Piri-Piri Chicken is a beloved Portuguese dish known for its bold, spicy flavor. At the heart of this dish is the homemade piri-piri sauce made from roasted red bell peppers, onions, garlic, and fiery piri-piri chilies. 

Baked alongside hearty vegetables like baby potatoes, onions, and bell peppers, this 2-Point one-pot meal is as convenient as it is bold. Explore more healthy Weight Watchers dinner recipes for delicious inspiration!

Spicy one pan piri-piri chicken on a plate with potatoes.
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Why you’ll love this dish

  1. Customizable Spice: Piri-Piri Chicken is bursting with bold, spicy flavors, but it’s also incredibly adaptable. You can tone down the heat by replacing the piri-piri peppers with milder options like red Fresno chilies or even sweet red peppers. You can control the spice to suit your family’s preferences or go all out with the traditional fiery kick.
  2. One-Pan Convenience: This recipe is a dream for busy cooks. With everything—chicken, vegetables, and sauce—prepared in one pan, you’ll have fewer dishes to wash and a complete, balanced meal ready in no time.
  3. Weight Watchers-Friendly: At just 2 Weight Watchers points per serving, this dish offers all the indulgence of a classic Piri-Piri Chicken without the guilt. It’s a perfect choice for Weight Watchers lovers. 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Serves: 4

Serving Size: 400 g.

2 WW Points Per Serving. You can view the recipe on the WW App here. (WW login required.)

Ingredients

Piri piri sauce ingredients in separate dishes on a counter.

For the Piri-Piri Sauce:

·         1 medium red onion (150 g), chopped

·         4 piri-piri chilies (or substitute with 2 red Fresno chilies for less heat)

·         1 large red bell pepper (200 g), halved and seeded

·         2 garlic cloves (10 g), peeled

·         1 tablespoon lime juice (15 ml)

·         1 teaspoon paprika (2 g)

·         ¼ teaspoon chili flakes (1 g)

·         1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (15 ml)

·         1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 g)

·         1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)

·         ½ teaspoon salt (2 g)

Piri piri ingredients in separate dishes on a counter.

For the Chicken:

·         4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (800 g), cut into chunks

·         150 g baby potatoes, halved

·         1 large white onion (150 g), sliced

·         2 yellow chilies (60 g), sliced

·         1 red bell pepper (150 g), cut into strips

·         1 yellow bell pepper (150 g), cut into strips

·         2 garlic cloves (10 g), minced

·         1 cup (240 ml) piri-piri sauce (from above recipe)

·         1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)

·         1 teaspoon salt (2 g)

·         1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1 g)

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Piri-Piri Sauce

1.      Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

2.      Place the red onion, piri-piri chilies, red bell pepper chopped, and garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and slightly charred.

3.      Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

4.      Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender. Add lime juice, paprika, chili flakes, apple cider vinegar, grated lemon zest, and salt. Blend until smooth.

5.  Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. Set aside.

Cooking the sauce ingredients.
Blending the sauce ingredients.

Step 2: Prepare the Chicken and Vegetables

1.      Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

2.      In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken chunks, baby potatoes, sliced onion, yellow chilies, bell pepper strips, and minced garlic.

3.      Pour 1 cup of the prepared piri-piri sauce over the mixture and toss to coat evenly.

4.  Season with salt and black pepper. Mix well.

Step 3: Bake the Chicken

1.      Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large baking dish. Spread everything out in an even layer.

2.      Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

3.  Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C), and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. The vegetables should have a slight char.

Chicken vegetables and sauce combined and ready to be cooked.

