Easy Nando's Peri Peri Chicken Thighs with Rice

Easy Nando's Peri Peri Chicken Thighs with Rice - How to make Nando’s inspired Peri Peri Chicken at home. There is not much work required in this cheats Peri chicken recipe, making it an easy weeknight meal for the whole family! Yes all you need is 2 ingredients to make this great recipe. Spicy, Citrusy and Garlicky Peri Peri Chicken is world famous for good reason! In this super simple recipe, all you need to do is smother the chicken in the famous sauce, marinade, then bung it in the oven and let it do its thing!

Easy Nando's Peri Peri Chicken Thighs with Rice

Peri Peri Chicken, Piri Piri Chicken or Pili pili Chicken is one of our takeaway favourites. 

What’s not to love about juicy, flame grilled chicken that is marinaded in a vibrant and flavourful sauce.

The words Pilli Pilli translate to Pepper Pepper and it refers to the African Birds Eye Chilli that forms the base of this delicious sauce.

Nandos is a brand from South Africa that is famous for their Spicy flame grilled chicken. The food itself is inspired by Portuguese cuisine making it a Portugese recipe.

The sauce is made up of African Bird’s Eye Chilli, Garlic, Lemons, Onion, Oil, Salt and Vinegar. 

The chain of restaurants was started by 2 friends from Johannesburg.

In this cheat’s recipe you will use your favourite Nandos sauce to marinade the chicken for 1 hour and then oven bake the chicken for 45 minutes.

I then griddle it for 5 minutes per side to add some char and smoke.

If you would prefer to make the sauce yourself, please see instructions below. I will also be sharing an upcoming recipe for spatchcocked peri chicken that was made with homemade peri sauce.

Nando’s Peri-Peri Chicken Ingredients

This easy Nando’s chicken recipe is a cheats recipe and the sauce doubles up as a dip too!

Chicken

I recommend using skin on bone-in chicken thighs/drumsticks for juicy flavourful chicken.

Piri Piri Sauce

My recommendation is medium Spicy Peri Peri Sauce but you can use your favouirite one! They are available pretty much everywhere. From supermarkets or even your local grocery store.

Rice

Here is the link to the Peri Peri rice.

How to make Easy Peri Peri Chicken Recipe

This is almost a non recipe! It is as simple as it gets. Here is what you need to do to make this delicious chicken:

Add the chicken thighs to a freezer bag or large bowl.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and turn to coat thoroughly. 

Marinate for at least 1hour, but overnight is preferred. 

The next day, add the chicken to a large baking tray or baking dish and cook at Gas Mark 6/200 C/350 degrees f for 45 minutes or until the thighs are fully cooked.

Optional Extra Step - Remove the chicken from the oven and place on a griddle pan skin side down (or under the grill in an oven tray). Cook on high for 5 - 6 minutes per side.

Brush cooked chicken with remaining peri peri Sauce/excess marinade and  serve.

Top tip to make the BEST Peri Peri Chicken

To keep the chicken thighs juicy, allow them to rest for 10 minutes after cooking!

Recipe Variations

You can change this chicken recipe up as much as you like according to your personal preference. Here are some suggestions.

Citrus

Add a squeeze of lemon to the marinade for extra zing.

Bone In Chicken

Use any dark Meat and bone-in cuts of chicken such as chicken Legs as well as Thighs. 

Chicken Breast

To make it with boneless chicken breast, cut into thin slices.

Cook on high with a little oil for 2 - 3 minutes, then cook at medium heat covered in a frying pan for 12 - 18 minutes.

Check that the chicken breasts are cooked through before serving.

Chicken Wings

You can also try it with Chicken Wings. Heat oven to 180C/gas 4/350 f.

Remove from marinade.  Leave the marinade to one side.

Spread the wings out on a large baking tray. Bake for 30 mins, add the reserved marinade and toss.

Increase oven to 200C/gas 6/400 f.  

Return to the oven and cook for a further 30 mins, tossing a few times to coat in the glaze as they cook.

Or cook in an air fryer at 180 C/350 f for 16 - 20 minutes, turning midway.

The cooking time does vary between air fryers so I would keep an eye on it.

Garlic

Add extra Garlic - crushed garlic, garlic powder or granules.

Sauce

Use a different flavoured peri peri sauce or a combination of 2 - try lemon and herb with the medium hot sauce or if your taste buds can handle the extra heat, try the hot version for extra spicy chicken!

Herbs and Spices

Add your favourite herbs and spices such as dried oregano, thyme and spices such as cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and a touch of cumin.

Smokey Flavour

Add 1 tbsp of smoky water. I first came across this via Anna Jones and have added it to several recipes since.

Whole Chicken

This recipe also works well with a whole chicken. You will need to cook it for 10 - 15 minutes more.

What to serve with Peri Peri Chicken 

The best side dish in my opinion is rice or chips. Here are some other ideas:

• A  crunchy crispy salad with a dressing.
• Rice - Peri Peri Rice is mildly spiced and smoky. It pairs perfectly with which chicken.
• Potatoes - Serve with mashed potatoes, parmesan potatoes or similar.
• Veggies - Serve with Green Beans, Corn Ribs, Creamed Corn or Grilled Corn on the Cob or other roast veg like Asparagus, Broccoli, Cauliflower.

How to make Homemade Peri Peri Sauce

This recipe is made with simple ingredients. Here is what you need to do to make it:

Roast 2 red peppers (bell peppers) over an open flame on a gas stove top rotating regularly or in the grill until charred all over (5 - 10 minutes).

Place in a bowl and cover with cling film. Leave for 10 minutes and them remove the skin.

This is an optional step but I like the flavour it lends to the chicken.  You can just add the peppers to a blender with the remaining ingredients.

Blend in a food processor with 2 tbsp Olive Oil, 1 Red Onion, 6 cloves Garlic, 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika, a pinch of Brown Sugar, a pinch of Cayenne Pepper or Chilli Pepper, a handful fresh Coriander, 7 Thai Red Chillies, 2 Bay Leaves, 1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar, 1/3 cup fresh Lemon Juice, some lemon Zest, good pinch Oregano, Salt and Black Pepper. 

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Then continue with the recipe as above by adding the chicken pieces to a ziploc bag with the spicy marinade and marinading overnight. Serve chicken with extra sauce for more deliciousness.

Make ahead Instructions

This is a the perfect make ahead recipe. You can make the whole recipe 5 days ahead and eat it throughout the week.

The Chicken can be left in the marinade in the fridge for up to 24 hours and cooked the following day.

How to store and reheat

Storage

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheat

Reheat in a pan over medium-low heat until warmed through, adding a splash of hot water.

Or reheat in the microwave in 30-second bursts till warmed all the way through.

To reheat in the Oven, cook for 10 minutes at 350 F/180 C, or just until warmed through.

How to freeze

This chicken can be frozen marinaded for up to 3 months.

To freeze cooked Chicken

Let chicken cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. Freeze for 3 months.

To thaw, let the chicken thaw in the fridge overnight before cooking. 

How do I know when the Peri Peri Chicken is done?

Use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken I done. Check the internal temperature of the Chicken Thighs.

They should be at 170  F/76 C going up to 175 F/79 C.

IF YOU LIKE THIS HOMEMADE NANDO’S CHICKEN THIGHS, YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Honey Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Chicken Naanwich

Chicken Manchurian with Rice

Air Fryer Whole Tandoori Roast Chicken

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