Nando’s Fino Pitta
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Whether or not you’ve had the chance to enjoy Nando’s fino pitta, you’ll love this recipe! It’s made with juicy chicken breast, chunks of halloumi and a fiery, addictive sauce. This yummy sandwich also has a good amount of veg to help keep you full during the day. Serve it with fries for a more filling meal.ext
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
This delicious homemade fino pitta is a great way to enjoy a fast-food favourite without visiting a restaurant (or waiting in line!). Making this fino pitta Nando’s sandwich at home also helps cut costs. Instead of £9.25 per sandwich, my recipe allows you to feed the entire family with five sandwiches for £8.28 = £1.65 per homemade sandwich!
Additionally, the restaurant version of Nando’s fino pitta is quite spicy. With this homemade recipe, you can adjust the heat based on your preferences by using more or less of the chillies.
Don’t fret if you have leftover halloumi; there are quite a few recipes you can create, including Halloumi Kebabs with Chilli Sauce, The BEST Halloumi Salad and Halloumi Pasta.
Ingredients
Fresh Chillies
Fresh chillies help create the deliciously fiery flavour in the fino pitta sandwiches. If you want a less spicy Nando’s pitta, use banana or additional sweet peppers instead.
Chicken Breasts
The original recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. If you prefer a juicier sandwich, you can switch this ingredient. It’s important to note it will change the calories a bit as chicken breasts are leaner.
White Pittas
Swap the white pittas for whole wheat to add more fibre to this Nando’s fino pitta recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
A few swaps in this fino pitta recipe will help turn it into a gluten-free dish. Use pittas made with alternative, gluten-free flour (like corn or almond flour). Some onion relishes are not gluten-free. Ensure you have selected one which does not have any gluten.
You can also make this chicken pitta vegetarian-friendly by using a chicken alternative. A few favourite brands for the swap include the Quorn meatless chicken options. Use the same seasoning as the original recipe requires for this swap. You can also make a vegan fino pitta by replacing the halloumi with an option like the Violife mediterranean style block non-dairy cheese alternative.
If you love chicken, here’s some other recipes for you to try; Chicken Swarma bowl and Wagamama’s Chicken Ramen (Chilli Chicken)
How to make fino pitta nandos
- Start by blitzing your marinade ingredients in a food processor. That’s the fresh chillies, roasted red peppers, paprika, garlic granules, oregano and a splash of the red pepper brine (Image 1).
- Then add to a bowl and coat the chicken breasts. Marinade for 1-5 hours if possible (Image 2).
3. Slice the halloumi into thin slices (Image 3).
4. Fry the halloumi slices until golden brown on both sides and set aside (Image 4).
5. Add rapeseed oil to a griddle pan over a high heat. Add the chicken and leave to fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of your chicken (Image 5).
6. Once the chicken is fully cooked (with char lines on either side) remove from pan (Image 6).
Then toast your pittas then add a layer of mayonnaise (add a sprinkle of garlic granules for aioli vibes if you can), lettuce, grilled peri peri chicken, caramelised red onion relish and a few slices of chillies if you like it hot.
Tips for the best result
Leave the marinade on for at least one hour.
This step is important when making a halloumi pitta. If you don’t allow the chicken to sit in the marinade for long enough, the flavour will be too subtle when you cook it. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least one hour for the best results. It’s also necessary to avoid leaving the chicken in the marinade too long, as it can start to break down the meat, making it mushy.
Add mayonnaise before grilling.
If you want an extra decadent pitta sandwich, spread the mayo onto the bread before grilling it (or drizzle olive oil). This step will create a buttery exterior (similar to a grilled cheese sandwich). You can also add more mayo once it’s off the grill. Note: Adding extra mayo will change the nutrition of the sandwiches slightly.
Don’t assemble the sandwiches too early.
These chicken and halloumi sandwiches are best eaten fresh since they have lettuce and cooked halloumi cheese. If left too long, the lettuce will get wilty, and the cheese can get rubbery. Avoid prepping the sandwiches early and, instead, make them right before you’re ready to eat them.
If you’re still unsure of what to do with leftover halloumi, consider making one of the following recipes: Sweet Chilli Halloumi Wrap, Halloumi Tray Bake with Roasted Vegetables or Halloumi Tacos.
FAQs
A fino pitta is a toasted pitta filled with chicken, halloumi slices, red onion relish, lettuce, and a wild garlic aioli sauce. This fino chicken pitta is a sandwich the restaurant Nando’s has created and a favourite among many people.
Fino is a Portuguese word which means “Posh”.
Many sides work well with a pitta sandwich, including Crispy Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges, Air Fryer Green Beans, and Whipped Feta Dip with Harissa.
If you tried this Nando’s Fino Pitta recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Nando’s Fino Pitta
Ingredients
- 100 g roasted red peppers (£1.70/4)=(£0.43)
- 3-4 fresh chillies, deseeded if you prefer less spice (£0.55)
- 600 g chicken breast, sliced in half (£3.70)
- 225 g (1 block) halloumi, thinly sliced (£2.40)
- 1 round lettuce, washed & thinly sliced (£0.58)
- 1 tbsp per pitta caramelised red onion relish (£1.20/10)= (£0.12)
- 5 white pittas (£0.50)
Cupboard Essentials
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise per pitta
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
Method
- Start by blitzing your marinade ingredients in a food processor. That’s the fresh chillies, roasted red peppers, paprika, garlic granules, oregano and a splash of the red pepper brine. Add to a bowl and coat the chicken breasts. Marinade for 1-5 hours if possible.
- Fry the halloumi slices until golden brown on both sides and set aside.
- Add rapeseed oil to a griddle pan over a high heat. Add the chicken and leave to fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of your chicken.
- Toast your pittas then add a layer of mayonnaise (add a sprinkle of garlic granules for aioli vibes if you can), lettuce, grilled peri peri chicken, caramelised red onion relish and a few slices of chillies if you like it hot.
Notes
- If you are in a rush and have the budget, buy ready made Peri Peri sauce!
- Allow chicken to marinate for at least an hour for robust flavour.
- Apply mayo before grilling for a buttery exterior; avoid assembling sandwiches too early to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
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