Easy Peri Peri Chicken Strips
Welcome to my Easy Peri Peri Chicken Strips recipe, served here with egg fried rice. This dish is full of flavour, mildly spicy, quick to make and very easy — a perfect midweek meal that still feels special.
This recipe is ideal if you’re aiming for lighter meals without sacrificing taste. The chicken is seasoned with peri peri spices and a touch of honey, then served on a bed of soft, moist egg fried rice. It’s filling, satisfying and great for leftovers.
Healthy Easy Peri Peri Chicken Strips
This fits well with healthy-style cooking and Slimming-style meals. The honey adds sweetness but kept to a tablespoon for lower syns — a lighter approach that still delivers big flavour. The result is spicy-sweet chicken strips paired with egg fried rice and peas for a balanced plate.
Top Tips for this Peri Peri Chicken
- Chicken breasts work perfectly, but chicken thighs are a great alternative if you prefer more tender, juicy meat.
- If you want to reduce carbs, simply serve less rice and bulk up the plate with spinach, extra salad or a tin of sweetcorn.
- Keep an eye on the chicken once the honey is added — it browns quickly. Colour adds flavour, but make sure pieces are cooked through and don’t burn.
The Peri Peri Spices
- I used a Piri Piri (Peri Peri) spice blend — I used Schwartz from my cupboard, but any similar spice mix will work.
- One level teaspoon gives a gentle kick that’s more kid-friendly. Increase the amount if you prefer a hotter dish.
What is Peri Peri?
Peri Peri (also written piri piri) is a spicy seasoning with roots in southern Africa and Portugal. It developed in places like Angola and Mozambique after Portuguese settlers introduced chilli peppers. Traditional recipes sometimes recommend marinating for several hours, but this version skips long marinating so you can have dinner ready in under 45 minutes.
Because the seasoning goes straight into the pan with the garlic, ginger and chicken, this recipe is quick enough for weeknights but tasty enough to enjoy as a weekend treat or healthy take-away alternative.
Serving Suggestions
I usually make the full recipe even when cooking for one — it keeps and reheats well. Leftovers make a perfect lunch with chopped tomatoes and cucumber, almost like a salad. You can also use the chicken in wraps with lettuce, or in burger buns with tomato, lettuce and a little mayo. All great ways to vary the meal.
Other Tasty Chicken Dinners
If you enjoy this peri peri recipe, you might also like similar easy chicken dishes that are simple to prepare and suit slimming plans, such as sticky chicken or a mild chicken curry. These recipes follow the same philosophy: straightforward ingredients, big flavour and quick cooking.
Peri Peri Chicken Strips
Ingredients
- Fry Light, salt & black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cm ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 level teaspoon Piri Piri seasoning (or to taste)
- 1 level tablespoon honey
- 2 chicken breasts, medium, cut into large strips (or use thighs)
- 120 g basmati rice, cooked according to package instructions
- 75 g frozen garden peas
- 2 eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the package instructions.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan and spray with Fry Light.
- Add the garlic, grated ginger and chicken strips, then sprinkle with the peri peri seasoning.
- Fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes to develop colour.
- Drizzle the honey over the chicken, turn the pieces to coat and continue frying for about 15 minutes, turning frequently, until cooked through and golden. Be careful not to burn the honey.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm.
- Do not wash the pan. Respray with Fry Light, then over high heat add the frozen peas and fry for 2 minutes. Add the cooked rice and heat through until piping hot.
- Add the beaten eggs to the rice and stir over the heat until the eggs are cooked — remember they will continue to cook a little after you remove the pan from the heat.
- Return the chicken to the top of the rice and serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
This recipe is flexible — adjust the peri peri level to suit your heat preference, swap breasts for thighs if you want juicier meat, and serve with extra veggies if you’d like fewer carbs. Leftovers keep well and make a quick, tasty lunch the next day.
Big love, Clare x