chicken
Grill over charcoal on a medium-high heat, turning every few minutes, until the chicken is deeply charred and approaching the correct internal temperature.
When the thickest part of the thigh reads around 65°C (149°F), brush the reserved marinade over the chicken as a glaze. Continue cooking, turning and glazing, until the internal temperature reaches 79°C (174°F) at the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone. See how to cook chicken to temperature for a full guide.
Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before serving.
The reserved marinade contains mango and honey — both catch quickly over direct heat. Apply the glaze only in the final few minutes and keep turning the chicken to prevent it burning.
Build the spice base
1 White onion · 3 cloves Garlic · 1 tbsp Tomato purée · 1 Chicken stock cube · 1 tsp Smoked paprika · 0.5 tsp Hot smoked paprika · 1 tsp Ground turmeric
Heat a carbon steel wok or large frying pan over a medium heat. See how to cook with a wok for technique guidance.
Add a generous amount of oil and fry the onion until soft and starting to colour at the edges — about 4–5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the tomato purée, smoked paprika, hot smoked paprika, turmeric, and crumbled stock cube. Stir and press the tomato purée against the pan for 2 minutes until it darkens slightly and smells toasted.
Fry the rice
300 g Microwave basmati rice · 0.5 tbsp Fresh lemon juice · 0.5 Lemon zest · 1 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley · 20 g Butter
Add the cooled rice and toss to coat in the spice base. Fry over high heat, keeping the rice moving, until hot, dry, and lightly toasted — about 3–4 minutes.
Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter. Toss until the butter has melted and the rice is glossy. Stir through the parsley, taste, and season with fine sea salt.
The rice must be cold going into the pan. Warm rice releases steam, drops the pan temperature, and turns the fry into a steam — the rice clumps rather than toasts. Microwave rice pouches work perfectly here: tip them in cold straight from the packaging, no need to heat them first.
Serve
1 Lime
Spoon the rice onto hot plates and place the chicken on top. The reserved marinade can be used as a sauce alongside if desired. Serve with the garlic and herb sauce and lime wedges.
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The wok costs £25. The heat underneath it is what you're really paying for.
£10-£25
One bowl per ingredient. It sounds simple. It changes everything.
£25-£75
The wok costs £25. The heat underneath it is what you're really paying for.
£10-£25
One bowl per ingredient. It sounds simple. It changes everything.
£25-£75
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