Sponsored Post: We’re celebrating Vinho Verde wines this season. These Portuguese bottles are young, fresh, vibrant, and affordable. It’s the perfect wine for all your favorite summer recipes, beach trips, and vacations. It truly is like no other wine in the world.
Labor Day is a day of rest and relaxation. It’s also an invitation to celebrate those fleeting final days of summer. What better way than to gather with friends and family for a backyard barbecue. Good food, good friends, and good wine. What more do we need?
A perfect wine pairing for your summer grilling is a light, fresh, and slightly effervescent Vinho Verde. Vinho Verde is not a grape varietal, but rather a protected designation of origin (DOC) or denominação de origem controladaof northwest Portugal. The DOC is comprised of nine sub-regions named after rivers or towns — Monção, Melgaço, Lima, Basto, Cávado, Ave, Amarante, Baião, Sousa, and Paiva — in the Douro Valley, starting just below the Portuguese-Spanish border and extending all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, where it meets with the city of Port (where, by the way, most Port wine is made). Vinho Verde is typically a blend of white grape varietals, though you can also find single varietal and rose Vinho Verdes. They’re approachable, easy drinking, fresh and young, and pair exceptionally well with any number of foods. 
Inspired by my travels to Portugal, I decided that barbecue piri piri chicken would be a perfect complement for Vinho Verde. Piri piri chicken is a spicy dish with roots in Africa and Portugal. The dish was created in Angola and Mozambique, where Portuguese settlers arrived with chile peppers known as piri-piri (in Swahili). Piri piri are small red chiles, nicknamed African Red Devils for their fiery heat, hitting 175,000 Scoville units.
My piri piri sauce also includes onion, garlic, lemon, vinegar, whiskey (the alcohol in the whiskey cooks off as it simmers), and a touch of honey to balance out the heat. It also has a nice dose of olive oil, which contributes a luscious texture.I included a couple of long red cayenne chiles, 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units, which contribute to the sauce’s bright orange-y hue. Either red jalapenos (2,500 to 8,000 Scoville) or Fresno chiles (around 5,000 Scoville) would be good a substitute for red cayenne chiles. The fruitiness of Vinho Verde stands up well to the spiciness of the chicken. I also grilled up an assortment of summer vegetables – eggplant, zucchini, squash, peppers, and even broccoli – to make it a complete and festive meal to be enjoyed by all.
Be sure to reserve some of the piri piri sauce for serving, with both the grilled chicken and vegetables, for an extra pop of flavor and heat.
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Piri Piri Chicken and Vinho Verde Wine
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Flavorful grilled chicken with a fiery piri piri sauce. Serve with grilled veggies for a complete meal.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs (1814 g) bone-in chicken (thighs and legs)
- 1 recipe piri piri sauce
- Assortment of sliced vegetables for grilling (such as eggplant, summer squash, zucchini, bell peppers, broccoli)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 medium head of garlic (cloves removed from skins)
- 1 medium yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 16 red bird’s eye chiles (a few less depending on desired heat level)
- 4 red long chiles (such as red jalapeño, cayenne, or Fresno, roughly chopped)
- 5 tbsp (75 ml) red or white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) olive oil
- 1/2 medium lemon juice and zest
- 1 cup (237 ml) whiskey
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Liberally salt and lightly coat the chicken with piri piri sauce, reserving some for serving. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the grill.
- Once the grill is hot, create a hot (direct heat) and cooler (indirect heat) zone.
- Place chicken on the cooler zone, bordering the hot zone, close the grill (vents open if applicable), and cook for 10 minutes.
- Flip the chicken, close the grill, and cook for another 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Toss the vegetables with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Grill the vegetables in an even layer, flip, and grill until browned.
For the Piri Piri Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer over low heat for 45 to 60 minutes.
- Cool the sauce.
- Blend the sauce in a food processor until smooth.
Notes
- For even cooking, ensure your chicken pieces are relatively uniform in size.
- To reduce the spiciness of the piri piri sauce, remove the seeds and membranes from the chilies.
- Leftover grilled chicken and vegetables can be stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Portuguese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 500
- Fat: 35
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 150
Frequently Asked Questions
What is piri piri sauce made from?
Piri piri sauce is a Portuguese-style hot sauce built on African bird’s eye chiles, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, often with herbs like oregano or parsley blended in.
How long should I marinate the chicken for piri piri?
A minimum of 30 minutes works for a light flavor, but 4-8 hours in the refrigerator allows the marinade to penetrate further into the meat.
Can I make piri piri chicken in the oven if I don’t have a grill?
Yes. Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 35-45 minutes depending on piece size, finishing under the broiler for the last 3-5 minutes to char the skin.
How do I set up a two-zone grill for this recipe?
On a charcoal grill, pile coals to one side. On a gas grill, turn burners on one side to high and leave the other side off. Start the chicken over direct heat to sear, then move to the cooler side to finish cooking.
