Nando‘s? It’s a popular Portuguese-inspired South African flame-grilled chicken chain that has spread across the globe. I first heard of it visiting Oxford a few years ago – pretty much anything chicken-related will pique my interest – but didn’t get a chance to try its famous peri-peri chicken until a month ago during a visit to Washington, D.C., which is home to a few of these restaurants. (It’s branded Nando’s Peri Peri here in the States.) I loved the tangy and sweet flavor of the grilled mango-lime chicken, topped with the garlicky peri-peri sauce. What truly won me over, though, were the macho peas. I’m not much of a peas person, but just a little bit of mint and chili transformed these buttery, bland balls into a popping side dish.
Although I can’t exactly replicate the recipe of the Nando’s mango-lime chicken, my homemade marinade is pretty top-notch. After experimenting with some bright flavors, I finally came up with the perfect sauce that will dress up any chicken meant for the grill. This is the perfect summer dinner.
Ingredients:
2-4 chicken breasts
Half a mango (reserve the other half to serve with the chicken)
Juice of 1 lime
3-5 cloves garlic
2 TSP fish sauce
Handful of parsley leaves
Handful of cilantro leaves
2 TSP chili flakes
1 TSP cumin
1 TSP onion powder
1 TB oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Sprinkle of brown sugar (optional)
Directions:
The night or morning before cooking, slice your chicken breasts into thin pieces and tenderize them to ensure they’re not too thick before grilling. Set aside in a bowl. Throw the remaining ingredients into a food processor and combine. Pour the yellowish green marinade over the chicken and cover for a minimum of 8 hours.
Heat your grill and cook the chicken on each side for roughly 3-5 minutes, depending on thickness. The outsides should brown or even slightly blackened, but beware of overcooking and drying out the meat.
Serve with a side of macho peas, sliced mango, a wedge of lime, and if you’re adventurous, some Mexican-style corn on the cob!
