This is a sponsored post.

Forever craving Nando’s burgers? You’re going to love the peri peri chicken burger I’ve developed in partnership with Edwards of Conwy. Served in a floury Portuguese roll and finished with a dollop of avocado, lime and coriander mayo, it’s perfect for summer barbecues and midweek meals. Find the full recipe at the bottom of this blog post.

Close-up of a Nando's burger-inspired peri peri chicken burger with avocado, lime and coriander mayo.

Contents

Edward’s of Conwy’s new Peri Peri Chicken Burgers (Better Than Nando’s Burgers!)

Just one bite of Edward’s of Conwy’s new Peri Peri Chicken Burgers and I’m transported back to the cobbled winding streets and golden beaches of the Algarve, munching on piquant peri peri chicken in a ratchety old restaurant swarming with locals.

I’m delighted to be working with the Welsh butcher and wholesaler once again to promote their new range of chicken products. Besides Portuguese-inspired Peri Peri Chicken Burgers, the range also includes Chicken Chipolatas and Chicken Quarter Pounders. Made using British Chicken thighs, all of the products are high in protein and freezable, making for a healthy and convenient meal choice. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been sampling each product for myself and I’m certain they’re going to develop a reputation just as sterling as that of Edward’s of Conwy’s beef and pork range.

Edward's of Conwy's new chicken product range including Chicken Quarter Pounders, Chicken Chipolatas and Peri Peri Chicken Burgers.

Wedged into a burger bun with melted gooey Gouda, creamy mayo, lettuce and tomato, the Chicken Quarter Pounders make for a quick and easy family meal, while the Chicken Chipolatas work wonderfully in a white wine casserole. Needless to say, all of the products are ideal for all those summer barbecues!

Love Nando's burgers? You NEED to try @TheRareWelshBit's Peri Peri Chicken Burger with Avocado, Lime and Coriander Mayo!

Craving Nando’s burgers during lockdown? These peri peri chicken burgers are the next best thing.

My favourite of all of Edward’s of Conwy’s new products are the Peri Peri Chicken Burgers.

Edwards of Conwy Peri Peri Chicken Burgers in packaging

What is peri peri?

A punchy combination of exotic ingredients, herbs and spices, peri peri is most commonly used as either a dry meat marinade or rub, or a sauce. Despite being a classic Portuguese dish, the roots of peri peri actually like in Africa or, more specifically, in the African Bird’s Eye Chilli. The chilli is combined with salt, lemon, garlic, tomato, red bell pepper, vinegar, herbs and spices to produce an irresistible concoction of flavours.

Not only does peri peri taste sublime, but it’s also rather good for you too. Chillies are full of vitamins A, B and C as well as the natural mood-booster, capsaicin. Furthermore, as the ingredients act as natural preservatives, a jar of freshly made peri peri sauce can be stored in the fridge for several months, or longer if kept in the freezer.

While I chose not to serve my burger with peri peri sauce for fear of flavour overload, I did rustle up some homemade peri peri sauce to serve with my peri peri French fries. Doesn’t it look amazing?!

Peri peri sauce in a Kilner jar, next to two bird's eye chillies, ideal to serve with a Nando's burger or peri peri chicken burger.

What’s so special about these Peri Peri Chicken Burgers?

Well-seasoned and tamely spiced, Edward’s of Conwy’s Peri Peri Chicken Burgers may be a touch too fiery for some palates, but you certainly don’t need to worry about setting your mouth on fire. If you’ve been craving Nando’s burgers during lockdown, these patties have got your name written all over them! Just like Edward’s of Conwy’s Welsh Beef Quarter Pounders, they’re seriously thick and meaty – the perfect patty for a DIY gourmet burger whether you’re barbecuing, grilling or frying

Speaking of which, besides scoffing my body weight in chicken burgers and chipolatas, I’ve also spent the last three weeks wondering how best to do these Peri Peri Chicken Burgers justice in my next recipe for Edward’s of Conwy.

Peri peri chicken burger (similar to a Nando's burger but made using a minced chicken thigh patty).

Check out @TheRareWelshBit's recipe for Edward's of Conwy's new Peri Peri Chicken Burgers - just have a tissue to hand to wipe the drool off your keyboard!

Portuguese rolls: the perfect peri peri burger bun

Inspired by the time I’ve spent in the Algarve and the countless visits I’ve made to Cardiff’s popular Portuguese bakery, Nata and Co. over the years, I’ve served my Peri Peri Chicken Burgers in floury Portuguese rolls (papo secos) rather than in burger buns. Traditionally used to make the popular Portuguese sandwich, prego rolls, these cloud-like buns have a thin, crisp coating and a light, fluffy centre that absorbs any excess burger juices without turning into a soggy, mushy mess.

