Brace your taste buds for a spicy peri peri chicken pizza feast! This crisp homemade pizza crust is layered with the lip-smacking African peri peri sauce. The melting whole-milk creamy mozzarella cheese. Then the tender charred flavorful peri peri chicken. The crunchy onions, and juicy tomatoes are simply divine on top!
Make your weekend and cheat days extra special. Just make this peri peri chicken pizza at home. This pizza is spicy hot. So be cautious when serving this to anyone sensitive to spice.
A Brief History of Peri Peri Sauce
The Swahili term “Peri peri” or “piri piri” literally translates to “pepper pepper”! So this “pepper pepper sauce” is very very hot. And has different types of pepper. With the African bird’s eye chili playing the key role.
It is believed that back in the 15th century, Portuguese explorers found the bird’s eye chili growing in South Africa. Later, it was mixed with several ingredients. Finally creating the famous peri peri sauce!
Notes for Peri Peri Chicken Pizza
Preparing the peri peri sauce from scratch is the highlight of the dish. It infuses a strong authentic flavor. Plus allows you full control over the heat. This recipe makes about 1 cup of peri peri sauce. But you can make it in bulk and use in different recipes.
Always add the cheese layer after spreading the sauce. Before adding the toppings. This layering technique allows the cheese to melt and bubble up underneath the toppings. Forming a delicious cheesy layer. Secondly, it lets the topping receive direct heat. Giving them a crisp charred texture. If the cheese goes on top of the toppings, the toppings won’t receive direct heat. Causing them to get soggy.
For the pizza sauce, mix the tomato puree with the peri peri sauce. This will reduce the heat. If you want a spicer pizza, you may omit the tomato puree. Just apply the peri peri sauce directly on to the crust.
Substitutions for Peri Peri Chicken Pizza
If preparing the peri peri sauce seems too daunting, you may use store-bought sauce or seasoning. Just be careful with the seasonings, and taste as you add. Sometimes they contain a lot of extra heat.
Other than chicken, peri peri prawns make an excellent topping too. You can also add mushrooms, corn kernels and pickled chilies. These all compliment the pizza very nicely.
Try this on a cauliflower crust or as a deep dish pizza. Get creative and change things up. The Cauliflower pizza crust is sturdy and will create a nice gluten-free meal. While with the deep dish you could add more sauce and toppings. Making it a filling meal.
If you prefer to prepare the pizza dough ahead of time, use bread or Caputo flour instead of all-purpose. Both the bread & Caputo flour are high in gluten. Which allows the dough to hold shape through a longer proofing time. With these flours you can easily proof for 1-2 days or more. Alternately, you may also buy pre-made pizza dough for convenience!
How to make Peri Peri chicken pizza
Peri Peri Chicken Pizza FAQ
Is peri peri sauce spicy?
This peri peri sauce is very spicy. It consists of African birds eye chili peppers. These are among some of the hottest peppers in the world. The African birds eye pepper is about 30-40 times hotter than a jalapeño.
Plus this recipe calls for cayenne pepper. These range about 10 times hotter than the jalapeño. Spicy may be an understatement here. So enjoy this peri peri chicken pizza with caution.
How do you make mild peri peri sauce?
As mentioned above, the main ingredient is peppers. Thats what makes it hot. Instead of omitting the peppers, replace them. You could use any peppers to your liking. For something completely mild, use red bell peppers or Italian sweet peppers. This will give you the pepper flavor without the heat. For a medium heat, look for new mexican chili peppers. The chimayo is a great choice for heat and color.
Is it hard to make pizza crust?
Making a pizza crust for your peri peri chicken pizza may be a task. But trust us, it’s not as hard as you may think. In fact, we have an article on the best pizza dough tips.
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Peri Peri Chicken Pizza Recipe
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes238
kcal1
hour1
Pizza2
hours10
minutesThe peri peri chicken pizza is made with a spicy hot pizza sauce. Then layered with cheese, peri peri chicken, onions and tomatoes.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- For the Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil (divided)
1/2 cup warm water (about 110° F)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp active dry yeast
- For the Peri Peri Sauce
1 red bell pepper (de-seeded & diced)
2 African Birds’ eye chilies
1 cayenne chili pepper (optional)
1/3 of a red onion (chopped)
1-2 garlic cloves (peeled & crushed)
2 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed, divided)
1/2 tsp sea salt
A dash of black pepper
1 small fresh bay leaf
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Toppings
1/2 lb boneless chicken breast cut into pieces
3 Tbsp tomato puree
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 onion (sliced for topping)
1/2 tomato (de-seeded and chopped for topping)
Directions
- Make the Dough
- In a small bowl, pour the warm water. Stir in the sugar and the yeast. Set aside to bloom for 5-10 mins.
- Attach the dough blade to your food processor. Add the flour, salt, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Run the food processor while adding the yeast-water until the dough comes together into a ball. Run for 30 seconds more.
- Remove the sticky dough into a bowl and coat with a teaspoon of olive oil. Cover and set aside to rise for 1-2 hours.
- Prepare the Peri Peri Sauce
- Transfer the sauce ingredients into a blender, except for the bay leaf & oil. Blend into a smooth puree-like consistency.
- Remove the sauce into a small saucepan, add the bay leaf, and place it on the stove over high heat. Once the sauce starts bubbling, reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes while stirring at 4-5 minutes interval or until it thickens.
- Turn off the stove, remove the bay leaf, and stir in the oil.
- Prepare the Chicken
- In a bowl, mix the boneless chicken pieces with 4-6 tablespoons of the prepared peri peri sauce. Coat all the pieces nicely.
- Cover the bowl and keep aside to marinate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450° F.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the marinated chicken pieces separately into the lined tray.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes at 450° F. Then, flip the chicken pieces using tongs, reduce heat to 250° F, and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the baked chicken from the oven!
- Set the oven for preheating to 500° F (with the pizza stone placed inside the oven).
- Assemble the Pizza
- Lightly dust the kitchen top with flour, transfer the proofed dough, and gently stretch it using your fingertips and palms.
- In a small bowl, combine 2-3 tablespoons of the peri peri sauce with the tomato puree. Next, spread the pizza sauce evenly on the crust.
- Add the mozzarella cheese layer. Top it with the prepared peri peri chicken pieces, sliced onions, and chopped tomato.
- Lay a parchment paper on the pizza peel (or sprinkle some cornmeal). Then, transfer the pizza carefully onto the pizza peel.
- Move the pizza onto the pizza stone, in the preheated oven. Bake for 8-12 minutes at 500° F.
- Remove from the oven, slice up with a pizza cutter, and enjoy immediately!
Equipment
- Ninja pro food processorBuy now!
- Ooni 12” pizza stoneBuy now!
- Ooni bamboo pizza peelBuy now!
Recipe Video
Nutrition
- Serving size = 1 slice
Calories: 238 | Protein: 13.65g | Fat: 9.77g | Carbs: 23.65g | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 3.21g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 399mg | Potassium: 314mg
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