Portuguese Peri Peri Rub

Portuguese Peri Peri Rub for Fiery Chicken

The Portuguese Peri Peri Rub from Cape Herb & Spice is a Portuguese piri-piri spice blend featuring chili, garlic, paprika, and a hint of lemon and smoke, crafted for chicken, meat, and fish. Not just a timid seasoning salt, but a medium-hot spice blend with the character of the Algarve.

Portuguese Peri Peri Rub is the Portuguese chicken seasoning from Cape Herb & Spice in Cape Town, made for grilled chicken, meat, and fish. It brings the taste of the Algarve to your table—hot from the chili, savory from the garlic, and bright from the lemon. Anyone who has eaten peri-peri chicken on the beach will instantly recognize this aroma.

The base consists of 45 percent sea salt and a little brown sugar, complemented by 10 percent garlic, 8 percent chili, 6 percent paprika, black pepper, yellow mustard seeds, lemon juice powder, and a touch of smoke flavoring. This is the Portuguese take on piri piri: spicy, but not overwhelming. A rub that chicken absolutely loves. Cape Herb & Spice calls this blend an all-time favorite, and you can taste it.

Spicy, savory, with a smoky note

Fiery, savory, smoky—that's how the rub settles onto the skin, sizzling into a golden-brown, robust crust.

The chili provides a medium heat, garlic and paprika create a hearty base, and a touch of smoke and lemon rounds it all off. The heat is noticeable but friendly; it won't bring tears to your eyes. Precisely this balance makes peri peri a favorite on every grill.

Unlike pure chili powder, the peri peri also brings depth; the garlic, smoke, and lemon keep the heat in check. This keeps the chicken savory rather than just hot.

How to perfect your peri-peri chicken

Coat chicken thighs or a half-chicken with olive oil and the rub, and let it marinate well before grilling or roasting.

A half-chicken from the grill with crispy, seasoned skin, served with a dollop of garlic yogurt—that’s the Algarve on a plate. The rub is just as delicious on prawn skewers, in a tomato sauce, or sprinkled over roasted vegetables. Even an ordinary Thursday tastes like a vacation with it, and leftovers can spice up a pan of rice the next day.

It also tastes great on beef, lamb, or prawns, kneaded into bread dough, or stirred into cream cheese for a quick dip. On crispy potato wedges with a side of yogurt, you've got a favorite meal ready to go. If you like it even hotter, check out the Caribbean Jerk Rub; if you prefer it mild and Mediterranean, take a look at the Greek Lemon & Herb.

Cape Herb & Spice from Cape Town since 1994

Behind the rub is Cape Herb & Spice, a spice manufacturer from Cape Town founded by Irene Ivy in 1994.

What Irene started over 30 years ago from a small market cart at the V&A Waterfront now supplies kitchens around the globe, with over 600 employees behind it. True to Irene’s vision, innovation, flavor, and quality remain the top priorities to this day. Cape Herb & Spice considers itself a cheeky sous-chef in your kitchen and was South Africa's first supplier of completely non-irradiated spices. Hats off to them.

Browse more spices from Cape Herb & Spice or check out our BBQ spices for your next barbecue evening.

Marinate overnight, serve with lemon and aioli

Letting the chicken marinate overnight in the fridge allows the seasoning to penetrate deeply. A squeeze of lemon at the end brings back that Portuguese freshness. A small bowl of aioli or garlic dip rounds off the Portuguese meal. For peri-peri chicken, serve with crispy fries, a cold drink, and sun on your skin. Fire away.