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    Home » Recipes » Dinner Recipes

    Nando's Peri-Peri Butterfly Chicken Breast Recipe

    Published: Aug 5, 2019 · Modified: Jan 2, 2021 by Daniela Apostol · This post may contain affiliate links · 13 Comments

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    Nando's Peri-Peri Butterfly Chicken Breast Recipe, one of the most delicious chicken recipes that is bursting with incredible flavours. Why not make it at home, it's super easy to make, and it tastes just like the real deal. Serve it with fries and corn on the cob for a full Nando's experience.

    Overhead shoot of a blue plate with chicken breast, chips, 2 corns on the cob, 2 lemon slices and chilli sauce

    Nando's was one of the first restaurants I went to when I first came to the UK. Needless to say, I absolutely loved the food there, and it's been one of my favourite restaurants every since. What's not to love about it, you get amazing food at quite a convenient price, and the service is always great.

    What's probably their secret weapon in terms of quality is the fabulous sauces and marinades that give the chicken dishes they serve a unique flavour that is so Nando's. I can recognise a Nando's style chicken easily, and their famous peri-peri chicken is ever so popular.

    My peri-peri butterfly chicken might not be an authentic Nando's recipe, but it comes as close as possible to the real deal.If you fancy Nando's, but can't be bothered to go out, you can easily make this recipe at home, and it's the next best thing you can get. Throw in some homemade fries, and some good old corn on the cob, and you are good to go.

    Collage of 2 photos to show how to make marinade for peri peri chicken

    How to make a peri-peri chicken marinade

    This marinade is what makes the difference between an okayish chicken recipe and the best chicken recipe one can get. For best results, rub the chicken with the marinade, and leave to chill for at least 1-2 hours, the longer, then better.

    The chicken breast will then soak up all the flavours, and the meat will be tender and aromatic. Once it's done marinating, it only takes about 7-8 minutes or so on the grill, depending on the size of your chicken breast.

    What we need for the marinade:

    • olive oil
    • smoked paprika
    • lemon juice
    • chilli flakes
    • garlic
    • salt and pepper
    • oregano
    • tabasco (or any other chilli sauce)

    Mix all the ingredients together to get a smooth paste that will be rubed over the chicken breast.

    Collage of 4 photos to show how to make peri peri butterfly chicken breast

    How to butterfly a chicken breast

    Butterflying is a good technique to ensure a quick even cooking of a thick piece of meat. You can even butterfly a whole chicken, so a chicken breast is super easy to do.

    • place the chicken breast on a wooden board or any other board that is not slippery.
    • place your whole palm on it, then run a sharp knife along the side of the chicken breast
    • slice through the chicken breast, but not all the way through
    • fold it out and press to flatten, then use a meat tenderizer to pound the chicken breast even thinner

    The thinner, the better, especially when you cook on a high heat. You want the center of the meat cooked through when it comes to chicken. Once the chicken breast is flatten, rub the peri-peri marinade on both sides, and chill. Grill on both sides for at least 2-3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked well.

    Once butterfly chicken breast, especially a large one can be enough for 2 people, so you can just half it once it's grilled. Looking for more grilled chicken ideas? How about my Grilled Chicken Sliders? Great as a healthy fast-food option, and super delicious too.

    Close-up shoot of a butteflied chicken breast on a blue plate with chips and a sauce in a small bowl

    If you’ve liked my NANDO'S STYLE BUTTERFLY CHICKEN BREAST or any other recipe on the blog, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

    4.32 from 35 votes
    A chicken breast with chips and a slice of lemon on a blue plate
    Print
    Nando's Style Peri-Peri Butterfly Chicken Breast
    Prep Time
    5 mins
    Cook Time
    15 mins
    Chilling Time
    2 hrs
    Total Time
    2 hrs 20 mins
     

    Nando's Style Peri Peri Butterfly Chicken Breast, one of the most delicious chicken recipes. Why not make it at home, it's super easy to make, and it tastes just like the real deal. Serve it with fries and corn on the cob for a full Nando's experience.

    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Portuguese
    Keyword: peri-peri chicken recipes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 336 kcal
    Author: Daniela Apostol
    Ingredients
    • 2 chicken breasts
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon tabasco (or any other chilli sauce)
    • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
    • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • a pinch of pepper
    Instructions
    1. To make the marinade, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, smoked paprika, oregano, minced garlic, chilli flakes, salt , pepper and tabasco.

