Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken
Churrasco is a Brazilian barbecue technique that involves cooking meat on long metal skewers over high heat. The meat is typically only seasoned with salt which allows the natural flavors of the meat to shine through. While this lemon garlic chicken recipe is far from the traditional, it was inspired by a handful of frango churrasco – BBQ chicken – recipes I discovered while researching Brazil’s cuisine.
Brazil Flavors in Midwest Grilling
The combination of smoked paprika, coriander, and piri-piri pay homage to the fusion of Portuguese and African flavors embedded in Brazilian cooking. Bamboo skewers and a grill replace the long metal skewers and churrasqueira – a specific type of grill – used to prepare churrasco style food.
Simply by adapting our ingredients and tinkering a bit with cooking methods, I was able to introduce new flavor combinations on the home front. Recreating traditional dishes from another country isn’t always necessary to expand your culinary horizons – chops, if you will. Incorporating those flavors into meals you already make can open your taste buds up to knew food adventures. Our Brazilian inspired sweet cornbread with coconut is a great accompaniment to grilled chicken.
A Closer Look at Piri-piri
Piri-piri is a fiery chili pepper that is more commonly known as African bird’s eye chili. The pepper hails from South Africa. Portuguese explorers cultivated it, then introduced it to other Portuguese territories like Brazil.
The phrase itself likely derives from the Swahili “pilipili”, meaning “pepper pepper”1, but why the African bird’s eye chili got its nickname is really unverified. There are global variations, too – peri peri being a common spelling.
The heat level can vary quite a bit, too. On the Scoville scale, piri-piri can range from 100,000 to 225,000 Scoville heat units. On the lower end, that’s near habanero and Scotch bonnet heat, so a little can go a long way!
Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken with Brazilian Style Rice
4
servings30
minutesThis recipe mimic the flavors of traditional Brazilian churrasco – barbeque. Local Pink Tiger Farms Campfire spice adds a smoky pepper flavor and the piri-piri powder gives this dish a mild heat.
Ingredients
- For the Chicken
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Pink Tiger Farms Campfire spice or smoked paprika
2 teaspoons piri-piri powder
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- For the Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup long grain rice, rinsed
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Directions
- For the Chicken
- The first step in making this chicken is to marinate it for a few hours. Use a food safe container or storage baggie to do this. Mix the olive oil lemon juice, honey, and spices together until they are emulsified. You can do this directly in your marinade container. Set this aside while you prepare the chicken.
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and place them in the marinade. Massage or stir everything together so the chicken is well coated. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (up to 8 hours) in the refrigerator.
- Skewer the chicken on bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for about 30 minutes. This prevents the skewers from burning on the grill. Leave a small gap between pieces of chicken. Discard the marinade.
- Grill the chicken at 450 degrees F. (high heat) for 6 to 8 minutes, then flip and repeat. The chicken should register 165 degrees F. in the center when done.
- For the Rice
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and continue to cook. Stir often to prevent from burning the garlic.
- Add the rice to the skillet and and let toast for two minutes while stirring.
- Pour the chicken stock over the rice bring to a low simmer. Cover the skillet and let the rice cook on low heat for 15 minutes or until done. Fluff the rise with a fork and serve alongside the chicken kebabs.
Recipe Video
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