Nando’s butterfly chicken breast is spicy and delicious. One of the famous restaurant’s recipes, this peri-peri chicken is so easy to make at home.
Nando’s recipes are famous all around the world. And because they are all rather simple and incredibly delicious, everybody seems to want to make them at home. Especially during these times when going out to eat can’t be taken for granted anymore.
This peri-peri butterfly chicken breast is probably one of the simplest copycat recipes I have ever made. Only the McDonald’s sweet and sour sauce for nuggets was easier, I suppose.
And have a look at these Peri-Peri Chicken Thighs; they are spicy, juicy, and delicious as well. Or try Nando’s Spicy Rice; it goes perfectly well with this dish.
For more Nando-inspired recipes, check out the Spicy Peri Peri Dip, the Spicy Peri Peri Seasoning, or the Peri Peri Chicken Livers.
Homemade peri-peri marinade
You could marinate the chicken in the bottled Peri-Peri sauce; I would go for medium-hot there (Amazon affiliate link). However, I have a big problem here: these bottles are not available in Germany unless I buy them online in a British shop or something.
The bottle is tiny… the price is huge… The first time I bought it, I thought the price to be OK; I hadn’t noticed how much sauce the bottle contains; I imagined a huge bottle like those containing another hot sauce. Well, the bottle arrived, and it was tiny. So, I prefer to keep that precious sauce for making dips or serving as it is and make my own peri-peri sauce.
To make the marinade you will need:
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- sweet and smoked paprika powder
- chili flakes
- garlic
- dried oregano
- parsley
- salt and pepper.
Just stir everything together in a bowl.
How to butterfly the chicken breast?
- Place the breast on a cutting board and the board on a kitchen towel to make sure it won’t slip.
- Place one hand on top and run a long knife along the side of it, slicing it in half horizontally. Make sure that you don’t cut it all the way through. (1)
- You will need a really long and sharp knife to be able to cut the meat properly; if it’s not sharp enough, you will probably end up tearing the meat here and there.
- Open up the breast and flatten it gently with a meat tenderizer; it should be evenly thick so that it can cook properly. (2)
How long to marinate the chicken?
- Once you’ve butterflied the breasts, place them in a large dish in one layer.
- Brush well with half of the marinade; flip and brush the other side as well.
- Ideally, marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 24.
- However, if you don’t have the time for that, even 15 minutes will do it; Nando’s butterfly chicken will still be absolutely delicious.
How to cook Nando’s chicken?
This couldn’t be easier!
- Heat a griddle pan on the stove. Or use a cast-iron skillet or a regular pan. Brush with about 1 teaspoon of oil.
- Once hot, cook the peri-peri chicken for 2-3 minutes per side, depending on its thickness. Don’t overcook; the pieces are thin, and they really only need a few minutes.
- To make sure it’s cooked through, check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer, it should be 74 degrees Celsius/ 165 degrees Fahrenheit. (Amazon affiliate link)
- If you don’t have a thermometer, cut one piece in the middle, the meat should be white and not red or pink.
How to serve peri-peri chicken?
With fries or oven-baked potato wedges, red cabbage slaw, green salad, carrot salad, or Macho peas. Or serve with Nando’s spicy rice (recipe coming soon).
You can also make a burger. Add some mayo, ketchup, spicy sauce, or whatever you like to your burger, some salad leaves, onions, and tomato slices, and you will have a delicious and filling Nando-style burger.
What to do with leftovers?
Eat cold or reheated in a bun with sauce, salad leaves, tomatoes, and so on. Make wraps or stuff pita bread. Slice and make a salad with a green salad, grated carrots, onions, and vinaigrette or yogurt dressing.
More chicken breast recipes
- Cast-Iron Chicken Breast
- Baked Panko Chicken
- Gochujang Chicken
- BBQ Chicken Breast
- Salt and Pepper Chicken
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Nando’s Butterfly Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes more to taste
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley fresh or frozen
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- about 1 teaspoon olive oil for the pan
Instructions
- Mix lemon juice, olive oil, both paprika sorts, chili flakes, grated garlic, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Butterfly the chicken breast: Place the chicken on a cutting board and the board on a kitchen towel to ensure it won't slip. Place one palm on top of the breast and run a long knife along the side of it, slicing it in half horizontally. Make sure that you don't cut it all the way through. Open the breast and flatten it gently with a meat tenderizer; it should be evenly thick to cook properly.
- Marinate chicken: Place in a large shallow dish in a single layer. Brush with half of the marinade, flip and brush the other side as well. Marinade for 1-2 hours and up to 24 (Note 1).
- Cook chicken: Heat a griddle pan (or a cast-iron skillet or a regular pan). Brush it with about 1 teaspoon oil. Cook the meat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Don't overcook (Note 2).
Notes
- The internal temperature should be 74 degrees Celsius/ 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a thermometer, cut one piece in the middle, the meat should be white and not red or pink.
- If you don’t have much time, marinate the meat for at least 15 minutes.