Peri-peri is a Portuguese-African chile sauce born in Mozambique — bright, citrusy, garlicky, and properly hot. Thread marinated chicken onto skewers and grill until the sauce caramelizes into a fiery red glaze. Use your tortilla as a glove to slide the chicken right off the skewer, capturing every bit of that charred crust.←Back to Taco Base Recipes
1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
Make peri-peri sauce: Blend chiles, lemon juice, 2 tbsp oil, garlic, paprika, oregano, vinegar, and salt until mostly smooth. It should be bright red and aggressively aromatic.
Reserve 1/4 cup sauce in a clean cup for finishing.
Marinate chicken with remaining sauce 1–2 hours.
Thread the marinated chicken onto 6 skewers, dividing evenly so each skewer has about 4 pieces. Leave a little space between pieces. If using wooden skewers, soak them for 30 minutes first.
Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush grates with the remaining 1 tbsp oil.
Grill the skewers for 10–12 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken hits 165°F/74°C and develops deep char on multiple sides. The sauce will caramelize and cling.
Here's the move: Hold a warm tortilla in one hand like a mitt. Grab a skewer and use the tortilla to slide the chicken chunks right off and onto the tortilla. One skewer makes one perfectly portioned taco.
Off heat, toss with reserved sauce for a final hit of brightness. The chicken should look fiery and charred, with visible bits of chile and garlic.
Mild option: Use 3 chiles instead of 6, and remove the seeds.
Chef's Notes
You can use store-bought peri-peri sauce here (about 1/2 cup) — look for Nando's brand or other Portuguese-style hot sauces. If you can't find African bird's eye chiles, substitute Thai bird's eye chiles or 2 tsp red pepper flakes plus 1 tsp cayenne. The tortilla-skewer technique captures all that precious charred sauce that would otherwise be lost. Make a double batch of sauce and keep it in the fridge — it lasts weeks and improves everything it touches.
Into This Base? Remix It!
Peri-Peri Chicken is a taco base recipe — the foundation of your taco, also known as the filling. It sets the flavor direction for everything that follows. Hit remix to pair it with toppings and finishes that complement it or take it somewhere you'd never expect. You might land on something traditional or stumble into full-on taco fusion.Take Peri-Peri Chicken into the Summoning Circle and shuffle it with hundreds of other taco components to create your perfect taco.
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