Piri‑Piri Chicken with White Beans and Spinach (Frango Piri‑Piri com Feijão Branco e Espinafres)
A Portuguese‑style, high‑protein dinner: lemony piri‑piri marinated chicken served over warm cannellini beans and wilted spinach. Fast to cook, sturdy fuel for training days and good for meal prep.
AI image1 hr 10 min
start to finish
40 min
hands on
Easy
difficulty
4
servings
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade
For cooking the chicken
For the beans & vegetables
To finish
Roughly, per serving
520 kcal40g protein36g carbs18g fat
An estimate, not a lab analysis.
Method
Make the marinade: whisk together 2 tbsp olive oil, piri‑piri paste, smoked paprika, 2 cloves minced garlic, lemon zest and 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper in a bowl.
Scoop out and reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade into a small bowl, then pour the remaining marinade over the chicken breasts in a zip-top bag or shallow dish and seal.
Massage the chicken in the bag so each piece is coated, then refrigerate to marinate.
While the chicken marinates, drain and rinse the cannellini beans.
Chop the onion and tomato, mince the remaining clove of garlic, and measure the spinach and stock.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.
Add the chopped onion to the skillet and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and 1 tsp smoked paprika to the onion and cook 30–60 seconds, stirring.
Add the diced tomato and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the drained beans, the 2 tbsp reserved marinade, and ¼ cup (60 ml) stock or water; bring to a gentle simmer.
Simmer the bean mixture, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes so flavors meld.
Add the baby spinach and stir until just wilted, about 1–2 minutes.
Taste the beans and season with salt and pepper if needed, then remove the skillet from the heat.
Heat a second heavy skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tsp olive oil.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off, and cook in the hot pan 6–8 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until well browned and cooked through.
Internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C) or cut into the thickest piece to check juices run clear.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes so juices redistribute.
Slice the chicken into strips or thick slices.
Divide the warm bean and spinach mixture among four plates, top with sliced chicken, spoon any pan juices over the meat, and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
Worth knowing
- If you don't have piri‑piri paste, mix 1 tsp crushed red pepper, 1 tsp hot paprika and a pinch of sugar into the marinade.
- Reserve some marinade before adding raw chicken — that reserved bit flavors the beans safely. Do not use marinade that touched raw chicken.
- This keeps well for meal prep: store chicken slices and beans separately in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat the beans in a pan and add chicken on top to warm briefly.
- For more calories and healthy fats, serve with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil or a handful of chopped olives.
- To speed the recipe, use pre-washed baby spinach and canned diced tomatoes.
Make it yours
Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.
Gluten-freeDairy-freeHigh proteinMeal prep
More Portuguese cooking
An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Portuguese cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be gluten-free and dairy-free as listed.