The Buddy Feast: Butterfly Paprika Chicken — cooking, easy recipes for happy gatherings

This joyful, family-friendly take on butterfly paprika chicken is perfect for anyone who loves cooking, easy recipes that deliver big flavour with minimal fuss. It pairs crispy-skinned piri-piri chicken with charred halloumi-sprinkled corn, buttery lime sweet potato wedges, a tangy chili sauce and a crunchy apple-cabbage slaw. This one-plate feast shows how simple techniques turn fresh ingredients into a spectacular meal, ideal for weekends, barbecues or relaxed dinners when cooking, easy recipes are on the agenda.

Why this recipe works

Butterflying the bird creates more surface area so the heat and smoke penetrate the meat and crisps the skin without drying the breast. Using a hot grill with an indirect heat zone mimics an oven, while a smoker box adds sweet smoky notes. The sides are straightforward and put the vegetables front and centre — exactly what lovers of cooking, easy recipes want: big taste, simple steps.

Ingredients

For the butterfly paprika chicken

• 1 whole chicken, backbone removed and flattened (butterflied)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (plus extra for the sauce)
• Salt and pepper
• Weber wood chips or other mild hardwood chips for smoking

For the piri-piri chili sauce

• 3–4 blistered tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, roasted with skins on
• 2–3 red chilies (seeds removed for controlled heat)
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2–3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the slaw

• ½ small red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 apple, julienned
• Fresh herbs (parsley, chervil or dill)

For the sides

• 4 sweet potatoes, quartered
• Sweet corn cobs, husks intact
• Butter and 2 limes for lime butter
• Halloumi, finely grated

Equipment

• Gas barbecue with at least four burners or equivalent grill
• Smoker box for wood chips
• Blender or food processor for the chili sauce
• Peeler or box grater for the slaw

Step-by-step method

1. Prepare and marinate the chicken

1. Butterfly the chicken by removing the backbone and pressing flat. Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
2. Mix oregano and smoked paprika into a paste and rub all over the bird. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Set up the grill for indirect heat

1. Preheat the grill and set up a cool zone by turning off the middle burners. The lit burners on either side create convection when the lid is closed, acting like an oven.
2. Add wood chips to the smoker box — expect smoke after around 10 minutes.
3. Place the chicken skin-side up on the cool zone so it roasts slowly and crisps without burning.

3. Roast sweet potatoes and corn

1. Quarter the sweet potatoes, toss in olive oil and salt, and place over the heat to roast until golden and crisp.
2. Soak corn with husks in water before grilling. Throw the wet cobs directly on the grill; husks will char while trapped steam keeps the kernels tender.

4. Make the piri-piri chili sauce

1. Take blistered tomatoes, roasted garlic, peeled chilies (seeds removed for balanced heat) and softened onion. Blend until smooth.
2. Add smoked paprika, honey, oregano, olive oil and vinegar. Taste and adjust for tang and sweetness. Chill — it keeps well for a week.

5. Build the slaw and dressing

1. Use a speed peeler or box grater to turn cabbage and carrots into thin ribbons. Slice onion and apple into matching strips.
2. Whisk up a simple 3 to 1 dressing: three parts oil to one part apple cider vinegar, a spoonful of Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt. Toss with the veg and sprinkle fresh herbs.

6. Finish the corn and serve

1. Pull back the charred husks to create a handle, melt butter with lime juice to make a lime butter, and roll the hot corn in that mixture.
2. Grate halloumi over the corn for a salty, creamy finish.
3. Check the chicken by pinching the leg — if the meat pulls away from the bone, it is done. Rest the bird to let juices redistribute.

Expert tips

• Butterflying gives quick, even cooking and crisp skin without overcooking the breast.
• Remove chili seeds if you want to taste the fruit of the chili rather than just heat.
• Soaking corn husks traps steam and keeps kernels soft even when the husks char, a very simple trick for stellar grilled corn.
• Make the piri-piri sauce ahead — it improves once flavors have had time to meld and is great for leftovers.

Storage and leftovers

• Keep leftover chili sauce in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week.
• Store cooked chicken and slaw separately; chicken will last 3 to 4 days chilled.
• Leftover corn and sweet potatoes reheat gently in a hot pan to restore texture.

Serving suggestions and variations

• Serve with crusty bread or flatbreads to mop up sauce.
• Swap halloumi for crumbled feta for a tangier finish.
• Adjust the heat level by leaving some seeds in the chilies or using milder peppers.

"Pick it up and let it fall. Twinkle like that." — a playful reminder to be gentle when tossing slaw and enjoy the process.

There it is — a joyful, flavour-packed feast built for family and friends. For anyone exploring cooking, easy recipes, this butterfly paprika chicken menu offers bold results with straightforward steps. Happy cooking, and enjoy the feast.

This article was created from the video The Buddy Feast: Butterfly Paprika Chicken | That's the Spirit! | Jamie x Weber with the help of AI.

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