    2. Mix well to get a paste.

    3. To butterfly the chicken breasts: place your hand on top of a chicken breast, then run a long sharp knife along the side of the chicken.

    4. Slice the chicken breast in half horizontally, but do not cut all the way through.

    5. Open it up, and flatten it, it will have the shape of a butterfly.

    6. Use a meat tenderizer to flatten it down even more to the desired thickeness.

    7. Repeat with the second chicken breast.

    8. Rub the marinade on both sides of each butterfly chicken, then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.

    9. Heat up a grill pan, and place one chicken breast at a time.

    10. Grill for about 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

    Nutrition Facts
    Nando's Style Peri-Peri Butterfly Chicken Breast
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 336 Calories from Fat 117
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13g20%
    Saturated Fat 2g10%
    Cholesterol 145mg48%
    Sodium 626mg26%
    Potassium 900mg26%
    Carbohydrates 4g1%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 49g98%
    Vitamin A 1200IU24%
    Vitamin C 7.8mg9%
    Calcium 27mg3%
    Iron 1.4mg8%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Oswald Lucas

      April 12, 2020 at 2:09 pm

      Looks awesome! Today's easter and we're home... like most people on the planet:) and I've got 6 chicken breasts and was browsing through to get a Nando's Style Butterfly Chicken recipe online... and viola! I found yours... so I should be making these for sure. The only variation or addition I will do is instead of the smoked paprika, I'll be substituting it with chilli power, yes, we like it a little hot here in Pakistan:) and instead of the tabasco I'll be using a favourite chilli garlic sauce quite popular here. I'm sure it will turn out great. Thanks for the recipe and the tips. Happy Easter to you and your loved ones. God Bless

      Reply
      • Daniela Anderson

        April 12, 2020 at 4:02 pm

        I hope the recipe turns out ok!

        Reply
    2. Abi

      June 06, 2020 at 4:21 pm

      Just wanted to say this was the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted. I really miss Nando’s so I might be exaggerating with that statement, but to be honest I’m not sure I’ll ever need to go again!

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        June 06, 2020 at 5:11 pm

        I am so glad you liked it! I miss Nandos too! Now l am working on peri-peri chicken wings and spicy rice, l should have them on the blog soon.

        Reply
    3. Willie Woods

      September 27, 2020 at 8:35 am

      Hi recipe looks really nice, what is the sauce served with the meal?

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        October 10, 2020 at 7:56 pm

        Some more peri-peri sauce.

        Reply
    4. Anne-Marie Ross

      July 15, 2021 at 2:10 am

      How do you have Piri piri chicken with no effing piri piri?

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        July 15, 2021 at 2:31 am

        Because you make your own piri piri sauce? Before you comment, it would be good to read the instructions, and you’ll see that all those ingredients listed are for making your own sauce.

        Reply
        • Gerald White

          August 11, 2021 at 3:17 pm

          I assume the previous commentor is referring to the lack of African Birds-eye (Peri Peri) chillis which is traditionally the core ingredient of a such a sauce, however having made the recipe it does produce a very similar result. thanks

          Reply
      • Amy

        May 10, 2022 at 9:04 pm

        Can you shallow fry the chicken instead of grilling it?

        Reply
        • Daniela Apostol

          May 15, 2022 at 8:47 pm

          Absolutely! Just make sure the chicken is thinly cut so it can cook through.

          Reply
    5. Mandy

      October 30, 2021 at 6:43 pm

      We love this peri peri recipe. I tripled the ingredients as using 4 large chicken breasts and added MAHI peri peri hot sauce as didn’t have Tabasco. Wow, it’s amazing flavours. My family loved it. I marinated butterflied chicken overnight. Made my own guacamole, and fresh salsa. Made Nando’s style spicy rice, iceberg lettuce and cucumber. Grilled halloumi cheese. Layered everything into a wrap, more chilli sauce and sour cream, lush.. left over chicken had for lunch the next day. Thanks for great recipe!

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        October 30, 2021 at 7:14 pm

        What a fantastic meal! The additions sound so delicious! I am glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Daniela,the blogger behind My Gorgeous Recipes, welcome to my kitchen! I absolutely love cooking and baking. I love good food that is healthy (and not so healthy), delicious and nutritious.

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