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Peri Peri Chicken Burgers

Peri Peri Chicken Burgers

These Peri Peri Chicken Burgers are bold, smoky, and juicy—marinated chicken grilled to perfection, topped with creamy perinaise, and stacked high with fresh veggies. A restaurant-quality burger that’s spicy, satisfying, and easy to make at home.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 burgers
Course: Dinner, LUNCH, school lunch
Cuisine: Portuguese
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Peri Peri Sauce/Marinade
  • 1-3 bird’s eye red chilies 1 for mild, 3 for spicier
  • 1 red bell pepper roughly chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic peeled, left whole
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil such as vegetable or canola
  • 4 tbsp malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika or sweet paprika
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp onion powder or garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 drops red food coloring optional
For the Perinaise
  • 3 tbsp prepared peri peri sauce from above
  • 1/2 cup whole-egg mayonnaise or your favorite mayo
  • 1/4 cup sour cream or thick Greek yogurt
For the Burgers
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs thighs are juicier
  • 4 soft burger buns halved and toasted
  • 2 ripe tomatoes sliced
  • fresh lettuce leaves your choice

Method
 

  1. Prepare chicken: Pound chicken breasts to 1 cm thickness for even cooking. Trim slightly larger than buns.
  2. Blend sauce: Combine chilies, bell pepper, garlic, oil, vinegar, paprika, oregano, onion powder, sugar, salt, and optional coloring. Blend smooth.
  3. Marinate chicken: Coat chicken in ½ cup sauce. Refrigerate 3–24 hours.
  4. Make perinaise: Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, and peri peri sauce. Chill until ready.
  5. Cook chicken: Heat oil in skillet or grill. Cook breasts ~3 min per side or thighs ~4 min per side until charred and cooked through.
  6. Rest chicken: Remove from heat, cover loosely with foil, rest 5 minutes.
  7. Assemble burgers: Spread perinaise on buns. Layer lettuce, tomato, chicken, extra sauce if desired. Cap with top bun and serve.

Notes

Marinate overnight for deeper flavor. Swap bird’s eye chilies for milder long red chilies if needed. Try brioche buns for sweetness or ciabatta for crunch. Add chipotle powder or charred peppers for smokiness.