This peri peri chicken and rice is my weeknight-or-weekend dinner show-stopper: bone-in or boneless chicken thighs roasted over onions, peppers, cherry tomatoes, lemon and a whole garlic bulb, then rice baked in the spicy, citrusy juices until it’s tender with tiny crispy edges. Portuguese-inspired, drier rather than saucy, and it feels like having a Nando’s without leaving the house.
What you’ll love about this recipe
- One pan, weeknight-easy: Roast, add rice, finish & done.
- Golden edges & juicy chicken: That paella-style bake gives you little crispy bits, yum!
- Gut-health nod: Whole-food veg, herbs, or optional adding beans to get more plants.
- Flexible spice: Mild for kids or dial it up for chilli fans.
- Great leftovers: Make a large batch & refrigerate the leftovers; reheated rice gets a touch more resistant starch.
Watch how to make peri peri chicken & rice casserole
https://youtube.com/shorts/lLd6kM-2LZg?feature=share
Ingredient Notes
Chicken & veg
- Chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless)
Bone-in will give you a juicier bite, but boneless will cook faster. - Peri peri seasoning
I like to use a dry blend. Mild or hot, your preference. Once you rub it on the chicken, drizzle a little olive oil so it doesn’t burn. - Olive oil
Be generous, it helps the spices cling and the veg roast, not stew. - Red onions & shallots
Rough wedges are fine, they melt a bit and catch in the oven a bit, so you get sweetness and texture. - Sweet red peppers (or bell pepper)
Cut in thick strips. - Cherry tomatoes
They burst and make a light, tangy “sauce” for the rice. - Whole garlic bulb
Roast and squeeze into the tray/stock for mellow garlic. - Lemon (halved, cut side down)
Roasts to a caramelised, juicy finish; squeeze in the sauce at the end.
Rice & stock
- Rice (paella-style or other medium-grain)
Bakes up tender with tiny crispy edges; don’t rinse for this method. - Hot chicken or vegetable stock
Hot stock keeps the bake moving; have a little extra on standby.
For garnish
- Parsley & Lemon wedges to brighten up this cozy oven bake.
How to make peri-peri chicken and rice (step-by-step)
Time needed: 1 hour and 15 minutes
A one-pan, Portuguese-inspired peri peri chicken and rice: roast thighs over veg until golden brown, then bake rice in the spicy, citrusy tray juices. Enjoy the juicy chicken, scoops of flavorful rice with crispy bits and serve with parsley and lemon.
- Prep Chicken & Veg
Add thighs to an oiled roasting dish. Add onion, shallots, peppers, tomatoes, lemon halves (cut side down) and a whole garlic bulb (cut side up). Salt and coat everything with peri-peri seasoning and oil. Nestle chicken on top and roast until golden and nearly done (bone-in 35–40 min; boneless start checking at 20–25 min).
- Separate & flavor the juices
Lift roast chicken thighs and lemons out; set aside. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves and the baked lemons into the tray and whisk into the juices (optional, but so good).
- Bake rice in the juices
Stir unrinsed rice through the hot tray juices; pour in 750 ml boiling stock. Bake 20–25 min at 200°C fan (no stirring) until the rice is tender and mostly absorbed, splashing in 100–150 ml extra hot stock if the edges dry too fast. Return the roast chicken thighs on top and warm through 5 min at 220°C (428°F).
- Garnish & Serve
Finish with plenty of chopped parsley and serve with extra lemon wedges.
Pro Tips
- Use a large dish and crank the temperature a bit. This way you will avoid crowding. Aim for a single layer so veg can roast and sweeten.
- Bone-in vs boneless thighs: Bone-in roast in approximately 35–40 min. Boneless can be ready in around 20–25 minutes, pull them earlier so they don’t dry out. Check that juices run clear to make sure they are cooked through.
- Rice ratio for this drier style: 300g rice : 750ml hot stock. If your oven runs hot or the tray is very wide, have 100-150ml extra hot stock ready.
- Don’t stir once the stock is in. That’s how you get those lovely crispy edges. If the top looks dry but rice isn’t done, splash a little stock around the edges.
Nutritional benefits
Of course the abundance of vegetables makes this dish such a wholesome nourishing option. You get good everyday “plant points” with no extra effort, but you can nudge the fibre up if you want by serving with a simple side salad or a mixed bean salad.
Servings
This recipe yields 6 portions, enough for a small family and leftovers.
