Growing up, one of my besties from South Africa was super excited when a Nandos opened up in our home town in Kent, England. Nandos is a South African chain restaurant that specializes in flame-grilled Mozambican-Portuguese style Peri Peri Chicken. it’s one of my fave’s, and the girls and I would go out for a “cheeky nandos” often. Then, when my American husband visited England, I introduced him to South African chicken, and he loved it too. 

His fave. is the extra hot with the extra hot sauce on top, so this is what I decided to recreate for him last night. I had a bottle of their sauce, and kept tweaking the recipe until it was SO close I could barely taste a difference– and then when I was dying from the heat, I made my husband take over, and he couldn’t taste the difference either, and LOVED it! I am excited about this recipe, and will make it time and time again, and it works out great as a family meal, because I cooked un-marinaded chicken alongside it for the kids.

The chicken is served in quarters, halves, and wholes. This recipe is for 2 leg quarters, but feel free to double it for a whole chicken.

Nando’s Extra Hot Peri Peri Chicken

Serves: 4
Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 2 chicken leg quarters
  {for the marinade/hot sauce} 
• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp salt
• 16 african birds eye/red thai chilis
• 2 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp paprika
• 3 lemons, juiced
• 1 tsp granulated/powdered onion
• 2 tsp powdered/granulated garlic
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 Tbsp tomato canned tomato sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat a pizza stone in the oven to 450degF.
2. Blend all ingredients for the marinade together.
3. Remove the skin from the chicken leg and discard.
4. Rub 1/2 the marinade all over the chicken legs, place on to the pizza stone, fat side down and bake for 25 mins. Turn and bake for 10 more minutes.
5. Remove from oven and set to broil. Brush the chicken with 1-2 Tbsp of marinade and broil for 3-5 mins. Then serve with the remaining hot sauce.

 

Notes

Serve with: spicy rice, coleslaw, garlic bread, corn on the cob, creamy mash, chips, or green salad.

 
<3 Sarah