I’m not an experienced baker by any means, but I can’t believe how easy and enjoyable it is to bake these little roles. If you’re pushed on time (or if, like me, you’re lucky enough to have a Portuguese bakery just down the road!), you can use shop-bought buns or burger baps, but these homemade Portuguese rolls really set things off.

Let’s get saucy!

Okay, so we’ve got the buns covered. Now, let’s move on to the sauce. Any decent burger needs a damn good sauce, right? I went to the effort of making my own mayonnaise for this recipe and I’ll never look at shop-bought mayo in the same way again. Admittedly, making your own mayo is a little time-consuming. It’s extremely easy – it’s basically just egg mixed with oil, mustard, lemon juice and/or white wine vinegar. However, you should you only add a little oil at a time, otherwise your mayo will split and curdle.

You can’t serve a peri peri chicken burger with peri peri sauce or plain mayo, though. That would just be boring! To transform my mayo into a sauce worthy of dolloping onto my burger, I substituted the lemon juice for lime juice and added fresh coriander and avocado, before elevating the sharpness a little further with grated lime zest. Creamy and citrusy, the avocado, lime and coriander mayo cuts through the savoury, spicy tones of the patty beautifully.

Avocado, lime and coriander mayonnaise in a little serving dish, garnished with coriander.

What should I serve with my peri peri chicken burgers?

When it comes to choosing the ideal accompaniment for your peri peri chicken burgers, the possibilities are almost limitless. In keeping with Portuguese food tradition, you might like to serve them alongside peri peri rice or paprika-roasted potatoes.

Personally, however, I don’t think tucking into a good, hearty burger has quite the same ring to it unless it’s served with crunchy, golden French fries or chunky chips. With this in mind, I’ve served my peri peri chicken burger with peri peri fries teamed with homemade peri peri sauce for dipping.

Piri piri sauce, with a peri peri chicken burger (a bit like a Nando's burger) just visible in the background.

You can find my recipe for Peri Peri Chicken Burgers with Avocado, Lime and Coriander Mayo in Portuguese rolls below. Be warned, you may never look at Nando’s burgers in the same way again!

Want to try Edward’s of Conwy’s Peri Peri Chicken Burgers for yourself? You can find them in Tesco stores across the UK. Visit the Edward’s of Conwy website for further information. You can also stay connected with the brand on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Peri Peri Chicken Burgers with Avocado, Lime & Coriander Mayo

Peri Peri chicken Nando's burger in a Portuguese roll with avocado, lime and coriander mayo

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4.93 from 14 votes

Peri Peri Chicken Burger with Avocado, Lime and Coriander Mayo (Better than Nando’s!)

Served in a floury Portuguese roll (papo secos), these peri peri chicken burgers have a gentle spiciness that is beautifully offset by the creamy, zesty avocado, lime and coriander mayonnaise. Serve with peri peri rice, paprika-roasted potatoes or peri peri fries for mouth-watering midweek meals or summer barbecue fodder.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, British, Portuguese

Keyword barbecue, burgers, chicken, chicken burgers, peri peri

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 20

Proving Time (for the bread dough) 2

Total Time 3 10

Servings people

Calories 600kcal

Author Kacie Morgan

Cost $6

Equipment

Immersion/hand blender (for the mayonnaise)
Large mixing bowl
Juicer
Stand mixer or hand whisk
Baking tin
Baking paper
Sieve
Wire rack (for cooling your Portuguese rolls)
Barbecue (optional)

Ingredients

For the Portuguese rolls (makes 12)

7 g dried yeast
25 g unsalted butter
1.5 tsp salt
2 tsp granulated sugar
175 ml lukewarm water
500g strong white bread flour
150ml whole or semi-skimmed milk

For the avocado, lime and coriander mayonnaise (makes around 500ml)

250 ml pure rapeseed oil
250 ml olive oil or avocado oil
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
pinch salt to taste
1 small handful fresh coriander
½ tsp lime zest
2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 medium avocado roughly chopped

For the burgers (for two servings)

2 Edward's of Conwy Peri Peri Chicken Burgers
1 tbsp softened butter or spread
50g iceberg lettuce washed, dried and left as whole leaves
1 beef tomato or large vine tomato thinly sliced
¼ large red onion sliced into rings
1 sprig coriander for the garnish
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 Portuguese rolls
2 tbsp avocado, lime and coriander mayonnaise