What to serve with peri peri chicken & rice
- Salada de feijão‑frade (black‑eyed pea salad): drain and toss the cooked beans with onion, parsley, olive oil and vinegar.
- Quick Cucumber & Herb Salad (lemon, olive oil, chopped herbs).
- Quick Pickled Red Onions (you can find a quick version I use to top my halloumi and sweet potato salad or my chickpea and halloumi salad).
- A corn and lime salsa made with Chargrilled Corn with Lime & Coriander.
- Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli with a squeeze of lemon.
variations and substitutions
- VEGETARIAN or VEGAN: Swap the chicken with mushrooms and add black-eyed peas!
- Coconut‑lime: Swap some of the stock for light coconut milk and add lime zest. Scatter some chopped coriander.
- Whole‑grain option: Use precooked 200 g brown basmati (even the store-bought pouches, I won’t judge) instead of paella rice. Or bake it the same way (you may need more stock and more time, check it regularly).
- More Veg or Greens: I often throw in a bunch of green beans, Kale or Cavolo Nero, even spinach towards the end.
- Scatter a handful of green olives over the rice before baking for a proper Portuguese twist.
- Make it more saucy by adding a little more stock, but I like the crispy baked rice bits (called soccarat).
- Make your own seasoning with this homemade peri peri mix recipe.
When I bring this big tray of peri peri chicken and rice to the table, we all go quiet for a minute. Then we just savor every mouthful of that citrusy smoky spiced chicken, pops of juicy roast tomatoes and those satisfying bits of crispy rice at the edges.
- If you make my recipe, take a snapshot for your Instagram
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recipe FAQ
Yes, just different spelling. In Portugal you’ll see piri-piri; in the UK it’s often peri-peri.
A medium-grain like Carolino (if you have it) or paella rice. Both bake up tender with those tiny crispy edges.
I wouldn’t, but I’m more of a leg girl, I like to get that golden beautifully spiced skin. If you must, I suggest either a bone in breast and reduce the roasting time, or marinade the chicken breast in some buttermilk before roasting.
Yes, use 3–4 tablespoons in place of dry seasoning. Still salt the chicken, and don’t drown it; you want a rub, not a bath.
Peri Peri Chicken and Rice
Equipment
- Large oven‑safe casserole/ roasting dish (approx 30×40 cm)
- Pyrex dish to take the chicken thighs out in
- Kettle
- jug
Ingredients
- 9 bone‑in chicken thighs about 1.2 kg ( if using boneless thighs start checking ~15 minutes earlier)
- 11/2 tbsp peri peri seasoning
- 1 tsp fine sea salt plus more to taste
- 4 tbsp olive oil coat everything generously
- 2 red onions thick wedges
- 2 shallots sliced in strips
- 2 sweet red peppers or 1 large bell pepper, thick strips
- 300 g cherry tomatoes
- 1 whole garlic bulb top sliced off
- 1 lemon halved (cut side down for roasting) plus more lemon wedges to serve
- 300 g rice paella/Bomba/Calasparra or Portuguese Carolino
- 750 ml hot stock plus 100–150 ml extra hot stock if needed
- 1 handful chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the oven 200°C fan (400℉). Add the chicken thighs to a large baking dish drizzled with oil and coat them well with the oil.
- To the large roasting dish, add chopped onion, shallots, peppers, tomatoes and use your hands to salt and season chicken and veg with the peri peri seasoning coating everything well with oil. Add garlic bulb (cut side up), drizzle olive oil on top and lemon halves (cut side down). Nestle chicken thighs on top of the veg.
- Roast until the chicken thighs are golden brown and nearly done: 35–40 min for bone‑in (boneless start checking at 20–25 min). Remove chicken and lemons and set aside.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves and baked lemons over the juices and whisk in if you like. Stir the rice (do not wash the rice) through tray juices. Pour in 750 ml boiling stock.
- Bake 20–25 min (no stirring) until rice is tender and mostly absorbed. Splash in 100–150 ml extra hot stock if edges dry too fast. Add the chicken thighs back on top and warm through in the oven at 220℃ (428℉) for another 5 minutes.
- Scatter plenty of chopped parsley and serve with more lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
- You should be aiming for a drier, baked‑rice texture (very Portuguese) rather than a saucy rice.
- But keep extra stock handy if you’d like the rice looser (ovens and pans vary).
- For boneless thighs, reduce roasting time and keep an eye on doneness.
