Baked Piri Piri Chicken Thighs

Step 1

Position racks in middle and upper thirds of oven. Preheat broiler to high. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Step 2

Place bell peppers, onion and garlic on the prepared pan. Broil on the top rack, turning often, until charred on all sides, about 8 minutes. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees F.

Step 3

Meanwhile, heat oil and chiles in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chiles start to darken in color, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Step 4

Coarsely chop the bell peppers and onion and peel the garlic; transfer to a blender. Add the chiles and oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, oregano, paprika and ground pepper; puree until smooth.

Step 5

Return the sauce to the pan and add bay leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Step 6

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place on the baking sheet, skin-side up; sprinkle both sides with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and generously brush with 1/2 cup of the sauce.

Step 7

Bake on the upper rack until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone registers 165 degrees F, about 30 minutes. Turn the broiler to high and continue cooking until starting to brown, about 2 minutes.

Step 8

Brush each thigh with another 1 tablespoon of the sauce. Serve with additional sauce and charred lemons, if desired.