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Delicious Nando's Portuguese chicken and rice dish served in one pot.

Nando’s-Inspired Portuguese Chicken and Rice

A flavorful one-pot dish featuring juicy chicken thighs, aromatic spices, and fluffy basmati rice, inspired by classic Portuguese flavors.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Portuguese
Calories: 600
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 1 kg Chicken Thighs (Skinless and boneless)
  • 2 tbsp Paprika (Sweet or regular) Use quality paprika for best flavor.
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Powder (Or freshly minced garlic)
  • 1 tbsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 tbsp Coriander
  • 0.5 tsp Cayenne Pepper (Optional) For additional heat.
  • 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Cooking Salt (Kosher salt preferred)
  • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil Use good quality olive oil.
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice (Or apple cider vinegar) Fresh lemon juice is recommended.
  • 2 cloves Garlic Cloves (Minced)
  • 1 medium Onion (Sautéed until golden)
  • 1 medium Red Capsicum (Bell Pepper) (Deseeded and diced)
  • 1.5 cups Basmati Rice (Or long/medium grain rice)
  • 1 tsp Chili Flakes (Optional) For extra spice.
  • 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 3 cups Chicken Stock/Broth (Low-sodium preferred)
  • 1 cup Frozen Peas (Optional)
  • to taste Perinaise (Or alternative hot sauce)
  • 2 stalks Green Onion (Chopped for garnish)

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Season chicken with paprika, garlic powder, oregano, coriander, salt, brown sugar, and cayenne; sear in a hot skillet until golden.
  2. Remove chicken, sauté onion, garlic, and red capsicum until soft; stir in rice, turmeric, and chili flakes.
Cooking
  1. Nestle chicken back into the rice, pour in stock, cover, and simmer gently for approximately 20 minutes until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.
  2. Fold in frozen peas in the last 5 minutes, finish with lemon juice and chopped green onion; dollop with perinaise for an extra flavor kick.

Notes

For best results, use high-quality olive oil and paprika. This dish is great with a splash of hot sauce and is even better with freshly squeezed lemon juice.