Chicken and rice cooked together in one pot is seriously good. The rice absorbs all the juices from the chicken and any vegetables you use, plus broth flavourings. The flavour combinations are endless. Today, we’re doing Nando’s Portuguese-style chicken and rice, complete with a drizzle of Peri-naise. So good!
Nando’s Portuguese chicken and rice
A friend of mine calls this Portuguese biryani. Which, I know, right now there are 1 billion Indians crying. To any Indian readers – sorry! I’d disown her, but she has dirt on me.😅
In her defence, it was meant as a compliment. Biryani, as every Indian knows, is the world’s best chicken and rice. So for this humble recipe to get mentioned in the same breath, well, that’s flattering!
But, today’s recipe isn’t Indian-flavoured at all. It’s a shameless Nando’s copycat. It’s their dry rub Peri Peri seasoning on chicken, with the Nando’s spicy rice – that bright yellow rice with onion, capsicum and a hint of spice. Except way better. The Nando’s version I tried for “research” was meh*. Homemade is so much tastier!
* To be fair, I have been told by reliable sources that Nando’s in Australia is very underwhelming compared to overseas, particularly in the UK and SA (where it originated).
Ingredients in Nando’s Portuguese Chicken and Rice
Nando’s is well known for their Peri Peri sauce which calls for blitzing capsicum (bell peppers) with herbs and spices (see recipe here). Today, we’re doing a copycat of the Peri Peri dry rub which is much faster to make, uses pantry staples and sticks better to the chicken for the method of cooking we’re using in this dish.
1. NANDO’S Portuguese-SEASONED chicken bites
Here’s what you need for the Nando’s Portuguese seasoned chicken. It’s essentially a streamlined take of their Peri Peri dry rub (I didn’t use silicon dioxide, acidity regulator and other scary sounding ingredients listed on the packet).
Chicken thighs – Juicier cut than breast so the chicken bites are more flavourful after the 15 minute steaming + 10 minute resting time. Actually, if I only had breast, I’d probably cook it all the way through, remove, then put it back into the pot when tossing the rice (the rice will warm the chicken through easily).
Simple Portuguese seasoning for chicken – Pantry staples! As noted above, shameless copycat of Nando’s own dry rub and also the Portuguese seasoning from Herbie’s. 🙂
Herbs and spices – Paprika, garlic powder (substitute fresh garlic), dried oregano, coriander, brown sugar and cayenne pepper for touch of warmth (feel free to omit).
Wet ingredients (to make a paste so it coats the chicken) – olive oil and lemon juice (substitute with apple cider vinegar, or other clear vinegar).
2. portuguese rice (nando’s spicy rice copycat!)
And here’s what you need for the rice. Nando’s rice is called “spicy rice” but I question the use of the word “spicy”; I really couldn’t taste any. For mine, I use the smallest hint spiciness from the chilli flakes, but you can absolutely skip it if you want.
Basmati rice – The long grains of basmati rice are great for one-pot rice cooking as it is a less sticky variety of rice so you get nice fluffy rice.
Long grain rice will also work great, and medium grain too. Jasmine and sushi rice are stickier but will work ok here. The recipe as written is not suitable for brown rice, risotto, paella rice, quinoa, faux rice, minute rice, designer rice (black rice, purple rice, wild rice etc).
Onion, garlic and red capsicum (bell pepper) – The vegetables and aromatics that add tasty flavour into this rice. Don’t skip these!
Turmeric powder – for the lovely yellow colour and warm toasty flavour.
Chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) – Optional, for a touch of warmth like the rice at Nando’s (it’s called Nando’s Spicy Rice!).
Frozen peas (OPTIONAL) – Not present at Nando’s. I added it because otherwise it’s a giant pot of yellow!
Chicken stock (broth) – Tastier than water. 🙂
3. Peri-naise – or other sauce options
The rice and the chicken is tasty as it is. But a little drizzle of Peri-naise takes it over the top – I’m talking just 1 tablespoon, not much. There’s something about the combination of a little creamy sauce and hot steamy golden rice……Nando’s figured this out decades ago. I’ve just caught on!
I’ve popped the Peri-naise recipe here in a separate recipe card because it’s worthy. I’ve linked a whole bunch of recipes to it that you will want to use it for. I used the quick dry spices version (the other option is based on a homemade Peri Peri Sauce, use that when you’ve got it :-).
OTHER QUICK SAUCE OPTIONS
Even a drizzle of plain mayonnaise (Kewpie!) would go a long way here. To make it pink, mix with a little sriracha (for grown ups) or ketchup (for the young-ones / spice wimps). Sweet chilli sauce straight from the bottle would work well here too, as would your favourite chilli crisp (combine that with kewpie!).
How to make Portuguese Chicken and Rice
This is a one pot recipe where uncooked rice gets cooked in the pot at the same time as the chicken. Though, I do insist on searing the outside of the chicken first (but keeping it raw inside), then removing before sautéing the onion and capsicum else by the time the rice is cooked, the chicken is way overcooked and dry.
