Description

These Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken Burgers offer a flavorful and mildly spicy twist on the classic chicken burger, featuring a homemade peri peri sauce marinade, juicy chicken breasts or thighs, and a creamy peri-naise spread. Perfectly cooked on the stovetop or grill, these burgers are a delicious and easy meal option for any poultry lover.

Ingredients

Scale

Peri Peri Sauce

1 – 3 birds eye red chilies (1 is very mild, 3 is mildly spicy)
1 medium red capsicum / bell pepper (roughly cut into 1.5cm / 1/2″ pieces)
5 garlic cloves (peeled, whole)
3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil (or other plain flavoured oil)
4 tbsp malt vinegar
2 tbsp smoked paprika (substitute regular / sweet paprika)
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp onion powder (substitute garlic powder)
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
3 drops red food colouring (optional)

Peri Naise

3 tbsp Peri Peri Sauce
1/2 cup whole egg mayonnaise (or other mayonnaise)
1/4 cup sour cream (or yoghurt)

Chicken and Assembly

2 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken breasts or chicken thigh fillets (skinless boneless, each large enough for a burger)
4 soft rolls (split and lightly toasted if desired)
2 tomatoes (sliced)
Lettuce of choice

Instructions

Prepare chicken breast: If using chicken breast, pound each piece to an even thickness of about 1 cm (0.4 inches) using a meat mallet or rolling pin, covering it with a plastic bag or freezer bag to avoid mess. Trim each chicken piece slightly larger than the burger buns, accounting for approximately 20% shrinkage during cooking.
Make Peri Peri Sauce: Combine all peri peri sauce ingredients in a jug and blend until smooth using a stick blender, food processor, blender, or NutriBullet.
Marinate chicken: Pour half a cup of the peri peri sauce into a bowl or ziplock bag. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat them evenly. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours to develop flavor.
Prepare Peri Naise: Mix together the peri peri sauce, whole egg mayonnaise, and sour cream in a bowl. Set aside for assembly.
Cook chicken: Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium to medium-high heat, or alternatively, brush a BBQ grill with oil and preheat. Cook chicken breasts for about 3 minutes on each side or thighs for 4 minutes per side, cooking in batches if necessary. Adjust heat to prevent excessive charring; some char is desirable for flavor.
Rest chicken: Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and loosely cover with foil. Let it rest for 5 minutes to retain juices. Meanwhile, toast the burger rolls if desired.
Assemble burgers: Spread the bottom half of each roll with a generous layer of peri-naise. Layer with lettuce, tomato slices, and the cooked chicken. Top with more peri-naise and extra peri peri sauce if you like, then cover with the top half of the roll.

Notes

Adjust the number of birds eye chilies in the peri peri sauce to control spiciness; one chili gives a very mild heat, three provides mild heat.
Malt vinegar gives a tangy flavor but can be substituted with a similar vinegar if unavailable.
Red food coloring is optional and used to enhance the vibrant color of the sauce but does not affect flavor.
Marinate chicken for longer (up to 24 hours) for deeper flavor penetration.
Resting the cooked chicken helps in retaining juiciness and improves texture.
Cooking chicken on a grill will add a smoky flavor, while frying in a pan is a convenient indoor alternative.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Portuguese

Keywords: Nando's, Peri Peri Chicken Burger, Chicken Burger, Spicy Chicken, Homemade Peri Peri, Grilled Chicken Burger, Easy Chicken Recipe