Who doesn’t love a cheeky Nando’s? The succulent chicken, the fiery peri-peri sauce, the delicious sides—it’s a meal that hits all the right spots. But what if you could recreate that same mouth-watering experience at home? Whether you’re trying to save some money, eat healthily, avoid the crowds, or simply love cooking, this Nando’s fakeaway recipe is just what you need. I like to think my Nando’s Fakeaway is actually better than the OG, but you’ll all have to give my recipe a go and let me know if you agree!
Why Make a Nando’s Fakeaway?
Recreating Nando’s at home allows you to control the spice level, experiment with different flavours, and enjoy a healthier version without compromising on taste. Plus, it’s a great way to impress your friends and family with your culinary skills!
The Essentials: What You’ll Need
The key to any Nando’s dish is the peri-peri marinade. This Fakeaway includes a homemade version that’s packed with flavour, but you can also use the Nandos store-bought sauce if you’re short on time. Pair your chicken with some classic Nando’s sides like spicy rice, corn on the cob, and peri-peri fries for the full experience. My personal favourite sides have to be the spicy rice, peri chips and their tenderstem brocoli plus halloumi sticks to start of course!
Nando’s Fakeaway Recipe
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts halved to equal thickness or 4 chicken thighs, skin off is my preference
• ½ red pepper, roughly chopped (see video for size)
• 2 large sweet red chillis halved (the larger the chilli, the milder and sweeter it will be)
• 2 small red onions peeled and roughly chopped (see video for size)
• 4 cloves garlic
• hefty pinch of sea salt (equivalent to 1 teaspoon)
• generous drizzle of olive oil
• bunch of coriander (including the stems)
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• ½ tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• splash of water
• Salt to taste (this can be adusted after blitzing in a food processor or blender)
Spicy Rice:
250g basmati rice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• ½ orange pepper, chopped finely
• ½ green pepper, , chopped finely (optional to have 2 colours)
• ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock cube (optional however if you use this, do not add salt)
• Salt to taste
• ½ can of chopped tomatoes
• 500ml water
Instructions:
Step 1: Make the Marinade
• To an oven proof dish, add the chopped peppers, halved sweet red chillis, chopped red onions and whole garlic cloves. Sprinkle on the sea salt and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the oven to grill for 15 minutes. Once charred, remove and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
- In a blender or food processor, combine the charred vegetables along with coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. Blend until smooth to create your peri-peri marinade.
- Place the chicken in a large resealable bag or a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, ensuring it’s well coated. Seal the bag or cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight for maximum flavor.
Step 2: Make the Spicy Rice
- In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the red bell pepper, chopped garlic, smoked paprika, turmeric and salt. If using a stick cube add that in now too and omit the salt. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the rice and stir to coat with the spices. Pour in the water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and allow the steam to do the remaining cooking, allow to stand for 5 minutes without taking the lid off. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Step 3: Griddle the Chicken
- Preheat your pan with some olive oil for 2 minutes of a medium heat
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place them one piece at a time into the hot pan
- Griddle for 7-8 minutes on each side and don’t touch the chicken for the first 3-4 minutes so the griddle charred lines can form. If you’re worried about cooking chicken then get yourself a cooking thermometer from any supermarket and the internal temperature you’re looking for is 75 degrees.
Step 4: Plate and Enjoy!
- Plate your peri-peri chicken alongside the peri-peri fries and spicy rice and maybe even some halloumi. Add extra peri-peri sauce on the side for dipping if you like it extra spicy.
