Air fryer peri peri chicken
Fiery, garlicky, lemony peri peri chicken with a side of crispy fries, like your favorite chicken shop at home.
- 50 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 2
- About $3.30 a serving
- 620 calories
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 chicken breasts
- 3 cups frozen French fries
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
Each serving has about 620 calories, 55 g protein, 38 g carbs and 27 g fat, and costs about $3.30 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oil, lemon and juice, garlic, paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, vinegar, sugar and salt together. Spoon 2 tablespoons into a small bowl for later.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Dolly’s tip: Real peri peri uses little African bird’s eye chiles. Cayenne gets you close, and you can halve it for less heat.each chicken breast through the middle into 2 thin cutlets, coat them in the rest of the sauce, and leave for 15 minutes. Wash your hands and board.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Timer: 15 min
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
the air fryer to 400°F and cook the fries 12 to 15 minutes, shaking twice, until . Tip them into a bowl.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Timer: 13 min 30 sec
Lay the chicken in the basket in one layer and cook 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway, until at the edges and the thickest part reads 165°F.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
Timer: 11 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
the fries back in the basket for 2 minutes to up again.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Timer: 2 min
Serve the chicken with the fries and the saved peri peri sauce over.
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
