{"id":17232,"date":"2020-02-07T09:47:23","date_gmt":"2020-02-07T09:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/devourlisbonfoodtours.com\/?p=3515"},"modified":"2020-02-07T09:47:23","modified_gmt":"2020-02-07T09:47:23","slug":"best-piri-piri-lisbon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dev.devourtours.com\/blog\/best-piri-piri-lisbon\/","title":{"rendered":"Piri Piri Grilled Chicken: The Non-Native Dish that Became a Comfort Food Staple in Lisbon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Once Portugal embarked on the Age of Discoveries from the 15th\u201317th centuries, local cuisine would never be the same again. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We couldn’t think of a better example of that change than piri piri grilled chicken. Preferably grilled on charcoal, marinated the day before, juicy and with crispy skin, the sauce\u2014secret or not\u2014is what makes this dish the go-to comfort food for many Lisbon locals. And before we dish out on where to get the best piri piri in Lisbon, let\u2019s look into the origins of what many may mistake for \u201cjust\u201d barbecued chicken.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Where<\/figure>\n\n\n

Photo Credit: Cucurico<\/a>, Text Overlay: Devour Lisbon Food Tours<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where does piri piri really come from?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ask anyone where piri piri chicken comes from and they\u2019ll most likely say Mozambique or Angola, two former Portuguese colonies in Africa. But that\u2019s only half true.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marinating the chicken with that spicy sauce and grilling it on charcoal, cut open like a butterfly, might be Mozambican or Angolan, but the peppers used in the sauce were brought by the Portuguese from South America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But geographical precision aside, the dish first became famous in Africa and was brought to Portugal later in the 1970s, which coincided with the period of decolonization and the return of many Portuguese to their homeland. You may also have heard of a particular popular South African chain called Nando’s, founded by a Portuguese, with hundreds of restaurants in mainly English-speaking countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a true chicken-and-egg conundrum, some people state that the South Africa-based Portuguese businessman was the precursor of the famous dish, which then expanded to other African countries and later to Portugal. However, most are firm believers that it all started in Angola and Mozambique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"South
Outside of Portugal, many people may have first tried piri piri chicken at Nando’s. The South Africa-based chain has popularized the dish worldwide. Photo credit: Mr.TinDC<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Takeout or eat in: is there a piri piri chicken eating etiquette?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While there are plenty of grilled chicken takeout places in Lisbon, you won’t feel like less of a local if you choose to eat it at a restaurant instead. The versatility of this comfort food is that it can be a last-minute dinner decision on your way home after a frantic day at work, a craving for childhood family lunches at a neighborhood restaurant, or a foolproof way to get under your destination’s (crispy) skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only right way to consume piri piri chicken is eating it with your hands, in the comfort of your own home or at a restaurant, completely uninhibited. Unless you’re a master with a fork and a knife, chances are if you choose cutlery over your fingers, you won’t get to all the juicy meat. And the end goal here is to leave nothing on the plate but (almost) bare bones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to spot the best piri piri chicken in Lisbon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll get to some of our favorite places to eat piri piri in Lisbon, but first here\u2019s what you need to know about what makes the perfect chicken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n