Nando's Butterfly Chicken

Get ready to tantalise your taste buds with this Nando's Butterfly Chicken. Succulent chicken is marinated in famous Peri-Peri spice, then seared in a griddle pan until juicy and tender. This copycat version also cooks in under 10 minutes!.

Everyone has their favourite Nando’s order.. right? Whether it's a grilled chicken pitta, juicy chicken thighs or maybe you go large with a whole chicken?

My favourite is Nando’s butterfly chicken breast. The perfectly grilled breast is filled with flavour & is super juicy, yet it feels lighter than some of the other options. It tastes even better served alongside my homemade version of Nando's spicy rice.

I'm going to show you how to make your very own Nando’s takeaway in the comfort of your own home! I will walk you through how to butterfly the chicken breast, before whipping up your own Peri Peri marinade.

I have made this marinade around medium spice level, but don't worry, you can adjust it, either way, depending on whether you are a lemon and herb or an extra HOT kind of person!

For more “fakeaway favourites” try these Five Guys copycat burgers & Five Guys cajun fries.

❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe..

• Succulent & juicy chicken.
• You can easily adjust the spice level.
• Cheaper than the real thing but equally as tasty!
• Dairy, egg & gluten-free.

🥘 Ingredients & Substitutions

✋ Be sure to double check all packaging for allergens. ✋

• Chicken- Use skinless, boneless chicken breasts as this is what is traditionally used in the restaurants. Cut any leftovers into strips to make these egg free breaded chicken tenders.
• Marinade - To make your Peri-Peri marinade you will need fresh lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, parsley, salt & pepper. If you don't have smoked paprika,  regular paprika will work just as well. If you prefer or are short on time you can use the Nando’s medium Peri Peri marinade instead.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

🤔 How To Butterfly A Chicken Breast

Butterflying a chicken breast is an easy method that creates a thinner, more even piece of meat that makes for faster and more even cooking. Here's how to do it!

• Prep the Chicken: Lay a boneless, skinless chicken breast on a chopping board smooth side up.

• Find The Seam: Locate the thin seam running along the length of the breast.
  
• Make a Cut: Place your hand on top of the breast & use a sharp knife to cut horizontally along the seam, starting from the thicker side. Stop just before reaching the other edge.
  
• Open and Flatten: Fold the thicker side of the breast open like a book. Gently press down with your hands or bash gently with a rolling pin to even out the thickness.
  
• Check Consistency: Make sure the chicken breast is uniformly butterflied as this will ensure it cooks evenly.
  
• Repeat if Needed: Repeat the process for more chicken breasts.

⚡ Variations

• Cut Of Chicken - Whilst this recipe is for butterflied chicken breasts, the marinade is really versatile & works on any cut of chicken, so feel free to use it on chicken thighs or drumsticks instead! You can even rub the spicy marinade over a whole chicken and portion up the pieces to serve the whole family. 
• Adjust The Spice Level - Like things a little hotter? Simply add a teaspoon of chilli flakes to the marinade to turn up the heat! For a milder flavour, leave out the paprika and you will be left with a delicious, zingy lemon and herb style marinade.
• Go Shop Bought - If you don’t have all the ingredients for the marinade or are running short on time, you can use Nando's Peri Peri Sauces or Spice Mixes, although I much prefer making my own homemade marinade rub as I know exactly what ingredients are going into it.

✏️ How To Make Nando's Butterfly Chicken

⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️

Step 1: Start by making your marinade. Grab a big bowl and mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, paprika, oregano, parsley, some stevia or sugar (whichever you prefer, I use stevia ), salt, and black pepper. Stir everything up until it's all nicely combined.

Step 2: Next you need to butterfly the chicken. Lay the chicken breasts on a chopping board, and gently cut horizontally through the thickest part of each breast. Stop before you cut all the way through to make a butterfly shape. There's a more detailed guide above in the blog post if you need it.

Place the butterfly chicken breasts into the marinade bowl. Give them a good stir with a spoon until they're coated all over with the marinade.

Cover the bowl and pop it in the fridge. Let it marinate for at least an hour, but the taste will be even better if you can wait longer—around 4 hours or even overnight.

Step 3: When you’re ready to cook, get your griddle pan ready. Heat it up to medium-high and give it a quick spray with some olive oil.

If you don't have a griddle pan, no worries! You can fry the chicken breasts in a regular frying pan. It will cook the same, you just won't get the famous griddle lines on the chicken.

Put the chicken breasts on the pan, smooth side down. Cook them for about 3-4 minutes on each side until they reach 165°F (75°C) inside. The cooking time will vary based on how thick the chicken is, so your best bet is to check the chicken with a meat thermometer. I know I bang on about these all the time, but they have literally revolutionised the way I cook chicken!

Step 4: Once the peri peri chicken is cooked through, take it off the pan and give it a breather for a few minutes before serving. This gives the juices a chance to spread out and keeps the chicken juicy.

💡 Tips & Tricks

• Marinate the chicken for as long as possible. This will allow the flavours to really fuse into the chicken and create the famous Peri Peri flavour. If you can, the best thing is to prepare the chicken the day before and leave it to marinate in the fridge overnight.
• Keep checking the chicken. Chicken breast can overcook and become dry really easily, so it's important to keep checking it. Cooking times will also vary depending on how thick the breasts are. The best way to check if it is cooked is with a meat thermometer, as soon as the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74˚C / 165˚F you are good to go!
• Spray the pan with olive oil to stop the chicken from sticking. These olive oil spray bottles are great, as you can fill them up with your own choice of olive oil.

🥡 Storage, Reheating & Freezing

The chicken will taste best eaten immediately after cooking, as it can dry out if stored in the fridge and then reheated.

It is perfectly safe to do so though. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and when ready to eat just reheat in the microwave until piping hot.

Freeze the butterfly chicken in a freezer bag or freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat as above.

🍴 How To Serve

You can make a Nando’s feast by serving these butterflied chicken breasts alongside this copycat Nando’s spicy rice,  dairy-free coleslaw, salad & these minted mushy peas which taste pretty similar to Nando’s macho peas!

The chicken also tastes great with some air fryer crispy smashed potatoes & Tuscan panzanella salad.