Nando’s Portuguese seasoning for chicken – Mix the seasoning ingredients in a bowl, it should be like a paste, then toss with the chicken. Set aside while you prep for the rest of the recipe. It doesn’t need marinating time but if you wanted to, you could pop it in the fridge overnight.
Peri-naise – Mix the ingredients in a bowl. (In reality, I do this while the rice is cooking).
Sear chicken – Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat, then sear the chicken until the spices are sizzling on the surface of the chicken and you get a bit of colour, but it’s still raw inside. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to leave the fat behind.
The chicken won’t brown because the pot is too crowded. If you want golden chicken, cook the chicken in two batches (I don’t, because I’m going mid-week easy today).
Sauté – Still on high, cook the onion and garlic for a minute, then add the capsicum and keep stirring for another 1 1/2 minutes until the onion is softened.
Everything in – Add rice and stir to coat it in the tasty oil. Then add everything else – the stock, turmeric, peas etc, and put the chicken back in along with any liquid pooled in the bowl.
Steam 15 minutes – Bring the liquid to a simmer, then lower the heat so it’s simmering gently and pop the lid on. Cook for 15 minutes – no peeking, no stirring!
Stove strength for rice cooking – You need enough heat so the liquid is simmering gently, not rapidly (base will burn) but also if the heat is too weak and the water is not simmering, the rice is just sitting in hot water, bloating rather than cooking. You need bubbles, just small ones! (See video when I peek under the lid).
Rest 10 minutes – At the 15 minute mark, all the liquid should be absorbed – tilt pot to have a quick check (be quick, don’t want too much steam to escape!). Then, with the lid on, remove the pot from the stove and rest for 10 minutes.
This step is vital for rice cooking – the rice grains finish cooking properly and the wetness on the surface of the rice grains gets absorbed so your rice ends up fluffy rather than wet and mushy.
Fluff, drizzle and serve – Fluff the rice to mix the chicken through, then divide between bowls. Drizzle with a little Peri-naise (don’t skip this), sprinkle with green onions then serve!
Side note – The chicken gets stained a lovely golden colour rather than staying the dramatic Portuguese red it started off as. But the flavours are still stuck to it!
This just about qualifies as a “complete dinner” in my books, containing a whole onion, capsicum and a cup of peas (yes, onion counts towards your daily vegetable intake!). However, for some easy extra veg options, I’d suggest adding a finely diced carrot and/or fennel (sauté with the capsicum), roughly chopped kale (add it with the peas) or right at the end you could toss the rice with baby spinach (it will wilt very quickly).
Also, side note, this reheats very well! Being a fluffy-rice dish like biryani, it doesn’t congeal into a block of rice when cool. If the rice seems a little dry, just sprinkle with water before covering to reheat and it will steam back to perfection.
In any case, a drizzle of the Peri-naise can save anything.
Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Nando’s Portuguese chicken and rice – one pot recipe
Ingredients
- 500g/1 lb chicken thighs , boneless, skinless, cut into bite size pieces (Note 1)
Portuguese chicken seasoning:
- 2 tsp paprika (regular/sweet, not spicy)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (substitute large garlic clove, minced)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp cayenne (can omit for zero spicy)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (+50% for flakes, halve for table salt)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (substitute apple cider vinegar)
Nando’s copycat spicy rice (or not):
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1 small onion , diced
- 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), deseeded, chopped into 1cm/0.4″ squares
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice (or long grain rice or medium grain rice) (Note 2)
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes (omit for not spicy)
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 1/4 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
- 1 cup frozen peas (still frozen)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (+50% for flakes, halve for table salt)
Garnishes:
- Perinaise (I use the quick dry spices version), Pink Sauce (Note 4) or any of the other sauce suggestions listed in post
- Green onion , finely sliced
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE:
- Toss chicken with seasoning, sear, remove. Sauté onion and garlic, then capsicum, stir in rice, add everything else + chicken. Steam 15 minutes covered, rest 10 minutes. Serve!
FULL RECIPE:
- Season chicken – Mix the Portuguese Chicken Seasoning ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, or overnight if you want (though not necessary).
- Sear – Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add the chicken and cook until the outside is sealed and gets a bit of colour (it won't go golden). Remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl, leaving oil behind in the pot.
- Sauté – Add garlic and onion into the pot, cook for 1 minute. Add capsicum and cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until onion is translucent.
- All in – Add rice and stir to coat in the tasty oil. Add remaining rice ingredients, then scatter the chicken evenly across the surface. Also add any juices accumulated in the bowl. Stir, bring to a simmer, then put the lid on and lower heat to medium low so it's simmering gently. (Note 3)
- Cook 15 minutes – Cook for 15 minutes, no peeking, no stirring! Liquid should be absorbed – tilt pot and lift lid for quick peek.
- Rest 10 minutes – Remove pot from the stove and leave to rest for 10 minutes with the lid still on.
