Frango assado com piri piri

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Frango assado com piri piri, which is often simply referred to as frango assado (roasted chicken), is a Portuguese dish with vague origins. It is usually made with a whole butterflied chicken that can be marinated in a combination of olive oil, seasonings, and crushed piri-piri peppers. After it is roasted or grilled, the chicken is served with a piri-piri sauce—a mixture of dry or fresh chili peppers and oil, along with other optional ingredients. Portuguese frango assado is closely connected to an African dish that is known as piri-piri (peri-peri) chicken, and it is still not clear where this Portuguese version originated. The most common theory claims that the dish appeared in the 1970s when many Portuguese expats returned home from overseas colonies such as Angola and Mozambique. With them, they brought regional ingredients, including the chili peppers that are used in the piri-piri sauce. Most emigrants resettled in Algarve, the region which is often cited as the place where the dish originated. The dish is a staple in Algarve, but it is also found in other Portuguese regions. Fries or rice and a tomato salad are usually served on the side.