This piri piri chicken recipe is full of flavor. Make this spicy chicken recipe in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.

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Updated 2020 with Instant Pot instructions
What Is Piri Piri?
Piri piri, also known as peri peri, is African bird’s eye chili. The variations in spelling come from the various pronunciations of the word in parts of Africa; ‘piri piri’ is the spelling in Portuguese. So is piri piri Portuguese or African? Both. It was originally produced in Mozambique by Portuguese explorers. Piri piri sauce is popular in both Portuguese & African cuisines. Ok confession time – I have not been to Portugal or Africa. This is my best try at piri piri. I make this frequently and it’s always a hit. This may not be a traditional piri piri but it’s still dang good if I must say so myself. Plus it’s another trifecta recipe – this one too is low-carb, paleo, and whole30.

homemade sauce
All About The Sauce
As with a lot of my recipes, this one is all about the piri piri sauce. The sauce is light and healthy. It’s a lemon based sauce with some spicy spices. I’m telling you now that this recipe has some heat to it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you make this in the Instant Pot, please note the adjustments you need to make with the sauce measurements: add an additional 1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken broth. If you’re using your slow cooker you do not need to add the broth. I know it won’t look like there’s enough sauce when you start slow cooking because the chicken will not be fully submerged. Trust me, there’s enough sauce.

before (slow cooker)
What Cut Of Chicken To Use
I made this piri piri chicken using a little over 2 pounds of chicken quarters. Like most of my recipes you can use pretty much any cut of chicken whether it’s quarters, legs, thighs, or breasts. Personally I think dark meat work best with this recipe. But that’s just me. White meat does work too. If you do choose to use white meat, lower the cooking time by an hour or more in the slow cooker and 2-3 minutes for the Instant Pot. This is so the chicken doesn’t overcook. When I use my electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot) and skinless chicken, I don’t sauté the meat first. I just add it in to the appliance raw. In general, I pretty much only sauté my chicken in my pressure cooker if it’s skin-on chicken.

after (slow cooker)
Broil The Chicken Afterwards
Like crisp skin? If you’re using skin-on chicken, you will sauté the chicken beforehand if you’re using the Instant Pot. For the slow cooker, you will need to broil the chicken afterwards in order to have crisp skin. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker after it’s done cooking and place it on a foil lined baking sheet & then in the oven under the broiler it for 3-5 minutes. If you plan on taking the skin off your chicken or using boneless, skinless chicken, whether it be breasts or thighs, you don’t need to bother with this step.

broil the skin-on chicken
Other chicken recipes you might enjoy:
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Rosemary Dijon Chicken (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Lemon Chicken (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Lemon Basil Chicken (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Air Fryer Piri Piri Chicken (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
What To Serve This With
I like to keep it low-carb, paleo, and whole30 so I serve piri piri chicken with cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower and a simple salad. But really, sky is the limit! Rice and potatoes are great with this recipe as well.
I use a 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot to make this recipe. Pour the sauce from the slow cooker Instant Pot on top of the chicken before serving.
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{VIDEO} Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Piri Piri Chicken (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 lemon, sliced
- Handful fresh cilantro (for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon oil (for Instant Pot)
Piri Piri Sauce:
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oil of your choice
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken broth (Instant Pot only)
Instructions
- Place sliced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add chicken on top.
- In a small bowl, mix together piri piri sauce ingredients. Pour sauce over chicken. Top with lemon slices.
- Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6.
- Top with fresh cilantro.
- Turn the pressure cooker to sauté. Once hot, add the oil and chicken skin-side down and sear, few minutes until browned. You might need to do this in batches depending on the cut of chicken you use. If you are using skinless chicken skip this step and add the chicken directly to the pressure cooker. Remove chicken from the pressure cooker and set aside.
- Add onion to the pot. You may need to add more oil. Cook 3-5 minutes or until onions are soft. Add chicken back to the Instant Pot on top of the onions.
- In a small bowl, mix together the piri piri sauce ingredients. Pour the sauce on top of the chicken. Top with lemon slices.
- Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure for 10-20 minutes (depending on your cut of chicken). When done, quick release the pressure. Make sure internal temperature for the chicken is 165° Fahrenheit.
- Carefully remove the chicken. Top with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Instant Pot chicken breasts cook 10 minutes
Instant Pot chicken thighs cook 15 minutes
Instant Pot chicken quarters cook 20 minutes
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Hi! I got this in my email and I hope you’ve been to Africa by now 😁. I was born and raised in South Africa and your recipe makes me miss my motherland. I’ve been away since 2009 and only been back to visit twice. This recipe reminds me of my favorite South African fast food place, Nando’s! They use piri piri. They gave restaurants now in the US but nothing close to where I live although I get their sauces in grocery stores. Have a great day!
Id never heard of Piri Piri chicken before- thanks for sharing this recipe
★★★★★
Been looking for something exactly like this, thank you! Quick question: do you think this recipe works well multiplying for more servings? I’d love to serve at a party alongside other tasty Portuguese treats, but want to plan appropriately for a larger slow cooker batch.
Thanks!
Absolutely. I have doubled this recipe to feed a larger crowd and it came out great. To the right of the ingredients list, there’s a ‘SCALE’ button that will double to triple the recipe ingredients for you.
This was absolutely fantastic! Made the dish exactly as described, but used skinless boneless thighs. Six hours of cooking time on low. Very, very flavorful. Just the right amount of spice and heat. I had some leftover tortillas, so I shredded the chicken and put it on them. Absolutely fantastic.
Thank you for the feedback! This comment seriously made my day. I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it. It’s a personal favorite:-)
Made this for a party tonight and it was delicious!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the feedback.
Hey Shannon! I tried out this recipe this week and LOVED it! It re-heated great as well (almost better than the original eat because I cooked it a little too long so the chicken was dry). I’m actually featuring it on my website (and giving you all the credit and linking back here 🙂 ) this week as I talk about Portugal. Thanks again – this was such a great recipe!
I just made chicken earlier this week. But guarantee next time I make chicken, I am doing this!!! I love working with my slow cooker and this is a new twist to chicken I have to try.
I hope you enjoy the recipe! I love my slow cooker too (as you can tell hahaha) and I’m always looking for new recipes so if you have any, send ’em my way! xShannon