In a hurry? Scroll down to get the Best Peri Peri Chicken Liver Recipe.
Peri-peri, or piri piri, is a term used in parts of Africa with a Portuguese past, for chillies or sauces and pastes using them.
It is a classic product of the spices routes, introduced to Africa by Goans from India, using spices from the Americas delivered by Europeans, and blended with pepper from the Malabar coast. Similar pastes and sauces in French-speaking parts of Africa are known as pili pili. – The Spice Routes: Recipes and Lore
The Best Homemade Peri Peri Sauces
Peri peri is very versatile: it’s an excellent marinade for braais, rubbed into roast chicken, or served as a condiment. It keeps for a long time in the refrigerator in an airtight container, so you can make lots and keep it for future use.
Spice Blend for Peri Peri Chicken Livers
Peri Peri may be used either as a wet hot sauce, much like Tabasco or Nando’s or as a spice blend.
Here is a recipe for the latter. It has refreshing tart notes from the citrus peel. The heat can be overpowering if used as a condiment, but if cooked into dishes, the heat becomes somewhat tempered. It still packs a punch though, so use with caution.
Makes about ½ cup
¼ cup sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp cayenne
5 dried birds eye chillis (or to taste)
2 tsp dried lemon peel
Combine all the ingredients and grind in a coffee mill as needed.
Pili Pili Sauce from West Africa
250g fresh red chillies
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Remove stalks and seeds from chillies if you wish and blend all the ingredients together.
Caribbean Peri Peri Sauce
This sauce is from Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.
2 fresh red chillies
1 tbsp sea salt
250ml fresh lime juice
Remove the seeds from the chillies and slice finely.
Dissolve the salt in the lime juice, pack the chillies in a jar, and pour over the lime juice.
It is best after 2-3 days but will keep for up to 1 month.
Serve with fish or grilled vegetables.

The Best Chicken Livers Peri-Peri
“Os Melhores Fígados de Frango Peri Peri”
Peri-peri is the national condiment of Mozambique and there are so many types and recipes it’s almost “recipe-less” (new word
).In Mozambique, almost anything mixed with chilli pepper becomes a peri peri. This version combines the essences: lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and chillies.
What makes this the best peri-peri chicken liver recipe is the complexity of the peri peri sauce and first marinating the chicken livers before cooking them.
Grilling the chicken livers gives you the best flavour, but pan-frying or broiling is easier and faster. We let you choose which method to use.
Serve your peri peri chicken liver as an appetizer with lots of cool liquid. Or as a main dish on a bed of cauliflower mash.
PERI PERI INGREDIENTS
- 250ml fresh lemon juice
- 250ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp pure honey
- 8 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp crushed chilli flakes
- 2 large red chillies, chopped finely with the seeds
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tin tomato paste
CHICKEN LIVER INGREDIENTS
- 500g chicken livers, cleaned and chopped coarsely
- 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
Step #1: Make The Peri Peri and Marinate The Chicken Livers
- Mix the peri peri ingredients together.
- Using a paring knife, clean livers well of any fat, green spots, or large veins.
- Add the chicken livers to a zip lock bag and pour the peri peri over. Seal the bag tightly and place in the fridge for at least an hour. Longer if possible.
Step #2: Make The Peri Peri Sauce
Once the chicken livers are marinated, drain off the marinade into a large pan, add a tin of tomato paste, bring the marinade to a boil, then turn down the heat and reduce to a thick sauce.
Step #3: Cook The Chicken Livers
If you are unsure about whether the livers are done, cut them open to check.
Using a Frying Pan for The Livers:
- Preheat a large heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil.
- Add the onion, and cook until tender (approximately 7 minutes).
- Increase heat to medium-high, and add the chicken livers and mushrooms. Fry for 10-15 minutes.
Using a Grill for the Livers:
- Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with grey ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over half of the coal grate. Alternatively, set all the burners of a gas grill to high heat.
- Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.
- Grill livers over high heat, turning frequently until they are very lightly charred in spots and only the last traces of pink remain in their centres.
Using a Broiler for the Livers:
- Preheat broiler and move oven rack to the highest position. Oil a slotted broiler pan, or a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
- Arrange livers on the prepared broiler pan or wire rack and broil, turning frequently, until exteriors are well browned and only the last traces of pink remain in the centres.
Step #4: Combine With The Peri Peri Sauce and Serve
- Add the cooked chicken livers to the reduced peri-peri sauce and stir to combine.
- Check the seasoning.
- Serve immediately on a bed of cauliflower mash for a main meal, or with boiled eggs for an appetizer.
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What to Serve with Peri Peri Chicken Livers?
Serve with hard-boiled eggs, vegetables, mushrooms, or Portuguese rolls.
As far as beverages are concerned, peri-peri chicken livers are best served with lots of cool liquid.
Because of their rich and creamy texture, not to mention a subtly sweet and minerally flavour, chicken livers seem to have a natural affinity for alcohol. The sweet notes in a whiskey or a cognac, for example, may pair well with the subtle sweetness of chicken livers. And the hop bitterness and carbonation of a good beer can often balance the richness of chicken liver and cleanse it from the palate. https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/11/fried-chicken-livers-recipe.html
Marinated Pan-Fried Peri-Peri Chicken Liver Recipe
Marinated Pan-Fried Peri Peri Chicken Livers
Ingredients
- PERI PERI
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp pure honey
- 8 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tbsp chilli flakes crushed
- 10 small red birds eye chillies (or 2 large red chillies) chopped finely with the seeds
- 2 tsp oregano, dried
- 2 tsp thyme, dried or 2 tbsp fresh, finely chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 small tin tomato paste
- CHICKEN LIVERS
- 500 g chicken livers cleaned and chopped coarsely
- 1 cup button mushrooms sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
Instructions
- Mix the peri peri ingredients together.
- Using a paring knife, clean livers well of any fat, green spots, or large veins.
- Add the chicken livers to a zip lock bag and pour the peri peri over. Seal the bag tightly and place in the fridge for at least an hour. Longer if possible.
- Once the chicken livers are marinated, drain off the marinade into a large pan, add the can of tomato paste, bring the marinade to a boil, then turn down the heat and reduce to a thick sauce.
- Preheat a large heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil.
Add the onion, and cook until tender (approximately 7 minutes).
Increase heat to medium-high, and add the chicken livers and mushrooms. Fry for 10-15 minutes. - Add the cooked chicken livers to the reduced peri peri sauce and stir to combine.
- Check seasoning. Serve immediately.
Rate This Recipe – Leave a Comment Below
Five stars are the highest and one star is the lowest. Everyone has their own thoughts on what each star represents, but for our purposes, they’ll represent the following:
5 Stars = Best Ever!
4 Stars = Loved it!
3 Stars = Liked it
2 Stars = Not Bad
1 Star = Barely edible
Tried the grilled version. Delicious.
Love my peri-peri extra extra hot.
Delicious. Chicken livers is a staple in our home. It’s cheap and nutritious as well. Love this banting friendly version.
I gave three stars because I liked the presentation and agree with the concept of the program. However, I’m not able to use theses recipes as listed. Due to acid reflux and other digestive issues I can’t eat a lot of the ingredients.
Very tasty!