Piri-Piri Chicken Legs. This simple one pan meal, combines succulent chicken legs/quarters coated in a zesty homemade Piri-Piri sauce, then baked over a bed of tender fingerling potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower.
The Piri-Piri sauce, made with fiery peppers, fresh herbs, and a hint of sweetness, is the perfect balance of spice and flavour.
Serve it with extra sauce on the side for dipping and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro to finish.
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Ingredients
For the Chicken
- Chicken legs/quarters
- Olive oil
- Paprika
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Smoked paprika (optional)
Piri-Piri Sauce
- Piri Piri peppers
- Olive oil
- Garlic cloves
- Red onion
- Fire-roasted red peppers (from a jar)
- Red wine vinegar
- Brown sugar
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh oregano
- Salt
- black pepper
- Smoked paprika
- Lime
Vegetables
- Fingerling potatoes
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
For Serving
- Fresh cilantro
- Extra Piri-Piri sauce
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Prepare the Piri-Piri Sauce
In a blender or food processor, combine the Piri-Piri sauce ingredients and blend until almost smooth.
Transfer the sauce to a pan and simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes. After simmering, carefully taste and adjust for seasoning. Once cool, divide into two containers (one for pouring/brushing the raw chicken and one for serving with the cooked chicken).
Season the Chicken
Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Prepare the Vegetables
Preheat your oven to 400°F convection
In a large Au Gratin dish, toss the parboiled fingerling potatoes with the cauliflower, and broccoli florets, then drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, and pepper. (I like to arrange the cut side of the potatoes facing down at the bottom of the pan to brown them a little).
Place the seasoned chicken quarters on top of the vegetables and pour half of the Piri-Piri sauce over the chicken, brushing the sauce to ensure it’s evenly coated.
Bake
Place the Au Gratin dish in the preheated oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 170°F/74°C).
If the chicken is browning too quickly, lightly tent the chicken pieces with foil and continue baking.
Watch how this recipe was made here
Variations
This Piri-Piri sauce and seasoning are perfect for more than just chicken quarters.
1. Piri-Piri Wings
For a delicious alternative, try using the sauce on chicken wings. Season the chicken grill or bake, then simply toss the wings in the Piri-Piri sauce, then finish cooking them until crispy.
2. Piri-Piri Rotisserie Chicken
You can also use this seasoning and sauce when cooking a whole chicken on the rotisserie. Baste the chicken generously with the Piri-Piri sauce as it turns on the spit, ensuring a flavourful, golden-brown finish.
Both variations deliver the same bold, zesty flavours and pair beautifully with roasted potatoes, vegetables, rice and salad.
Equipment
Baked in Hestan Culinary’s newly designed Au Gratin pan that will be available for sale in October 2024. OvenBond ¼ Sheetpan, Provisions Colanders and NanoBond Saucepan. The meal was cooked in the Hestan Home Dual Fuel Range.
Proud Hestan Culinary and Hestan Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.
Leave a Comment
If you get the chance to try this Piri-Piri Chicken Legs recipe please drop back and leave us a comment and rating here. Each review helps so much! Thank you! Elaine & James
📖 Recipe
Piri-Piri Chicken Legs
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 5 chicken leg/quarters
- Olive oil
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika optional
Piri-Piri Sauce
- 3 oz. Piri Piri peppers stems removed (or substitute long red chilies) * 3 oz spicy / 2 oz medium / 1 oz mild
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- ½ medium red onion peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ cup fire-roasted red peppers from a jar
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup fresh oregano chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Zest of 1 lime about 1 tablespoon
Vegetables
- 1½ pounds fingerling potatoes parboiled, sliced in half lengthways
- 1 small cauliflower cut into florets
- ½ broccoli cut into florets
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
For Serving
- Fresh cilantro chopped
- Extra Piri-Piri sauce for dipping
Instructions
Prepare the Piri-Piri Sauce
- In a blender or food processor, combine the Piri-Piri sauce ingredients and blend until almost smooth.
- Transfer the sauce to a pan and simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes. After simmering, carefully taste and adjust for seasoning. Once cool, divide into two containers (one for pouring/brushing the raw chicken and one for serving with the cooked chicken).
Season the Chicken
- Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Prepare the Vegetables
- Preheat your oven to 400°F convection
- In a large Au Gratin dish, toss the parboiled fingerling potatoes with the cauliflower, and broccoli florets, then drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, and pepper. (I like to arrange the cut side of the potatoes facing down at the bottom of the pan to brown them a little).
- Place the seasoned chicken quarters on top of the vegetables and pour half of the Piri-Piri sauce over the chicken, brushing the sauce to ensure it’s evenly coated.
Bake
- Place the Au Gratin dish in the preheated oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 170°F/74°C).
- If the chicken is browning too quickly, lightly tent the chicken pieces with foil and continue baking.
Rate this Recipe
- Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!
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