Nando’s Peri Peri Hen Burger

November 9, 2024

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That is my copycat of the FAMOUS Nando’s Peri Peri Hen Burger! A selfmade Peri Peri Sauce does double responsibility because the marinade for the Portuguese model grilled hen and to make a tingly creamy Peri Peri “Perinaise” pink sauce. Glorious for summer time BBQs!

Nando’s copycat Peri Peri Hen Burgers

Nando’s is a world chain that’s identified for the Portuguese model flame grilled hen cooked with their well-known Peri Peri sauce. Right here in Australia, it has a cult following!

Since I created this copycat model, it’s been a favorite for out of doors BBQ gatherings, and for a lot of a number of years it was considered one of my most requested recipes in my circles (till they tasted the Subsequent Massive Factor!). The Peri Peri sauce is a chilli based mostly sauce which is available in quite a lot of spice ranges, from very delicate to very popular. It’s full flavoured but contemporary, and I describe it as “a celebration in your mouth”.

It does triple responsibility as a marinade for the hen and two sauces for the burger: a creamy tingly pink Perinaise sauce (additionally a shameless Nando’s copycat) and utilizing it as a sauce as is. The mix of the creamy sauce with the contemporary Peri Peri sauce within the burger is a killer!

Concerning the copycat Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce

The selfmade Nando’s Peri Peri sauce is a copycat that tastes remarkably just like the shop purchased model. However higher, as a result of it’s made out of actual substances!

It’s a mix of contemporary crimson chillies, capsicum/bell pepper, garlic, vinegar, oil plus herbs and spices (paprika, oregano, onion, sugar, salt, pepper). A concoction I cobbled collectively after an inspection of the Nando’s bottle – minus components and different thriller substances. 🙂

As for the making half? Simply blitz all the things collectively. It actually takes seconds!

Components in Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce recipe

Right here’s what goes into my copy-cat Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce. In case you evaluate my recipe to the ingredient label of Nando’s Peri Peri sauce, you’ll discover that I don’t use precisely the identical substances as a result of it is a home-version copycat, supposed to realize the same flavour utilizing readily accessible substances.

For instance, Nando’s makes use of quite a lot of chillies (cayenne pepper, serrano and African Birds Eye chillis). I can’t think about making this sauce with out making it insanely spicy utilizing solely contemporary chillis, so I’ve used capsicum (bell pepper) as a substitute for spice-free pepper flavour, and added spiciness utilizing Birds Eye chillis. Don’t fear for those who can’t get these, it’s straightforward to substitute – see under.

Birds Eye chillis – These are widespread right here in Australia and are pretty spicy. Use 3 for a light Peri Peri sauce (that is what I exploit), 1 for barely noticeable, and 5 for additional spicy. Be aware: Keep in mind that the spiciness is diluted in the long run end result by way of the cooking course of, addition of mayonnaise and bitter cream into the Perinaise Sauce. So I prefer to make my sauce a bit of spicier than excellent as a result of I do know it’s not that spicy as soon as used within the burger.

Substitute with different contemporary chillies of selection or dried chilli flakes (crimson pepper flakes). Begin with much less, blitz, then you possibly can add extra later and blitz once more.
Capsicum / bell pepper – As famous above, this provides good contemporary pepper flavour into the Peri Peri sauce with out spiciness. Use a medium one – if it’s too huge, your sauce could find yourself too thick.
Garlic – It’s not Peri Peri Sauce with no good quantity of garlic in it!
Malt vinegar – This brown vinegar is made out of ale, is much less sharp and has a hotter flavour than common white vinegar. Substitute with crimson wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Oil – Any plain impartial flavoured oil is ok right here, like canola or vegetable oil, and even an olive oil.
Spices – Simply common on a regular basis spices! Onion, paprika and dried oregano. I like to make use of smoked paprika after I’ve received it for a contact of free additional smokey flavour. Nonetheless, I exploit common paprika in a pinch if I don’t have it.
Pink meals colouring (optionally available) – To present it a crimson color enhance! Fully optionally available. I exploit pure crimson meals colouring so I don’t maintain again utilizing colouring in meals. 🙂

Components for Peri Peri Hen Burgers

And right here’s what you want to make the burgers.

Hen breast or thigh fillets

Thigh fillets is the better choice as a result of you possibly can simply use them with out pounding as they’re a juicier lower of meat. For breast, I prefer to pound them so they’re extra even thickness so that they prepare dinner by way of evenly. Makes a distinction for this lean lower!

