Air Fryer Peri Peri Chicken

Ingredients

• 500 g chicken thighs or drumsticks
• 2 tbsp hot sauce or 1½ tsp paprika
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp honey (optional)
• ½ tsp oregano (optional)
• Salt, 2 tbsp oil

Steps

1. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towel so the marinade clings rather than sliding off.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the hot sauce or paprika, grated garlic, lemon juice, honey, oregano, salt and oil into a marinade — the honey is what helps the edges char rather than just dry out.
3. Add the chicken to the marinade and turn each piece to coat it thoroughly.
4. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge for deeper flavour — the longer rest lets the acid and salt tenderise the meat, not just season the surface.
5. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C.
6. Shake off any excess marinade and arrange the chicken in a single layer in the basket, without crowding.
7. Air fry for 10 minutes.
8. Flip each piece over and air fry for a further 8 minutes.
9. Check with a probe thermometer at the thickest part — it should read 74°C — giving another 2 minutes if needed, up to 20 minutes total.
10. Look for well-charred edges before pulling them, then rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Tip: No hot sauce? Use extra paprika plus a pinch of chilli powder for a milder version.

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Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated from standard ingredient data — actual values vary by brand and exact quantities used.

Serving & Storage