Peri-Peri Roast Chicken & Crispy Potatoes

Golden chicken. Crispy potatoes. One tray. Proper Sunday lunch.

Few things bring people to the table like a tray of golden roast chicken. Here, juicy chicken pieces are rubbed with garlic, lemon, smoked paprika and Kalahari Peri-Peri Chilli Crunch, then roasted on a bed of potato wedges that turn fluffy inside and crisp outside as they soak up the herby pan juices. A fresh spoonful of crunch just before serving brings back that bold peri-peri flavour and texture. One tray, very little effort, and Sunday lunch comfort with real character.

Recipe information

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 50–55 minutes, plus 5 minutes resting
• Total time: about 1 hour 15 minutes
• Servings: 4–6
• Difficulty: Easy
• Heat: Very hot. Peri-Peri Chilli Crunch is one of our hottest jars, so start with the smaller amounts and add more at the table.

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1.5–1.8 kg bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (4 leg quarters, or a whole chicken cut into 8)
• 3–4 tablespoons Kalahari Peri-Peri Chilli Crunch, divided: 2 tablespoons for the marinade, 1–2 tablespoons reserved to finish
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice, plus 1 lemon, halved
• 5 g (2 teaspoons) smoked paprika
• 1½ teaspoons salt and freshly ground black pepper
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)

Crispy potatoes

• 1 kg roasting potatoes (such as Mondial or Up-to-Date), scrubbed and cut into thick wedges
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed in their skins
• 2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper

To finish

• A small handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Preheat and reserve the finish. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Before anything touches the raw chicken, spoon 1–2 tablespoons of the Peri-Peri Chilli Crunch into a small clean bowl and set it aside for serving.
2. Dry the chicken. Pat the chicken pieces completely dry with paper towel. Dry skin is the key to crisp skin. Wash your hands and board well after handling raw chicken.
3. Mix the marinade. Stir together 2 tablespoons of the Peri-Peri Chilli Crunch, the olive oil, grated garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
4. Marinate. Rub the marinade all over the chicken, working some under the skin. For deeper flavour, cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours; take it out 30 minutes before roasting.
5. Parboil the potatoes. Put the wedges in a pot of cold salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for 6–8 minutes, until just tender at the edges. Drain and leave to steam dry for 2 minutes, then shake gently to rough up the edges.
6. Build the tray. Toss the potatoes in a large roasting tin with the olive oil, crushed garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Nestle the chicken pieces skin side up among the potatoes, with the lemon halves and thyme. Leave some space so everything roasts rather than steams.
7. Roast and check. Roast for 45–50 minutes, turning the potatoes once halfway, until the skin is deep golden. Insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh, without touching the bone: the chicken is done at 74°C or above, with clear juices. If not, roast for 5–10 minutes more and check again.
8. Rest, finish and serve. Rest for 5 minutes. Spoon the reserved Peri-Peri Chilli Crunch over the hot chicken, squeeze over the roasted lemon, scatter with parsley and serve straight from the tray.

Bring more flavour to your roast chicken

Kalahari Peri-Peri Chilli Crunch works twice in this recipe. In the marinade, its chilli oil carries peri-peri flavour deep into the chicken. Spooned over at the end, it adds the crunchy chilli and garlic texture that roasting alone can't give. Use it the same way on wings, chops, roast vegetables or eggs. It's a very hot jar, so a little goes a long way.

SHOP PERI-PERI CHILLI CRUNCH

Chef's tips

• Keep the finish separate: never spoon crunch from a bowl that has touched raw chicken onto cooked meat. That's why some is set aside first.
• Use mostly oil in the marinade: the crispy bits can darken during a long roast, so scoop more oil than solids for the marinade and save the crunchiest spoonfuls for the finish.
• Give it space: a crowded tray steams. If your tin is small, roast the potatoes on a second tray on the top shelf.
• Adjust the heat: for a milder roast, use 1 tablespoon in the marinade and serve the rest at the table, or swap in Kalahari Garlic Chilli Crunch, our gentlest jar.
• Whole chicken instead? Spatchcock a 1.6 kg bird and roast for 45–55 minutes, or roast it whole for about 1 hour 20–30 minutes. Always go by the thermometer, not the clock.

Serving suggestions

Serve straight from the oven with a crisp green salad, buttery corn on the cob or a simple coleslaw. Leftover chicken makes excellent wraps the next day: shred it into warm tortillas with lettuce, avocado and an extra spoonful of crunch.

Want more heat at the table? Pass round a bottle of Kalahari Peri-Peri Hot Sauce for drizzling over the chicken.

More ways to enjoy Kalahari Peri-Peri

• Steak: stir it into butter for our Braaied Steak with Peri-Peri Chilli Crunch Butter.
• Wings: our sticky Peri-Peri Chicken Wings use Kalahari Peri-Peri Hot Sauce, made for braais and game nights.
• Grilled vegetables: toss hot grilled peppers, baby marrows and mielies with a spoonful of crunch straight off the braai.