- Fluff & serve – Remove lid, gently toss the rice. Spoon into bowls, drizzle over Peri-naise, sprinkle with green onions and serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
I love a good one-pot chicken and rice recipe!
Here are some of my favourites from over the years.
Life of Dozer
After 3 months off sick and injured, he was back at his favourite beach during the sunny weekend!
Yes, sometimes a seeming chokehold is the only way I can get him to look at the camera for a happy snap. 😂
I really hadn’t planned to go in – we are just a few days out of winter, after all(!) – but I forgot his life jacket so I had to wade in to be within lunging distance, just in case. 🙂
Meanwhile, Dozer took to the water like he’d never missed a single beach day, never mind my chattering teeth. The things I do for this darn dog!!! 😊
I *may* have accidentally added 4 1/4 ltrs of stock instead of 2 1/4 🙃 so I had to double the rice and a bit extra water. I also cooked 2 chorizo with the chicken. Everyone enjoyed it!
I had such a bizarre experience with this recipe. The rice on top was cooked perfectly. The rice on the sides had not even started cooking. All the rice was under the stock when the lid was put on. There was so much hard rice which I didn’t realise and so I mixed it up and served it in bowls and then I saw the uncooked grains…. So I put more stock in and cooked it for another 10 minutes and it was a disaster as some rice was mushy and some rice was still hard.
The comments are clearly filtered. Any negative comment isn’t posted. As I’ve already tried to post, this recipe is good besides the clear water to rice ratio. This is basic cooking 101. Using this recipe exactly will result in gluggy un-edible food.
A new family favorite! Thanks for somehow turning me into a chef…🥹 thanks, Nagi!
As a South African that loves Nandos – this is delicious! Thank you, Nagi.
This is my all time favourite rice recipe, I have been chorizo in place of chicken.
Nagi thank you for all your amazing recipes.
So happy to see you with Jaffle, what a lucky pup to have you as his mum 💕
I’m a pescatarian and have made this with shrimp and with tofu, both coated with the chicken marinade, cooked separately in the air fryer and added to the rice when it’s done cooking. This recipe is a favorite!
I made this with almost 1kg chicken thighs tonight, as well as doubled the marinade. It was a better chicken to rice ratio. I didn’t amend the amount of stock and it was fine. Only thing I’d suggest is, cooking chicken in one batch or on the BBQ – the marinade catches on the bottom quickly. I cooked chicken in two batches and it was a little burnt on the bottom of the pan afterwards. I also put in just 1 teaspoon of tumeric 🙂
Oh my goodness!!! Yum, yum, yum!!! I used chicken breast (not thigh) but followed the directions and it was fine. I added dried chipotle spice to give it the extra smoky spicy kick. Also added fresh chili just before eating, Just because dried spice chili and fresh chili are two different things and I like spicy. I agree that the “Perinaise” makes this. I added a squeeze of fresh lime juice over it just prior to eating. This dish was darn amazing!
I made this tonight for my family, with the thought of comments of ‘a bit bland’. There was nothing bland at all! It was super delicious! I cut the thighs into 3rds and charred them off in the pan, and they were YUM! Everything was great, followed the recipe to a T.
Such a simple dish and yet the flavours are amazing. Certainly going to be on rotation now – it’s just that good!
I wanted to like this. I did not want to love it, because love means seconds, and I’m trying to practice portion control. I DEEEEEEEEPLY regret making half the recipe.
This was A-MAZING!! So much better than Nando’s rice!
I was thinking about how good it was all night long. LOL!
Omg … Best meal ever. Better than a restaurant. Reminder me a lot of paella. This is definitely going in my absolute favourites recipe folder. I did cheat and use bought Nandos perinaise – mild and everytime loved it. I made it with quantities for 8 people and it worked brilliantly. Plenty for lunches the next day!
This was delicious!!! Easy and flavorful!! A new fav!
Nagi, tried this recipe but rice was a bit hard. I really feel the “cup” measurement needs to be addressed as it’s confusing and can make or break the recipe. I’m not skating the recipe as it’s great ! But the cup size in US and Aus is different so you need to give metric. My rice was proper hard !! I saved it but I would rather metric than cup stuff. Great recipe and I am still a die hard fan 😍
It has a widget to change to metric or cup 🙂
In the chicken seasoning, is it coriander powder, or coriander leaves?
As it’s only 1/4tsp it will definitely be dried coriander
Ground coriander seeds 🙂
Family loved it. Served with the dried spices version of perinaise. For those wondering, can be done in the rice cooker. Do the steps up to 4, add rice, stir, take off heat, add everything else, chuck in rice cooker, turn on.
I am really at a loss how people could say this is bland… it’s so full of flavour and delicious that my parents insisted that they take all the leftovers to have for their dinner after I made it for them for lunch! And sooooo easy too. Another amazing recipe from Nagi to add to my rotation!!
When scaling up a recipe such as this it is always an unknown as to what dimension pan to use – I.e. how deep/shallow should the rice-based mixture be? Otherwise (as always) quite delish!