Instructions

Portuguese rolls

Firstly, prepare your Portuguese rolls. Combine the milk, water, sugar and yeast in a large mixing bowl and leave to rest for five minutes or so, until the yeast has activated and the mixture begins to froth slightly.
Add the flour, butter and salt to the bowl and mix for 10 minutes or so to form a dough. If necessary, knead it by hand for a couple of minutes afterwards to ensure the ingredients are fully combined.
Lightly oil a large bowl (a biscuit tin also works well for this) and place the dough inside. Cover with a clean tea towel or cling film and leave in a warm place to prove for an hour.
Once the dough has risen, transfer it to lightly-floured work surface, flatten it with your hands and divide it into 12 equal parts. Roll each piece in between your hands to form round balls. Then, give each side a little pinch and transfer the rolls to a baking tin lined with baking paper.
Lightly slash each roll down the middle using a sharp knife, then cover with a tea towel and leave to prove a further 30 minutes or so. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°/356°F.
Once the rolls have proved, give them a good dusting of flour using a sieve, carefully transfer them into the hot oven and bake for 20 minutes. After baking, immediately place the rolls onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely before tucking in (if you can resist!)

Avocado, lime and coriander mayonnaise

To begin with, prepare your homemade mayonnaise. Place the egg yolks and mustard into a large mixing bowl and whisk until fully combined.
Continue whisking as you add around a tablespoon of oil. Once combined, add another tablespoons' worth and so on, until all the oil is used up. Be patient here; if you add the oil too quickly, the mayonnaise will split and curdle.
After you've finished whisking all of the oil into the eggs and mustard and you have a thick, creamy mayonnaise, season with salt and pepper, then whisk in the vinegar and lime juice.
Add the fresh coriander and avocado to the bowl and, using an immersion/hand blender, whizz it all up until fully combined. Be careful not to over-process your mayo, as you might cause it to split and curdle. I use a Nutribullet and 10-20 seconds is usually about right; any longer than this and it will split and you'll have to start all over again.

Burgers

Heat the rapeseed oil over a medium flame in a non-stick frying pan or skillet. Once the oil is just starting to smoke, add the burger and fry for 5-7 minutes or so, resisting the urge to flip it. Then, turn it over and cook it for a further 5-7 minutes or until fully cooked throughout. For even better results, cook the burgers on a barbecue.
While the burgers are cooking, slice two Portuguese rolls in half and spread with butter. Then, place them buttered-side-down in the pan or skillet and fry for 2-3 minutes, until lightly toasted. This helps to prevent the roll from soaking up any excess juices from the burger and becoming soggy.
Once the rolls have cooled completely, fold two iceberg lettuce leaves in half and arrange on the bottom half of each roll, followed by a slice or two of tomato and red onion. Place the cooked burgers on top, followed by a tablespoon of avocado, lime and coriander mayo. To serve, garnish with a couple of coriander leaves.
Team your burgers up with peri peri rice, paprika-roasted potatoes, peri peri fries and peri peri dipping sauce and dig in!

Notes

My Portuguese rolls recipe is adapted from a version published by Daryl’s Kitchen.
When making the mayonnaise, it’s essential to use room temperature ingredients, especially where the eggs are concerned. If you store your eggs in the fridge, soak them in lukewarm water for a few minutes to bring them up to room temperature. Many people prefer to to use an immersion blender or food processor with a small bowl attachment to combine their ingredients, but I managed just fine with a whisk and some good old elbow grease.
Homemade mayonnaise can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.
You can use other kinds of oil to make your mayonnaise, but it’s best to opt for a neutral-tasting oil like canola or rapeseed oil. I used a mixture of canola oil and avocado oil because my mayo is avocado-based; some people like to use olive oil, but don’t use too much as it can be over-powering.
Homemade peri peri sauce can be refrigerated for several months or kept for even longer if frozen.
If you can’t find fresh African bird’s eye chillies for your peri peri sauce, you can use dried chillies soaked in hot water.
Regular homemade mayonnaise uses lemon juice in place of lime juice, so if you want to make a big batch to keep in the fridge, use lemon juice when mixing your mayonnaise together and then simply add some lime juice afterwards when mixing in the avocado and coriander.
If you like, you can replace the homemade mayonnaise with a shop-bought equivalent – but it won’t taste quite as good as the real deal!
Although you can prepare your mayonnaise in advance, it’s best not to mix in the avocado or coriander until you’re ready to eat it, as the avocado may start to brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 600kcal

Served in a floury Portuguese roll, @TheRareWelshBit's peri peri chicken burger with avocado, lime and coriander mayo has got summer BBQ written all over it!

Do you know of any other Nando’s-inspired burger recipes? Share your favourite ones by commenting below.

Before you head off, take a look at the other delicious recipes I’ve created for Edwards of Conwy:

Peri peri chicken burger with fries and peri peri sauce