Peri-naise (pink sauce!)

That is my copycat of the Nando’s Peri-Naise which is a Peri Peri creamy mayonnaise sauce. I feel Nando’s simply makes use of mayonnaise however I want to lighten it up a bit by utilizing a mixture of bitter cream and mayonnaise, that method I could be beneficiant with the quantity I exploit on my burgers and never really feel as responsible! (And belief me, it would be best to be beneficiant with this sauce, it’s a necessary a part of the Peri Peri Burger expertise!).

The opposite burger issues

And lastly, to finish our Peri Peri Burgers, we simply want some smooth white rolls, lettuce and tomato. Any lettuce you’ve gotten / can get is ok right here. I exploit butter lettuce (the stunning smooth form). Rocket and child spinach might be nice too, although I’d in all probability keep away from utilizing chicory or different bitter lettuce varieties. If utilizing cos (romaine) or iceberg lettuce, contemplate shredding it.

The right way to make Nando’s Peri Peri Hen Burgers

I pound hen breast to make it even thickness so it cooks evenly, and it makes the meat extra tender. This makes an actual distinction right here as a result of breast is such a lean lower and liable to drying out (although the marinade additionally helps entice juices).

As a result of thigh fillets are a juicier lower, I don’t pound them except they’re extraordinarily thick (ie make them a bit thinner) or if they don’t seem to be massive sufficient (pound to make a bigger footprint so they’re a bit of bigger than the buns).

1. Pound and trim breast

Cowl the hen breast with go-between, a freezer bag or double layer of cling wrap, to guard it from tearing whenever you pound.
Pound to 1cm / 0.4″ thickness utilizing a meat mallet or rollling pin.

Lower the hen into burger-size items which might be a bit of bigger than the buns. Think about 20% shrinkage!
Comparability or bun to hen piece. 🙂

2. MAKING THE BURGERS

Peri Peri Sauce – Blitz all of the substances till easy utilizing a stick blender, meals processor, or blender. It received’t be fully easy, nevertheless it shouldn’t have arduous lumps in it.
Peri-naise sauce – Use 3 tablespoons of the Peri Peri Sauce and blend it with the bitter cream and mayonnaise to make the Per-naise.

Marinade hen – Then use 1/2 cup of the Peri Peri Sauce to marinade the hen. Marinade for at the very least 3 hours, as much as 24 hours. (Even 48 hours is ok, I simply discover past 24 hours I don’t discover any distinction).
Prepare dinner the hen on the range or BBQ on medium warmth, or medium excessive in case your range is on the weaker facet. Don’t prepare dinner it on too excessive a warmth else the marinade caught on the hen will fully burn! We simply need some genuine flame-grilled chargrilled spots on the hen, with out making it fully black.

Relaxation – As soon as cooked, relaxation the hen for 3 to five minutes earlier than assembling the burger. This step permits the juices contained in the hen to be re-absorbed into the meat fibres so you’ve gotten pretty juicy hen. Don’t skip this step!

Assemble burger – Right here’s my meeting order: Peri-naise slathered on the bottom, then high with lettuce, tomato and the hen. Then I slather with extra Peri-naise and a heaping dollop of additional Peri Peri Sauce.
Eat! Pop the lid onto your burger then sink your tooth into it!

Glorious for summer time gatherings

This Nando’s Peri Peri Burger was considered one of my “go-to” recipes for gatherings throughout hotter months. I’d marinade big portions of hen then fortunately let others volunteer to do the BBQ’ing whereas I did vital hostessing duties like sipping wine and discussing the very best worth hairdressers on the town with my buddies.

As with all my “meals for a crowd”, I put these burgers out in a DIY scenario. Baskets of sentimental rolls, platters of lettuce and tomato slices with bowls of the Perinaise Sauce and Peri Peri Sauce on the facet. Then everybody builds their very own burgers. NO PLATES. Te he! Napkins solely! Don’t make me wash up! -Nagi x

PS Pictured in put up with a peek of selfmade wedges. Boy, what a combo. And wonderful for dipping into the Perinaise Sauce!

Watch find out how to make it

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Nando’s Peri Peri Hen Burger

Nando’s copycat Peri Peri Hen Burgers

Concerning the copycat Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce

Components in Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce recipe