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Spice up dinner with this delicious Creamy Peri Peri Chicken Skillet! This Portuguese recipe is easy to make with chicken breasts marinated in a savory, smoky mix, then pan-fried to perfection and simmered with peppers and onions in a creamy, flavorful sauce.
If you’re looking for easy chicken recipes to add to your meal rotation, this Peri Peri Chicken is a must-try. Like my Creamy Spinach Parmesan Chicken Skillet, it’s easy to make with simple ingredients. From the juicy, perfectly cooked chicken breasts to the tangy, rich, and spicy sauce, this dish is a guaranteed people pleaser.
Even though this dish is traditionally spicy, since you’re making your recipe, you can make it as fiery hot or as mildly spicy as you like! Feel free to omit the chili flakes in the marinade and add a dash to individual servings if you’re serving kids.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Super tasty: If you want to take chicken from boring to extraordinary, this is your recipe!
- Easy to make with very little hands-on time: This is a straightforward recipe to whip up.
- Versatile: This pairs well with a variety of sides, with vegetables, mashed potatoes, or over a steaming pile of white or brown rice. So good!
Ingredients needed
You’re going to LOVE the flavors in this peri-peri chicken recipe. It has the perfect amount of spice, smokiness & fresh flavor! Here’s what you’ll need to make it, full measurements are listed further down in the recipe card.
- For the marinade: The marinade is a mix of olive oil, tomato puree, harissa paste, lime juice, garlic, smoked paprika, chili flakes, and salt & pepper for bold flavor.
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts to keep things on the lighter side, but you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead for a richer and juicier flavor.
- Olive oil: For cooking the chicken.
- Bell peppers & onion: Sautéed for a savory, aromatic flavor that balances out the spice.
- Almond milk & cornstarch: Mixing almond milk and cornstarch with the peri peri marinade will make the creamy sauce.
- Fresh parsley: Sprinkling chopped fresh herbs over the top of the finished dish, adds a pop of color and freshness.
How to make peri peri chicken
Step 1: Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk all the peri peri marinade ingredients. Reserve half of the marinade in a small bowl.
Step 2: Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken breast to the bowl with the remaining marinade and rub on all sides. Allow it to marinate for 20-30 minutes over the counter (or more if refrigerated).
Pan-fry the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the marinated chicken until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 160 to 165ºF. Set aside on a plate and cover to keep warm.
Sauté veggies: To the same preheated skillet, sauté the bell peppers and onions over medium heat until they just start to soften.
Step 3: Make the creamy sauce: Whisk the reserved peri peri marinade with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, then mix with the almond milk. Pour this mixture over the sautéed veggies in the skillet and allow it to bubble for a couple of minutes to thicken.
Step 4: Simmer chicken in the sauce: Once the sauce has thickened, return the chicken back to the skillet, and continue to simmer for a couple of minutes, spooning over the creamy sauce to heat it up. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Tips for success
- Size of chicken breast: We recommend choosing chicken breasts that are approximately the same size so that they cook at the same rate.
- Marinating the chicken: The longer the chicken marinates in the sauce, the better. Be sure to at least marinate it for 20 to 30 minutes, and for even more flavor overnight is best.
- Cooking the chicken: Give the chicken space in the pan while frying it, you want it to sear nicely and not steam.
- Checking for doneness: Since chicken breasts can vary in size, we recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure that the chicken breast is fully cooked; the temperature should read 160 to 165 degrees F. We recommend removing it from the heat at 160ºF because it will continue to cook in the pan, even after being removed from the heat.
Frequently asked questions
With roots in African and Portuguese culture, peri peri chicken is a flavorful chicken dish, typically made with chicken breasts or thighs that are marinated in and also served with a homemade peri peri sauce, a spicy sauce.
Peri peri sauce originates in Africa (with a Portuguese influence) and is traditionally a blend of African bird’s eye chilis. Instead, this recipe keeps things simple and uses easy-to-find spices that still give this dish complex, delicious flavor. It tastes spicy, garlicky, tangy, and citrusy.
Peri peri is a Portuguese name for Pilipili, a Swahili term meaning “Pepper-Pepper,” which refers to the African Bird’s Eye Chili and the hot pepper flavor in this recipe.
Serving suggestions
Try pairing this dish with mashed potatoes or rice to soak up the creamy sauce. For a lower-carb option, pair it with cauliflower rice. It’s quite rich, so some veggies would work great, too. Try our roasted green beans, oven-baked asparagus, or garlic-roasted broccolini. A side salad would be delicious too! One with kale or romaine lettuce and a simple dressing of olive oil and fresh lemon juice would go perfectly.
Storage recommendations
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: For best results, reheat on the stovetop or in the oven, so the sauce gets creamy again. Try 350ºF until it’s warmed through. You can also microwave individual servings in small increments.
More chicken recipes
- Taco Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Lemon Chicken Breast
- Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice Recipe
- Boneless BBQ Chicken Breast
- Asian Chopped Chicken Salad
- Baked Buffalo Chicken Breast
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Creamy Peri Peri Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
Peri peri marinade:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
For the chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or avocado oil
- 2 bell peppers, seeded and diced
- 1 onion, small diced
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk all the peri peri marinade ingredients (2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 cup tomato puree, 2 tablespoons harissa paste, 1/4 cup lime juice, 3-4 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoon chili flakes, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and kosher salt and pepper). Reserve half of the marinade in a small bowl. Add the 4 chicken breasts to the bowl with the remaining marinade and rub on all sides. Allow it to marinate for 20-30 minutes over the counter (or more if refrigerated).
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the marinated chicken until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 160 to 165ºF. Set aside on a plate and cover to keep warm.
- In the same preheated skillet, sauté the 2 bell peppers (sliced) and 1 onion (diced) over medium heat until they just start to soften.
- Whisk the reserved peri peri marinade with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, then mix with the 1 cup almond milk. Pour this mixture over the sautéed veggies in the skillet and allow it to bubble for a couple of minutes to thicken.
- Once the sauce has thickened, return the chicken back to the skillet, and continue to simmer for a couple of minutes, spooning over the creamy sauce to heat up. Garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- For best results, reheat on the stovetop or in the oven, so the sauce gets creamy again. Try 350ºF until it’s warmed through. You can also microwave individual servings in small increments.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks amazing. Have all my ingredients to try tomorrow. What do you suggest I serve it with please? Many thanks for such an easy really appertaining recipe x
Thanks Linda. Appreciate it
Can you replace chicken with fish?
Yes you can
I made this over the weekend for my lunch for the week and it is AMAZING. I had to swap the almond milk for oat milk due to an allergy and it still came out excellent. Thank you for the recipe will be making again!!
Perfect. Glad you loved it