History

Portuguese immigrants settled around the Plateau and Saint-Louis from the 1950s, bringing charcoal-grilled frango and piri-piri sauce. Rotisseries like Romados and Ma Poule Mouillee near Rue Rachel turned churrasco chicken into a Montreal staple, served with fries, rice and hot sauce to long weekend lines.

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Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken, butterflied
  • 6 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 tbsp piri-piri or hot sauce
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • Extra piri-piri to baste

Method

  1. Blend garlic, paprika, oil, lemon juice, piri-piri and salt into a marinade.
  2. Coat the butterflied chicken and marinate at least 3 hours or overnight.
  3. Grill skin-side down over medium charcoal, turning often, about 35 to 40 minutes until cooked through.
  4. Baste with extra piri-piri in the last few minutes and rest before cutting.

Tip from the editors. Butterflying the bird keeps it flat over the coals so it cooks evenly and picks up maximum smoke.

Where to eat portuguese charcoal chicken

Portuguese charcoal chicken in Montreal

Ma Poule Mouillee ★ 4.3

$$ PortuguesePlateau

Ma Poule Mouillee delivers a big plate of charcoal Portuguese chicken and fries for cheap on Rue Rachel in Montreal, a filling Plateau meal on a small budget.

TryPortuguese chicken

TipA half chicken feeds one generously; the chicken poutine is the indulgent-but-still-cheap upgrade.

Directions

Romados ★ 4.5

$$ PortuguesePlateau

Romados serves a big plate of charcoal Portuguese chicken and fries for cheap on Rue Rachel in Montreal, one of the Plateau's best-value filling meals.

TryPortuguese charcoal chicken

TipA half chicken with fries feeds one generously; the custard tarts are a cheap sweet finish.

Directions

Chalet BBQ ★ 4.1

$$ RotisserieNdg

Why locals goA 1944 charcoal-chicken rotisserie in NDG frozen in mid-century decor, off the radar for downtown visitors but a lifelong ritual for west-end locals.

TipDine in for the untouched retro room; the quarter chicken with gravy fries is the only order you need.

Directions

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