This post is brought to you by Maille.
Make flavorful Oven Roasted Peri Peri Chicken at home with my secret ingredient Maille Dijon Originale Mustard! Inspired by the international flavors of South Africa, this quick and simple recipe is ready in about an hour. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion meal.
I am so excited to share this recipe. Yes, I know I always say that, but this one really is extra special. I had the pleasure of visiting South Africa a few years ago and basically ate my way through the country. Everything was so delicious! I ate meat at the time so I tried authentic peri peri chicken and it was just soo good. This recipe is my take on classic peri peri chicken.
What is peri peri chicken?
Peri peri chicken gets its name from the peri peri chilies that are used to make the marinade and sauce for this flavorful recipe. The peri peri chilies are also known as bird’s eye chilies and are commonly found all across South Africa. If I were to compare a bird’s eye chili to a habanero, which is more commonly used in Caribbean cooking, I’d say it’s about half as spicy as a habanero pepper. These chilies definitely have a lot of heat, but they pack tons of flavor too!
Fresh bird’s eye chilies are best for this recipe. But if you don’t have bird’s eye chilies on hand, you can substitute with Mexican chilies.
What makes this peri peri chicken recipe so special?
While the peri peri chilies are important to this recipe, the real star of this dish might surprise you. It’s actually Maille Dijon Originale Mustard! I know it sounds kind of crazy, but just trust me on this one.
By now you should all know how much I love Maille’s products. While it may surprise some people, Maille’s products can be used in many different types of cuisines, including Caribbean and African cuisine. Not only are their products delicious, but they are also healthy for you! Maille products are low fat, low in calories and the brand has a long history of keeping people healthy without sacrificing flavor.
While mustard isn’t traditionally used to make peri peri sauce, I call it my secret ingredient for a couple reasons.
It makes the chicken moist. The creamy mustard acts as a natural tenderizer for the chicken (think of all those recipes that marinate chicken in yogurt) and helps keep more moisture in.
It make the peri peri sauce super creamy. Blending the mustard in with the other ingredients creates a thick, creamy sauce that sticks to the chicken. You’ll want to put this sauce on everything, it’s that good!
It reduces the amount of vinegar. Because mustard is naturally tangy, it cuts down on the amount of vinegar needed for this recipe. Some peri peri sauces have a lot of vinegar which can be kind of overpowering, but not this one.
I can go on and on about why adding Maille Dijon Originale to this recipe takes it to another level, but let’s get to actually making it!
The peri peri sauce is the boss…
Let’s start by making the peri peri sauce. Combine Maille Dijon Originale, peri peri chilies, harissa, garlic, onion, red bell pepper, vinegar, paprika, lemon juice and zest, and thyme in a food processor. Blend until smooth. That’s it for the sauce! I’d rate this peri peri sauce at a medium to hot, so if you want something milder, reduce the amount of chilies or harissa.
Now to the chicken…
When roasting, I like to use a whole chicken, but you can also use quarters or breast meat. Use whatever part of the chicken you like best. Make sure to thoroughly clean the chicken with vinegar and lime juice and leave the skin on.
Coat chicken with oil and browning, season with salt and pepper, then apply the peri peri sauce. Make sure to fully coat the chicken and get under the skin. Let the chicken marinate overnight.
Just look at how pretty this chicken looks?!
Time to roast!
Roast the chicken at 400 degrees until fully cooked.
I used a whole 4lb chicken, and it took about 1.5 hours. You can use a food thermometer, or just test whether the chicken is done by checking the skin.
Once the chicken is done, top it with more peri peri sauce (yes more!) and serve. You can serve the chicken whole, or chop it up into individual portions. You can also save the leftovers for another meal…if there are any leftovers.
Looking for more delicious recipes? Try:
Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs
Share this recipe…
If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know by rating it and leaving a comment below. I would love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag @sweetandsorrel on Instagram!
Also, check out Maille’s giveaway. You could win a Maille Mustard Collection!
Maille Mustard Collection Giveaway
Oven Roasted Peri Peri Chicken
Ingredients
- 4-4 1/2 lb whole chicken, skin on (or choose similar amount of thighs, legs, breast meat as desired)
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tbsp browning (optional)
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup
Maille Dijon Originale Mustard - 4-6 fresh bird's eye chilis
- 1 tbsp harissa
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tbsp vinegar (plus extra for cleaning chicken)
- 1 tbsp paprika
- bunch fresh thyme
- 1 lemon, juice and zest (plus extra for cleaning chicken)
- twine (if using whole chicken)
Instructions
- Thoroughly clean chicken with vinegar and lemon juice.
- Pour 1 tbsp of oil over the chicken and use hands to coat the chicken in the oil. If using the browning, apply now, using hands to distribute evenly across the chicken. The browning will give the chicken some additional color, but is completely optional. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.
- Make the peri peri sauce. In a food processor, combine Maille Dijon Originale Mustard, chilies, garlic, onion, red bell pepper, vinegar, paprika, thyme, lemon juice and zest. Blend until smooth. You should have a thick creamy paste. Lather about 2/3 of the sauce onto the chicken, making sure to coat it fully, including under the skin. Place in a roasting pan and cover with foil. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge over night, preferably for an entire day.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Remove chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Place the chicken uncovered in the oven along with the remaining oil. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, basting every 30 minutes with the juices from the chicken. The chicken skin should be very crispy with some browned spots (i.e. flavor!)
- Remove the roasted chicken from the oven. Using a spoon, slather on about 2 tbsp of the peri peri sauce onto the cooked chicken while it is still hot. Reserve the remaining sauce for dipping. Serve and enjoy!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @sweetandsorrel on Instagram and hashtag it #sweetandsorrel so we can see all the deliciousness!
1 Comment