Spatchcock piri-piri chicken

Butterfly a whole chicken by removing the backbone to keep it juicy during grilling, and flavour with a chilli pepper marinade

Recipe uploaded by

James Martin

9 ratings 5

Recipe by James Martin

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Difficulty and servings

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 15 mins

Cook 35 mins

plus marinating

FREEZE uncooked

To spatchcock the chicken, flip it over so the backbone is facing you. Using a sturdy pair of kitchen scissors or poultry scissors, cut down either side of the backbone, then discard. Turn the chicken over and push down firmly on the breastbone to flatten out the bird. Make a few slashes in each leg joint. You can watch a video showing how to spatchcock a chicken in the How To Cook section of the website).
Put the chillies and garlic in a food processor with a good pinch of salt, or use a pestle and mortar. Blend to a paste, then add the paprika, vinegar, parsley and olive oil. Mix well, then smear over the chicken. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hr or overnight if possible. Can be frozen at this stage.
Fire up the barbecue. When the flames have died down, place the chicken on the centre of the barbecue, skin-side down, and cook for 15-20 mins until nicely charred. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking for another 5-15 mins until cooked through. Check that the juices run clear, as the heat of every barbecue will vary. To cook in the oven, heat to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook for 35-40 mins on a baking tray. To char the skin, grill for a further 5-10 mins. Serve with lemon wedges, and Tabasco if you like it hot.

PER SERVING

552 kcalories, protein 47g, carbohydrate 1g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 10g, fibre 0g, salt 0.4 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, July 2012.

Latest comments and suggestions

MrsSpacer

22 July 2012

MrsSpacer rated and commented on this recipe

I made this the mother night for dinner and really enjoyed it. I added a small bunch of coriander to my marinade too. Husband loved it (he's a huge Nandos fan!) and said to leave it marinating overnight though. Great recipe :)

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SionaG

22 July 2012

SionaG rated and commented on this recipe

We had this whilst on holiday in Spain and enjoyed eating it whilst the sun set over the mountains. So easy to make from store cupboard ingredients. We just had chicken legs rather than spatchcock and added extra Tabasco to suit our tastes.

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big cook

29 July 2012

big cook rated and commented on this recipe

bloody lovley

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Emmaly Jayne

29 July 2012

Emmaly Jayne rated and commented on this recipe

We just had this for supper it was lovely. I served it with sweet potato wedges, baked corn on the cob and green salad. I was told I can definitely make this again!! A lovely summer alternative to a Sunday roast chicken.

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Frank

01 August 2012

Frank rated and commented on this recipe

This is a winner! I will make this again soon for friends & family. So full of taste. Really enjoyed it with the suggested buttery baked corn.

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mandy

12 November 2012

mandy commented on this recipe

hi, i used breast fillets instead worked well, also used finger chillies which made it really spicy loved it

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Comfie

15 November 2012

Comfie commented on this recipe

I used fish fillets instead of chicken and added some ginger to the marinade. We had it for dinner last night and I am still smiling. Will definitely try it again with chicken and turkey

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epicgirl

28 November 2012

epicgirl rated and commented on this recipe

best chicken ever so nice and i do like my heat my mum dad dads sister and my 2 brothers loved it to. I would recommend it to any one.

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jonoddjob

19 December 2012

jonoddjob commented on this recipe

Quite lovely. Made it for auntie who enjoys life on the whole. She says its the best chicken sh has had since Dhurba.

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weeslavey

08 January 2013

weeslavey rated and commented on this recipe

Delicious, I substituted coriander for parsley. I also used chicken breast with bone in and skin on and cooked it in the oven. I made up twice the suggested amount of marinade and this was just enough for 4. The whole family loved it. Served it with coleslaw and potato wedges. Try it!

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Lynnee

21 February 2013

Lynnee rated and commented on this recipe

This recipe is great - all the family love it. Really easy to make and very tasty!

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Lexi99

05 May 2013

Lexi99 commented on this recipe

What would be the best to cook this other than barbecuing? Just in he oven?

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Honeyshine74

11 May 2013

Honeyshine74 rated and commented on this recipe

I made this for supper tonight, it was a real hit, my partner said I was getting very chefy, all thanks to BBC good food!! I add some coriander to the marinade and grated some lemon zest over the marinated chicken. Served with boiled new potatoes and vegetables. Delicious and fresh. Definitely one to do again.

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