Peri Peri Chicken (Nandos Chicken Recipe)

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made this peri peri chicken at this point, this is the ultimate weeknight or Sunday dinner. It’s just chillies, garlic and a few spices blitzed up in the food processor, but the marinade has so much going on once it’s been in the fridge a few hours. This peri peri chicken recipe always comes out nice and juicy, with a really good char on the outside if you get your pan hot enough first. I love serving it with my Crispy Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges on the side.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Healthy Spice: The fiery marinade for this peri peri chicken is made with simple, healthy ingredients like honey, brine, chillies, spices, roasted peppers, and garlic.
• Gluten-Free: This piri piri chicken recipe is naturally gluten-free, so you can pair it with your favourite gluten-free sides like these Easy Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans.
• Dairy-Free: I love that this Nando’s chicken recipe is also naturally dairy-free, so it works well for those who can’t or don’t consume dairy. This is one of the easy peri peri chicken recipes to adapt if you’re cooking for a mixed crowd, and Crispy Chilli Chicken is also a great option for an Asian twist!

Love a Nando’s? Try my Nando’s Fino Pitta, Nando’s Spicy rice or Nando’s Mac and Cheese Recipe (Peri Peri).

Ingredients for Peri Peri Chicken

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: You can also use skin-on meat for this. I recommend scoring the skin first before adding it to the marinade, the way I do for most of my Nandos fakeaway recipes. Chicken breasts or drumsticks will also work, like in my Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks.
• Roasted Red Peppers: The roasted red peppers are a key ingredient in this Portuguese chicken recipe, as they create a smokey, slightly sweet taste. I wouldn’t recommend skipping or swapping this ingredient, as there aren’t many good substitutes that provide a similar flavour.
• Honey: Honey adds just a hint of sweetness to the marinade ingredients, balancing out the spicy taste of the Peri chillies – I love using it whenever I make homemade Nandos recipes. Maple syrup or agave syrup will also work here, the same way I swap it in my Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations/ Adaptations

Here are a few ways to adjust this Peri Peri chicken dish to your preferences.

• Use different cuts: Instead of using chicken thighs, make this recipe with chicken breast, drumsticks, or even a whole chicken. You can also use this marinade for vegetables or plant-based meat alternatives, like tofu or seitan.
• Try it as a dipping sauce: Make the marinade in a smaller quantity to use as a dipping sauce for peri chicken strips, potato wedges, and chips. Try it with Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes, Airfryer potatoes or Airfryer Hash Browns.
• Make it a dry rub version: Skip the peri peri marinade and rub the chicken thighs with the same spices dry, plus a squeeze of lemon. It won’t make peri peri chicken with quite as much depth as the full marinade, but it’s handy if you’re short on time.

How to make Peri Peri Chicken

1. Start by adding the roasted peppers, one tablespoon of their brine, honey, smashed garlic, chillies, paprika, oregano and salt and pepper to a food processor (Image 1).
2. Blitz to form a smooth marinade. If you have a blender rather than a food processor, you might need to chop the garlic and chillies a little bit more before adding them to the blender (Image 2).

3. Pour the spicy peri-peri marinade into a large bowl, add the chicken thighs and mix together until the meat is well coated (Image 3).

4. Cover with clingfilm or foil and chill in the fridge for a minimum of one hour. If possible, marinade for 5–12 hours (Image 4).

Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C).

5. Set a griddle pan over a high heat, add one tablespoon of rapeseed oil and sear half of the chicken thighs on one side for around four minutes until char lines appear (Image 5).

6. Remove and place on a baking dish/tray, seared side up (Image 6).

7. Repeat with the other half of the chicken thighs, adding one tablespoon of rapeseed oil and searing the chicken on one side. Once all the thighs are seared and on the baking tray, brush over any leftover marinade and season with an extra pinch of salt (Image 7).

8. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes. Depending on the size of the chicken thighs you may need to cook for a further five minutes (slice the largest piece in half to check). Top with parsley if you like and dig in! (Image 8).

Fancy more fakeaway sides? Try my Homemade Nando’s Seasoning on Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings or Crispy Soy Chicken Wings.

What is Peri Peri Chicken?

Peri peri and piri piri chicken are the same thing, just spelled differently depending on where you are. The chillies themselves actually come from Africa, not Portugal, but it was Portuguese traders who brought them home and turned them into the marinades and hot sauces we know now. Somewhere along the way Nando’s took the idea and ran with it, which is probably how most of us in the UK first came across the flavour in the first place.

I use bird’s eye chillies for this Portuguese chicken recipe instead of dried piri piri ones, mostly because I can find them in my local supermarket and I’m not driving across town for one specific chilli. They give you the same heat and the same colour in the marinade, so you’re not losing anything by swapping. This is the perfect shortcut for most fakeaway Nandos recipes honestly.

If you love the spicy peri peri sauce, you’ll need to try my Peri Peri Chicken Wings as well!

Is Peri Peri Chicken Spicy?

It can be, but this version sits somewhere in the middle. I usually use four chillies and find that gives a decent kick without setting my mouth on fire, but I have thrown in six before when I wanted it hotter. Take the seeds out if you want to play it safer, or leave them in and embrace it.

Serving Suggestions

I love serving this Peri Peri chicken over a bed of citrus and cilantro rice. You can also serve it with roasted veg, grilled corn on the cob such as my Easy Mexican Street Corn, a fresh salad, or nearly anything with potatoes (like potato salad or mashed potatoes). Sides like rice and potatoes will help cool the heat from the spicy sauce. You can also pair these chicken thighs with Crispy Homemade Oven Chips, Easy Flatbread Recipe and Frozen Cauliflower Rice.

Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions

If you have any leftover Peri Peri chicken, you can easily store it in the fridge or freezer for later use.

Refrigerator: Let the dish cool fully, then pack it in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for up to three days.

Freezer: The chicken can be kept in the freezer for up to 5-6 months.

Reheat: To reheat the chicken, let it defrost overnight in the fridge (if frozen). Then, heat in the oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed in a preheated oven set to 430°F (220°C). I’d recommend wrapping the chicken in foil to help it stay juicy during reheating.

If you make extra sauce, you can also save it in the fridge or freezer. Pack it into an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to six months.

Peri Peri Chicken FAQs

Need inspiration for some other tasty main dish recipes? Try my Mayak Eggs, Fish Risotto or Easy Cajun Dirty Rice.