Spicy garlicky Piri Piri chichen salad served over crisp spring mix, cherry tomatoes, fresh dill, avocado, and mango’s topped with crunchy chipotle tortilla strips. Tender juicy chicken breast marinated in spicy piri piri sauce makes for a delicious healthy weeknight dinner!

Easy chicken recipe that is sure to spice things up and bring the heat! The marinade really does all the work here. Make sure to marinade the chicken for at least 1 hour before cooking if not longer and put some of the piri piri sauce aside for brushing on top.

So what’s in the sauce?

We love garlic and lemon so for this version of Piri Piri sauce we added loads of garlic and lemon juice for a spicy, tangy, garlicky sauce. Our version has roasted red peppers, bird eye chili, garlic, oregano, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, spices, red onion and olive oil. The heat comes from the birds eye chilies so if you like a mild heat be sure to only use 1 chili and balance out the sauce with fresh herbs and acid.

To keep things authentic we grilled our chicken on the BBQ. The slight char from the grill is a traditional Portuguese flavor and what makes Piri Piri chicken so delicious. Chicken is best cooked on medium heat which is a slower longer cooking time but avoids burning the outside. This is where having some extra sauce set aside comes in handy. When turning the chicken simply baste a small amount of sauce onto the chicken to help keep it moist.

The Piri Piri sauce smells absolutely amazing whilst cooking. When you cut into the chicken it is so juicy and moist with a hint of char from the grill.

We decided to serve the chicken over top a healthy summer salad loaded with spring mix, Italian dressing, cherry tomatoes, mango’s, avocados, red onions, fresh dill and crispy chipotle tortilla strips. Squeeze a lemon and you’re ready to enjoy this delicious summer chicken salad.

Print Recipe

PIRI PIRI CHICKEN SALAD

Spicy garlicky Piri Piri chichen salad served over crisp spring mix, cherry tomatoes, fresh
dill, avocado, and mangos topped with crunchy chipotle tortilla strips. Tender juicy chicken breast marinated in spicy piri piri sauce makes for a delicious healthy weeknight dinner!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Additional Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 22 minutes mins

Course: Salads

Servings: 4 -6

Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

• 6 boneless chicken breasts
• 12 oz jar fire roasted red peppers drained
• 6 cloves of garlic
• Juice from 2 lemons
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 small red onion quartered
• 1 birds eye chilli more if you like spice
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp red chilli flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 bay leafs
• 1 tbsp honey
• Salad:
• Spring mix
• Chopped mangos
• Sliced avocados
• Sliced red onions
• Cherry tomatoes cut in half
• Chopped fresh dill
• Chipotle tortilla strips salad toppers
• Fried jalepenos salad toppers
• Italian dressing

Instructions

• 1. Add all the sauce ingredients to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust accordingly.
• 2. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper in a ziplock bag. Add half the piri piri sauce and rub the chicken together making sure the sauce is well distributed and coated onto the chicken. Let marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. Store the remainder of the sauce in an airtight container for up to 1 week. (We’ll be using the extra sauce for basting the chicken on the grill and before serving so make sure you save enough)
• 3. Spray the grill with cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken from the bag and place on the grill. Grill each side for about 6 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breast. Baste the chicken with remaining piri piri sauce every time you flip. Once the chicken is fully cooked and your satisfied with your grill marks, remove from
  the grill and place on a baking tray.
• 4. To make the salad, add all ingredients to your bowls and drizzle with Italian dressing. Once the chicken has cooled slightly, sice the chicken across the grain and place 1 chicken breast per serving. Brush with extra piri piri sauce and top with salad toppers. Serve with a lemon wedge.