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copycat nandos chicken recipe with quarter chicken breast and thigh

Copycat Nando's Peri Peri Chicken

Author: Kelly Jensen
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Prep 20 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Marinating Time 2 days
Total 2 days 40 minutes
This delicious copycat Nando’s Peri Peri chicken recipe is flavorful and delicious, marinated in a spicy chili pepper sauce for 24 hours and grilled to perfection! It’s spicy, loaded with flavor, and a great way to cook a whole chicken on the grill – using chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
Servings 4 servings
Course Dinner
Cuisine American

Ingredients

For the Chicken
  • 1 5-lb whole chicken quartered
  • 2 cups Nandos's Peri Peri Sauce or see our copycat sauce recipe below
  • 1 lemon juiced
For the Peri Peri Sauce
  • 1 lb bird’s eye chilis
  • 1 red bell pepper seeds and stem removed
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 sweet onion
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 lemons zested and juiced

Equipment

  • Cutting Board
  • Kitchen Shears
  • Sharp Knife
  • Grill

Method

  1. If making your own peri-peri sauce, add all the sauce ingredients into a food processor. Start by processing on low speed, then working your way up to high until the sauce is smooth and well-blended. Set aside.
  2. Quarter the chicken, carefully cut out the backbone using kitchen shears. Separate each leg and thigh quarter from the body, the chop the remaining breasts in half. Place the quartered chicken in a bowl or large gallon bag.
  3. Add the Peri Peri hot sauce to the chicken to marinate, and add water to cover the chicken. Marinate the chicken for up to 48 hours in the hot sauce.
  4. Heat the grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  5. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the grill, and cook for 30-40 minutes, flipping and turning the chicken occasionally so it doesn't burn. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the chicken.
  6. Remove the chicken from the grill and add the fresh lemon juice on top of the cooked meat. Serve with more peri peri sauce if desired, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories635kcalCarbohydrates27gProtein38gFat43gSaturated Fat10gPolyunsaturated Fat8gMonounsaturated Fat22gTrans Fat0.2gCholesterol143mgSodium436mgPotassium912mgFiber7gSugar14gVitamin A2709IUVitamin C223mgCalcium81mgIron3mg

Notes

Additions and Substitutions
You can use a store-bought peri peri sauce, or other commercial hot sauce that you prefer for this recipe. If the traditional Nando’s sauce is too spicy, you can try one of their milder flavors or the garlic sauce too.
I have a great copycat Nando's peri peri sauce recipe on this site that tastes just as good as the real deal! I highly recommend it if you are an adventurous cook.
In the instructions below, I quartered the whole chicken myself, but you can use pre-cut chicken or ask the butcher to quarter the chicken for you.

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