One Pot Peri Peri Chicken and Rice (Homemade Peri Peri Sauce)

Get ready for a flavor-packed dinner that’ll transport you right to the Mediterranean. Peri Peri Chicken is a roasted red pepper chicken that uses a combo of smoky, zesty, and herby flavors. I’ve made it in a skillet with rice, and it is tender, flavorful, and so good. Top this dish with a red onion salad and a drizzle of peri peri sauce, and you have the perfect weeknight dinner.

❤️ Why You’ll Love Peri Peri Chicken

• One-Pot: This one-pot dish is the perfect meal for a busy weeknight and when you want to serve up a delicious meal without all the dishes.
• Flavorful: The roasted red pepper marinade in this Peri Peri Chicken brings a rich, tangy kick that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
• Great for Any Occasion: Fancy enough for a dinner party, easy enough for a weeknight. This recipe delivers big taste without the fuss.

🍲 Ingredients

Roasted Red Peppers: Roasted red peppers are the secret weapon in this dish, adding a smoky sweetness that makes the marinade so good. They blend with lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil to create a rich base for the chicken. Plus, they’re packed with vitamin C and antioxidants.

Chicken Thighs: Juicy, tender, and full of flavour, chicken thighs are the star of this recipe, and bonus points for them being budget-friendly. They hold up perfectly with the marinade, staying moist and delicious even after baking.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Peri Peri Chicken

1. Add the chicken thighs to a large bowl and set aside.
2. Make the marinade: Add the chicken marinade ingredients to a food processor – roasted red peppers, onion, garlic, red chili, olive oil, lemon juice, tomato paste, sugar, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, red wine vinegar and dried oregano. Blend on high until fully combined.
3. SET ASIDE half of the marinade in a bowl and pour the rest of the marinade over the chicken thighs in the large bowl. Marinate for 1 hour.
4. Make the red onion salad: In a medium bowl toss together the thinly sliced red onion, smoked paprika and lemon juice.
5. Preheat the oven to 350F.
6. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, turn to medium heat and add the chicken thighs skin side down, letting any excess marinade drip off before adding to the skillet.Cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes and then remove the chicken to a plate or bowl and set aside.
7. Add the diced onion to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until just softened. Then, add the minced garlic, ground turmeric, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the rice and stir well to coat with the oils in the pan.
8. Stir in the chicken stock paste and boiling water and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the chicken back in over top of the rice and any juices from the plate / bowl back to the pan as well.
9. Cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated oven and bake until cooked through to 165F, about 30-35 minutes.
10. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and remove the chicken to a plate. Add the chopped parsley, chopped mint and minced chives to the rice and fluff the rice with a fork to incorporate the herbs.
11. Serve topped with more fresh parsley, chopped mint and minced chives and the red onion salad. Drizzle with the reserved marinade and Nandos sauce (or other hot sauce) and enjoy.

🪄 Tips and Tricks

• Marinate: An hour is great, but if you’ve got time, let the chicken soak overnight for even deeper flavor.
• Pat the Chicken Dry: This helps the skin crisp up instead of steaming in the pan.
• Use a Skillet: Cast iron or stainless steel will give you that perfect golden sear and even cooking.
• Don’t Skip the Herbs: Fresh parsley, mint, and chives balance the smoky flavors.
• Let the Rice Rest: Give it 5 minutes off the heat so it can absorb the last of the juices and fluff up nicely.

🗒 Variations

If you like this one-pot dish, you’ll love these other easy, one-pot meals:

• One-Pot Vegetarian Pasta
• Creamy One-Pot Orzo
• One-Pot Mushroom Pasta
• One-Pot Broccoli, Cheese & Chicken Casserole

🍽️ Best served with

• Easy & Authentic Greek Salad
• Greek Potatoes
• Warm Butter Beans Recipe

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. This recipe is great for meal prep!

🤔 Common Questions

One Pot Peri Peri Chicken and Rice (Homemade Peri Peri Sauce)

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This one pot Peri Peri Chicken is bursting with flavor and the perfect easy meal to make to impress your family or guests.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Marinating time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Portuguese-inspired

Servings 4 -6

Calories 445 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the peri-peri chicken and marinade

• 6 bone in skin on chicken thighs
• 3/4 cup roasted red peppers
• ½ cup diced white or yellow onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1-2 red chilis (or sub chili flakes 1-2 tsp)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp ground pepper
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dried oregano

For the rice

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp chicken stock paste
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 ½ cups boiling water

For the red onion salad

• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint plus more for garnish
• 2 tbsp minced fresh chives plus more for garnish

For serving

• reserved marinade
• Nando's hotsauce (or other hotsauce of choice)
• fresh parsley, fresh mint and fresh chives for garnish

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Instructions

 

• Add the chicken thighs to a large bowl and set aside.
• Make the marinade: Add the chicken marinade ingredients to a food processor – roasted red peppers, onion, garlic, red chili, olive oil, lemon juice, tomato paste, sugar, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, red wine vinegar and dried oregano. Blend on high until fully combined.
• SET ASIDE half of the marinade in a bowl and pour the rest of the marinade over the chicken thighs in the large bowl. Marinate for 1 hour.
• Make the red onion salad: In a medium bowl toss together the thinly sliced red onion, smoked paprika and lemon juice.
• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, turn to medium heat and add the chicken thighs skin side down, letting any excess marinade drip off before adding to the skillet.

  Cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes and then remove the chicken to a plate or bowl and set aside.
• Add the diced onion to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until just softened. Then, add the minced garlic, ground turmeric, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the rice and stir well to coat with the oils in the pan.
• Stir in the chicken stock paste and boiling water and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the chicken back in over top of the rice and any juices from the plate / bowl back to the pan as well.
• Cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated oven and bake until cooked through to 165F, about 30-35 minutes.
• Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and remove the chicken to a plate. Add the chopped parsley, chopped mint and minced chives to the rice and fluff the rice with a fork to incorporate the herbs.
• Serve topped with more fresh parsley, chopped mint and minced chives and the red onion salad. Drizzle with the reserved marinade and Nandos sauce (or other hot sauce) and enjoy.

Notes

• If you love this recipe, try our One Pot Harissa Chicken, Chickpeas and Rice
• Adjust for your preferred level of spicy! For example, use one spicy pepper in the marinade, blend and taste and add a second spicy pepper to up the heat if desired.
• This recipe is also great for meal prep! Cook, let completely cool and then portion into airtight containers to store in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.4g | Protein: 24.1g | Fat: 29.4g | Saturated Fat: 7.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14.2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 129.1mg | Sodium: 431.6mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 6g

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