This is my copycat version of the famous Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken Burger. The homemade Peri Peri Sauce is used as a marinade to grill the chicken in the Portuguese style and also makes a creamy Peri Peri “Perinaise.” It’s perfect for summer BBQs.

Nando’s Copycat Peri Peri Chicken Burgers

Nando’s, a global restaurant chain, is famous for its flame-grilled chicken in Portuguese style, cooked with the Peri Peri Sauce. It is a cult favourite in Australia!

Ever since I made this copycat, it’s been my go-to recipe for outdoor BBQs. (Until they tried the Next Big Thing!) Peri Peri is a chilli-based sauce with different spice levels. It is full-flavoured and fresh. I call it “a party in my mouth.”

The sauce can be used as a marinade, a burger sauce, or a chicken sauce. It is a creamy pink Perinaise (which is also a shameless Nandos copycat). It’s a winner when you combine the creamy sauce and the fresh Peri Peri in the burger!

The copycat Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce

This homemade Nando’s Peri Peri is a copycat sauce that tastes very similar to the version you can buy in stores. It’s better because it is made with real ingredients!

This is a mixture of fresh red chillies, capsicum/bell Pepper, garlic, vinegar, and oil, plus herbs (paprika, oregano, onion, sugar, salt pepper) and spices. I whipped up this concoction after examining Nando’s bottle. It’s free of additives and other mysterious ingredients.

What about the actual making? Whizz everything together. It literally only takes seconds.

Ingredients of Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce

This is what I use to make my Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce copycat. You will see that my recipe is not the same as the Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce ingredient list. This is because I am making a copycat at home, and the goal was to get a similar taste using readily available ingredients.

Nando’s, for example, uses different types of chillies, including cayenne, serrano, and African Birds Eye. I couldn’t make this sauce with only fresh chillies, so I used bell peppers instead to give it a peppery flavour without the spice. I then added Birds Eye chillies for spiciness. If you cannot get these, there are easy substitutes—please see below.

• Birds Eye Chillies are quite common in Australia, and they are spicy. Use three chillies for a mild Peri Peri (this is the amount I use), one for barely noticeable, and five for extra spicy. Remember that the final result will be diluted by adding mayonnaise and sour cream to the cooking process. I make my sauce slightly spicier because I know that it won’t be as spicy when used on the burger.
• You can substitute for other dried or fresh chillies (red pepper flakes) or with any other chillies you like. Start with less and blitz. You can then add more later.
• Bell pepper (or Capsicum) – This adds a good peppery flavour to the Peri Peri Sauce without being spicy. If you use a large one, the sauce will be too thick.
• Garlic Peri Peri Sauce is not Peri Peri Sauce if it doesn’t have a lot of garlic!
• Malt Vinegar This brown vinegar, made from ale, is less sharp than white vinegar and has a warmer taste. Replace with white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or Apple cider vinegar.
• Oil: Any neutral-flavoured oil, such as canola, vegetable oil, or olive oil, will do.
• Spices: I use just regular everyday spices: onion, paprika, and dried oregano. When I have it, I use smoked oregano to add a little extra smokey flavour. If I don’t happen to have smoked paprika, I will use regular paprika.
• Red food colouring (optional). To add a little red to the dish! It’s completely optional. I use red natural food colouring, and I do not hesitate to add colourings to my foods.