It’s safe to say Nando's is practically a national treasure at this point. And for those desperately missing that Peri-Peri goodness while in lockdown, fear not because Nando's is sharing its recipes for everyone to try at home. The new Bring the Heat Home IGTV series sees Nando's head of food Tim Molema team up with some top UK talent for cook-alongs, as they recreate some of our favorite Nando's dishes.
Last week, London singer JGrrey stepped into the kitchen for a classic combo: Peri-Peri chicken thighs, spicy rice, and macho peas. This week (at 7 p.m. April 30), it’s Mancunian rapper Aitch’s turn to serve up Peri-Peri wings, Peri-salted chips, and garlic bread. And on May 7, Manchester United player Jesse Lingard will be cooking Peri-Peri chicken pitta with avocado and halloumi and rainbow slaw.
While the Nando's recipes are pretty straightforward (encouraging you to just buy the brand's marinade), chef and food writer Gizzi Erskine and rapper Professor Green have gone to extra mile to make their own Nando's Peri-Peri sauce recipe from scratch. The pair are hosting a weekly live cook-along via their new Instagram platform, Giz'n'Green, where they recreate a different "fakeaway" every Monday night (so far, we've enjoyed their version of a Big Mac, a doner kebab, and Wagamama's katsu curry).
Make sure you're following Nando's Instagram page for updates on future cook-alongs — and Giz'n'Green's if you want the challenge of more intricate recipes to take your fakeaway nights to the next level.
Here's a recap of some of the recipes below:
Giz'n'Green's medium-garlic Peri-Peri chicken
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs (or 10 whole wings)
- 1 onion
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 3-6 red thai chillis
- 40 grams sugar
- 40 ml of any vinegar (except balsamic or sherry)
- 80 ml lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon of paprika or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
The Method
- Carefully debone the chicken thigh, leaving the skin on.
- Blitz the rest of the ingredients together a food processor or blender until smooth.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan, add the Peri-Peri sauce, and allow to gently reduce for 15 minutes.
- Toss the chicken in oil and salt and grill on a BBQ (low, slow and lidded) or on a griddle pan until almost crisp.
- Finally, baste the chicken with the sauce for the last few minutes of cooking.
Nando's Macho Peas
Ingredients
- 400 g frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2-3 sprigs of mint
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 good pinches of dried red chili flakes (add more if you like it hot!)
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
- Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes, then drain in a colander.
- In the same pan, heat the butter and olive oil, until the butter has melted.
- Add the salt and chili flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the peas back into the pan, stir through the chopped herbs, and mix well.
- Taste for seasoning, and you're done.
Nando's Spicy Rice
Ingredients
- 200 g basmati rice
- 450 ml cold water
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1/2 white onion, peeled & finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 green pepper, finely diced
- 1 small green chili, thinly sliced
- 1/2 can chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Small handful of coriander
The Method
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water.
- Heat the oil in a pan on a medium heat, then add the onion and salt, and cook for 5 minutes until the onions soften.
- Add the garlic, chili, and green pepper; cook for 5 minutes until the peppers soften.
- Add the spices, cook for a minute until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and rice to the pan.
- Pour over the water and bring to the boil, then cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave on a low heat for 10 minutes.
- Without taking the lid off, turn off the heat and leave to stand for a further 10 minutes.
- Stir through the lemon juice and coriander, taste, season and eat.
