If you’ve never had perry perry chicken before then you are in for a treat. This meal will quickly be a fan favorite because of its amazing and flavorful taste!
Perry perry chicken gets its name from the use of perry perry sauce. Perry perry sauce is a Portuguese-African condiment that uses ingredients like chili and garlic, and most commonly has an oily/acidic base.
Because perry perry chicken uses this spicy sauce as it’s main component, the taste of it tends to be garlicy, with a spicy and lemony twist to it.
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How To Make Perry Perry Chicken
If we’ve got you hooked with that description of this delicious dish, then you’re in luck. We’ve got a 5 star perry perry chicken recipe for you!
This recipe comes from Cafe Delites and can be cooked in two ways: the over or on the barbecue! Whatever you prefer!
What Will You Need?
The ingredients are broken down into 3 separate categories: the marinade, the chicken and for an optional corn addition!
For the marinade, you will need:
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (optional)
- 2-4 teaspoons sriracha
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Cracked black pepper , to taste (optional)
For the chicken, you will need:
- 3-4 pounds (or 1 1/2kg to 2kg) whole chicken (Butterflied is preferred)
- Salt and pepper to season
And for the optional corn, you will need:
- 6 corn cobs
- 3 teaspoons butter (optional)
How To Prepare the Chicken
There are two ways that this chicken can be prepared. They depend on if you decide to cook in the oven or on the barbecue! However, whichever one that you choose, it’s sure to come out delicious!
Before it’s time to determine which preparation technique you are going to use, there are a few base instructions for creating the marinade and properly marinading the perry perry chicken.
To prepare the marinade:
- Mix all of the marinade ingredients (except for the Sriracha) together until well combined. Mix in 2-4 teaspoons of Sriracha, taste test, and work up from there until reaching your desired level of heat (or leave it out altogether if you don’t want any spice at all).
- Using 3/4 of the marinade, coat the chicken evenly on the outside, as well as under the skin where possible (the breast especially), until fully coated in sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight if time allows. (Recommended a minimum marinade time of two hours for this chicken).
Now it’s time to determine whether you want to use the oven or the barbecue, because, as I mentioned before, this makes a difference in the overall cooking process of the chicken.
If you are using the oven:
- When ready to cook, arrange the oven shelf to the middle of the oven, and preheat to 470°F | 245°C.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit on a benchtop for 20 minutes, or just enough time to take the chill out of the chicken.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in an ovenproof pan or well-seasoned skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, place the chicken, breast-side down into the pan, and sear for a good 5-6 minutes, until the skin becomes golden brown. Flip and sear on the other side for a further 5 minutes.
- Add 2 more tablespoons of vegetable oil to the remaining marinade, and pour half of it over the chicken. Use a basting brush to coat evenly.
- Place the chicken in the preheated oven, and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce heat down to 400°F (200°C) and roast for a further 35-40 minutes, or until cooked right through to the centre and juices run clear.
- (If serving with the corn: completely wrap each cob in foil large enough to cover them, and add the corn foil packets to the same pan as the chicken, half way through cooking time (after 30 minutes). If your pan is too small, arrange them on another pan. They only need 30-35 minutes of cooking time.) Once corn is done, dollop with 1/2 teaspoon of butter per cob (optional).
- Once the chicken is done, baste with the pan drippings and serve with any remaining untouched marinade to use as a dipping sauce.
- Serve with the corn.
If you are using the barbecue:
- Place chicken on well-greased grill over medium heat, skin-side down, for 10-12 minutes, until the skin begins to have a nice char on it. Add 2 more tablespoons of vegetable oil to the remaining marinade. Flip and baste with a small amount of sauce (not too much or it will burn on your grill plates). Close barbecue lid and cook for 40-45 minutes, flipping once or twice while cooking, until chicken is completely cooked through and juices run clear.
- Follow corn foil instructions above. Place corn foil packets on the grill halfway through chicken cook time (after 30 minutes), turning the corn every 5 minutes or so to ensure an even char.
Now that you’re basically a Perry Perry Chicken expert, it’s your turn! Feel free to use this recipe or try your own and let us know how it turns out!