Peri Peri

Peri peri (piri-piri) takes its name from the African bird's-eye chilli, a fierce little pepper native to Mozambique and the wider southern African coast. Portuguese traders folded it through garlic, lemon and paprika to build the marinade-and-baste style that travelled the world as "Portuguese chicken" — a butterflied or spatchcocked whole bird basted and charred until the skin blisters, wings finished the same way, or a dry rub worked straight into the meat before it hits the heat.

This is a focused range rather than a broad one, so start with Atomic Chicken's Chicken Peri Peri Seasoning Rub for a true mild-heat Portuguese-style hit, Taipan BBQ's Portuguese Peri Peri for a garlicky, spicier grill rub, or Spicetub's Portuguese Chicken Mix, an all-natural sprinkle seasoning with no added MSG.

All three are dry rubs and sprinkle seasonings rather than bottled sauces, so the heat and garlic depth are built in from the first shake, no basting sauce required. Heat runs mild to medium across the range, with gluten-friendly and vegan-friendly options included.

Grill it hot, baste it if you like, and let the chilli do the talking.

Explore more: our Nashville Hot and hot sauce collections.