Oven Roasted Peri Peri Chicken and Potatoes

By Kiano Moju

Updated March 25, 2026

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
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Ready In
1 hr 15 min
Rating
5(130)
Comments
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Peri peri (“pili pili” in Swahili) simply translates to “pepper pepper,” but this traditionally grilled chicken dish has much more flavor than heat. It may have been made globally famous by South African and Portuguese restaurants, but peri peri chicken can trace its origins to Mozambique, which was once a Portuguese colony. As its popularity grew across South Africa and Portugal, so did the variations. In this version, chicken thighs are marinated in a classic peri peri marinade of chiles, garlic, lemon and olive oil, then roasted over a bed of sliced potatoes, which soak up the spicy, lemony drippings. Be sure to reserve a little bit of the peri peri sauce to serve on the side.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

For the Peri Peri Sauce

  • 4 Fresno chiles, stemmed (see Tip)

  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled 

  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced (¼ cup juice)

  • 3 fresh oregano sprigs, plus additional leaves to garnish (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)

  • Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal

  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne

  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 

For the Chicken

  • 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on whole chicken legs or a mix of drumsticks and thighs

  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch-thick wedges

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)

24 grams carbs; 167 milligrams cholesterol; 600 calories; 22 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 42 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 773 milligrams sodium; 31 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

    1. Step 1

      Make the peri peri sauce: In a blender, combine the Fresno chiles, garlic, lemon zest and juice, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, smoked paprika and cayenne, and blend until a rough paste forms. With the blender running, slowly pour in the olive oil, blending until fully combined. Reserve ¼ cup of the peri peri sauce for serving. 

    2. Step 2

      Add the chicken and potatoes to a large bowl. Season generously with 2 to 3 teaspoons salt, tossing to coat. Pour the remaining peri peri sauce over the chicken and potatoes, tossing to combine. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

    3. Step 3

      When ready to cook, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Arrange the chicken and potatoes in a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer, nestling the chicken skin-side up among the potatoes. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through and the potatoes are tender. 

    4. Step 4

      Garnish with a few leaves of fresh oregano (if using). Serve with the reserved peri peri sauce. 

Tip

  • If you want your peri peri sauce to have more heat, you can also blend in a Thai bird’s eye chile.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
130 user ratings
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Comments

Jerry Grant

At 450 degrees the potatoes will be slightly burnt but still raw in the middle. If you want to avoid black fully cooked potatoes, I suggest a more moderate temperature. You can always broil this dish when finished to add some color.

hfee14

Really solid, flavorful sheet-pan dinner. The peri peri marinade has a nice balance of heat and tang without being too intense. We added fresh jalapeños, which worked really well—they gave it an extra kick and a bit of brightness. The chicken came out juicy, and the potatoes got crispy and picked up all the good flavor from the pan. Easy to make and easy to tweak. Would definitely make again. I used chicken thighs and drumsticks.

Kentfield Barbara

When preparing peri peri sauce I used Anaheim chilis which aren't as hot and roasted the chicken thighs in the upper third of the oven at 425 for 40 minutes. Roasted squash cubes tossed with olive oil and salt on the same pan as the potatoes and chicken.

kmorrow

I made this according to the recipe, for the most part, and my family and I loved it! Cayenne adds heat with no flavor, so I left it out in favor of a birds-eye pepper. I will add two next time, since we like heat. I added sliced onion, sweet potato, and carrot to the potatoes the recipe calls for, thinking the sweetness would work well with the sauce. If I have them, I will do it again. Some in the group preferred the sweet potatoes to the others, but all the vegetables were delicious. I like russet potatoes, so I used those. I cut the vegetables to a size and shape to encourage a tender interior and crispy edges (sort of thinnish triangles). I was careful not to crowd things on the pan to give plenty of room for proper cooking. I set my convection oven at 425 (the manufacturer recommended 25 degrees lower) and everything cooked perfectly. It made excellent leftovers, but I will make more sauce next time since I ran out. If you make the sauce and cut the veggies the day before and serve it with a salad, this will make an easy week night dinner, and it’s company-worthy. This dish will be used in regular rotation now!

Kim C

I used russets because that’s what I had. Baked for 40 min @450; chicken and potatoes perfectly done, chicken was browned and juicy. We really enjoyed the recipe and will make again. Spicy but not overpowering.

Laura

This was so good. Potatoes tender, chicken juicy, sauce zesty. So good. Roasted some broccoli to go with it. I only used drumsticks and it was ready in 35 minutes.

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