Nando's Portuguese chicken and rice - one pot recipe

5 from 9 votes

Nando's Portuguese chicken and rice - one pot recipe

Recipe video above. My friend calls this Portuguese biryani. I know there's 1 billion Indians crying right now, but it describes this perfectly!

A Nando's* inspired recipe with Peri Peri rub sprinkled on chicken then cooked in the same pot with a Nando's copycat spicy rice. Essentially a one pot version of Nando's paella! It's serious good, the rice alone puts Nando's to shame.

Don't skip the Peri-naise. :-)

* Portuguese chicken restaurant chain, bit of a cult following. Do you have it where you are?

Course: Mains

Cuisine: Portuguese inspired

Keyword: chicken thigh recipe, easey portuguese chicken, nando's rice, one pot chicken and rice, portuguese chicken and rice

Servings:

Calories: 458cal

Author: Nagi

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
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

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

Cups - Metric

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!

Notes

1. Chicken - Thighs are better than breast as breast is leaner so it won't be as juicy once steamed with the rice. If I made this with breast I'd probably cook it all the way through in step 1, take it out, cook the rice without the chicken, then add the chicken back into the rice after rested (the rice heat will easily warm chicken through).

2. Rice - Long grain rice would also be great here. Medium grain will also work well. Jasmine and sushi rice are stickier but will work ok here. Recipe not written for brown rice, risotto, paella rice, quinoa, faux rice, minute rice, designer rice (black rice, purple rice, wild rice etc).

3. Heat strength - Too low (ie no bubbles at all) = rice wallowing in warm water not cooking, will bloat and be mushy. Too high (ie rapid bubbles) = base will burn, rice on surface will not cook. Find a happy medium - gentle simmering (see video when I peek under the lid).

4. Pink Sauce - 3/4 cup sour cream of yogurt mixed with 2 - 3 tbsp sriracha (for grown ups) or ketchup (for kids / spice adverse grown ups), or a combination of the two. See in post for more sauce suggestions.

Leftovers will keep 3 days in the fridge, not suitable for freezing (rice dries out).

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings, excluding sauce.

Nutrition