This mild, low carb piri piri chicken recipe is FULL of incredible flavor without the heat that comes from traditional piri piri sauce. The wings are cooked in the pressure cooker then finished under the broiler to create a crispy wing that falls right off the bone. This easy chicken wings recipe is naturally gluten free, grain free, added sugar free, and dairy free. It follows the SCD, paleo, whole30, and keto diets.
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Hi friends! With football season officially upon us, I thought an easy chicken wings recipe was a must! While I’m not a big football fan, my husband is and these wings are perfect for snacking on!
I used my Instant Pot
First things first though, a lot of you might be wondering…
What is chicken piri piri?
Piri piri sauce is a flavorful marinade that originated in Africa and Portugal. The sauce is typically used to marinate meat, specifically chicken.
Is piri piri spicy?
Yes, piri piri sauce is traditionally very spicy!
I’ve always LOVED this sauce but since my system can no longer handle spicy, and I’m also feeding this to two toddlers, I’ve cut the spice down by quite a bit. The end result is a great mild sauce that has tons of flavor without a lot of the heat!
How do you make piri piri sauce?
This simple marinade recipe is a combo of lemon juice, olive oil, white vinegar, fresh ginger, herbs and spices. All of the ingredients get mixed together before adding the wings.
For the chicken, I like to use wingettes and drumettes (chicken wings that are cut apart at the joint) for this recipe simply because I find them easier to handle. However, full chicken wings can also be used.
The wings are marinated in the piri piri sauce for at least four hours prior to cooking. This step is really important. I’ve made the wings before without letting them marinate and there was no comparison on flavor!
The chicken and sauce are then dumped into your instant pot and pressure cooked for ten minutes before using the quick release method.
Finally, the wings are transferred to a parchment lined baking sheet and placed under the broiler for about five minutes on each side just to crisp up the skin a bit.
While the chicken is in the oven, set the Instant Pot to saute and allow the sauce to reduce. You’ll brush some of this reduced sauce on the chicken wings after they come out of the oven!
These piri piri chicken wings turn out tender and moist on the inside with a slight crisp on the outside. The sauce has great depth of flavor with a subtle spiciness! Hope you enjoy!
If you’ve made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below!
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More snacks and appetizers you may enjoy:
- Broccoli Dip (Broccomole)
- Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Mini Peppers
- Rosemary Infused Cranberry Brie Tartlets
- Almond Flour Crackers
- 2 lbs chicken wingettes and drumettes
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper add more if you like the sauce spicy
- 2 Tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp chili powder add more if you like the sauce spicy
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, ginger, oregano, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder, and salt in the bowl of the instant pot. Set 1/4 cup of the sauce aside.
Add the minced garlic, onion, and chicken to the bowl. Mix until the chicken is covered in the piri piri sauce. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
Place the Instant Pot bowl inside the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and make sure the vent is closed.
Press the button for pressure cook and set the time for 12 minutes. Use the quick release method of releasing the pressure.
Set the oven to broil. Transfer the chicken to a parchment lined baking sheet. Broil the chicken until the skin is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes per side.
Brush the wings with the reserved sauce and serve hot.
If you'd like more heat to your sauce, increase the cayenne and chili powder to your taste.
Keep an eye on the wings when under the broiler. They tend to brown quickly.
2 Wingettes or Drummettes = 1 Serving
1 Serving =3.5g of carbs
*The calories and carbs calculated in this recipe are an estimate*
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My SCD required teen son loved this and my health conscience hubby loved it too! Thank you! I’m vegan so I was SO nervous, but my two oldest guys loved it, thank you!
Glad to hear it was a hit!!
I love using my Instant Pot and cant’ wait to try this recipe! The sauce sounds so good and those wings look amazing!
Made the recipe but our small store was out of wings so i used drumsticks. Cooked carrots in the instant pot in the left over juice while chicken finished under the broiler.
Delicious!!