Step 4: Serve

1.      Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

2.      Garnish with fresh parsley or lemon wedges, if desired. Serve hot with a side salad.

Variations and Substitutions

  1. Milder Pepper Options: If you can’t find piri-piri peppers or prefer a milder heat, try using cayenne peppers, jalapeños, or banana peppers. For a completely non-spicy version, sweet red bell peppers are a great substitute.
  2. Vegetable Swaps: For a 0-point Weight Watchers option, omit the potatoes and double up on bell peppers or add other vegetables like carrots or zucchini.
  3. Store-Bought Sauce: Short on time? Opt for a high-quality store-bought piri-piri sauce. While it won’t have the same homemade touch, it’s a great way to simplify the recipe.
  4. Different Cooking Methods: While baking is convenient, you can grill the chicken and vegetables for a smokier flavor that mimics the traditional preparation. Alternatively, an air fryer can speed up the cooking process while keeping the chicken juicy.

Tips and Tricks for Making Piri-Piri Chicken

  1. Roast Your Vegetables for the Sauce: Taking the extra step to roast red bell peppers, onions, and garlic enhances their natural flavor.
  2. Marinate Overnight: For the best flavor, marinate the chicken and vegetables in the sauce overnight. This gives the ingredients plenty of time to soak up the spicy, tangy goodness.
  3. Shred the Chicken: Transform this dish into a versatile filling by shredding the cooked chicken and mixing it with the roasted vegetables. Use it for wraps, sandwiches, or as a topping for salads.
  4. Serve with a Twist: While the recipe is complete on its own, you can pair it with a fresh green salad.
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Piri-Piri Chicken

Servings: 4
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Spicy one pan piri-piri chicken on a plate with potatoes.
A fiery Portuguese chicken main dish.

Ingredients 

  • For the Piri-Piri Sauce:
  • · 1 medium red onion, 150 g, chopped
  • · 4 piri-piri chilies, or substitute with 2 red Fresno chilies for less heat
  • · 1 large red bell pepper, 200 g, halved and seeded
  • · 2 garlic cloves, 10 g, peeled
  • · 1 tablespoon lime juice, 15 ml
  • · 1 teaspoon paprika, 2 g
  • · ¼ teaspoon chili flakes, 1 g
  • · 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 15 ml
  • · 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, 2 g
  • · 1 tablespoon olive oil, 15 ml
  • · ½ teaspoon salt, 2 g
  • For the Chicken:
  • · 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (800 g), cut into chunks
  • · 150 g baby potatoes, halved
  • · 1 large white onion, 150 g, sliced
  • · 2 yellow chilies, 60 g, sliced
  • · 1 red bell pepper, 150 g, cut into strips
  • · 1 yellow bell pepper, 150 g, cut into strips
  • · 2 garlic cloves, 10 g, minced
  • · 1 cup, 240 ml piri-piri sauce (from above recipe)
  • · 1 tablespoon olive oil, 15 ml
  • · 1 teaspoon salt, 2 g
  • · 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 g

Instructions 

  • Step 1: Prepare the Piri-Piri Sauce
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • Place the red onion, piri-piri chilies, red bell pepper chopped, and garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and slightly charred.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
  • Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender. Add lime juice, paprika, chili flakes, apple cider vinegar, grated lemon zest, and salt. Blend until smooth.
  • Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. Set aside.
  • Step 2: Prepare the Chicken and Vegetables
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken chunks, baby potatoes, sliced onion, yellow chilies, bell pepper strips, and minced garlic.
  • Pour 1 cup of the prepared piri-piri sauce over the mixture and toss to coat evenly.
  • Season with salt and black pepper. Mix well.
  • Step 3: Bake the Chicken
  • Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large baking dish. Spread everything out in an even layer.
  • Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C), and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. The vegetables should have a slight char.
  • Step 4: Serve
  • Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley or lemon wedges, if desired. Serve hot with a side salad.

Notes

Just 2 WW Points per serving. 

Nutrition

Serving: 420gCalories: 382kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 47gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2.1gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 1283mgPotassium: 991mgFiber: 2.7gSugar: 4.4gCalcium: 46mgIron: 2.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Portuguese
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About Drizzle Me Skinny

Kate founded DrizzleMeSkinny in 2014. Since then she has shared nearly 1000 weight watchers friendly recipes with DrizzleMeSkinny's over 500,000 social media followers.

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