Piri piri chicken is a seasoning, not a different bird. The work is in the marinade; your job is heat and a probe to 75°C without burning the chilli. Piri Piri Chicken Flats (350-400g) are mini fillets, 350–400g. Piri-Piri Chicken Breast 1kg is a kilo of breast. Both live in piri piri chicken and piri piri meat.
Flats in the air fryer and pan
Flats are thin, so they cook like a minute steak of chicken. Air fryer: 200°C for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. Pan: medium-high, 3 to 4 minutes a side. They will colour fast because of the marinade; medium heat is kinder than a smoking pan. 75°C in the thickest part. Rest 3 minutes. A 350–400g pack is two to three people with rice, or a protein extra on a salad. Do not add extra salt until you taste; piri piri already carries it. Lemon at the end is the right extra, not more chilli unless you know the pack.
Breast, oven and BBQ
The 1kg piri-piri breast is thicker. Oven: 190°C for 22 to 28 minutes depending on fillet size, until 75°C. BBQ: 5 to 6 minutes a side over medium heat, then a minute on the cool side if the centre is behind. Air fryer breast: 190°C for 16 to 18 minutes, turning once. Because the seasoning can catch, avoid 220°C blasts. Shop chicken flats if you want lemon pepper or sweet chilli flats in the same order, and ready to cook meat when you are filling a week of already-seasoned cuts.
Pork piri and leftovers
Piri piri pork loin steaks exist in the pork range and take pork times, not chicken times — 12 to 14 minutes air fryer, 70°C. Do not cook them on the chicken clock. Leftover piri chicken, cold, is a wrap with yoghurt to cool the heat. Reheat gently; high heat twice dries breast out. A kilo of piri breast is meal prep for the week if you slice it after a rest and keep the cooking juices.
Flats are the faster piri piri; breast is the meal-prep piri piri. Do not cook them on the same timer in the same pan. If you want both on one plate, start the breast and add the flats for the last 8 minutes. Yoghurt and cucumber on the side will save anyone who finds the chilli lively.
Medium heat, 75°C, lemon at the end. That is piri piri chicken, flats or breast, and the marinade has already done the flavour work.