Nando’s Lemon & Herb Sauce
Recreate Nando’s Lemon & Herb Sauce at home — a zesty, mild peri peri blend with lemon, herbs, and garlic. Perfect as a marinade, dip, or finishing drizzle for grilled chicken. Authentic, easy, and full of flavour like the restaurant classic. ✅ Copycat recipe tested for authentic flavour and thickness. ✅ Mild spice level — ideal for all Nando’s lovers. ✅ Use as a marinade, dip, or drizzle.
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Why you’ll love it
This homemade Nando’s Lemon & Herb Sauce is your ticket to recreating that unmistakable peri-peri magic in your own kitchen. It’s a bright, zesty blend of lemon juice, garlic, herbs, and mild chillies that captures the essence of Nando’s most refreshing sauce — full of flavour but light on heat. Perfect as a marinade, dip, or drizzle, this sauce adds instant life to chicken, halloumi, prawns, or roasted vegetables. The beauty of making it yourself is that you can tweak it to your taste — more lemon for zing, extra herbs for depth, or a hint of sweetness to mellow the vinegar. It’s a great all-rounder: quick to make, naturally gluten-free, and bursting with fresh Mediterranean character. Whether you’re recreating your favourite Nando’s platter or adding flair to everyday meals, this Lemon & Herb Sauce brings that same restaurant-quality flavour — without leaving home.
About the original
Founded in Johannesburg in 1987, Nando’s has become a global icon of flame-grilled chicken, known for its bold Portuguese–Mozambican peri-peri flavours and vibrant South African personality. Its sauces — from Extra Hot to Lemon & Herb — have become as famous as the chicken itself, thanks to their perfect balance of tang, spice, and smoke.
The Lemon & Herb flavour sits at the milder end of Nando’s heat spectrum, designed for those who love the signature peri-peri taste but prefer a gentler warmth. It’s light, citrusy, and fresh — a sauce that brings the brightness of lemon and herbs together with just a touch of chilli.
Nando’s influence runs deep in UK food culture; it’s a casual dining favourite, beloved for its consistency and community feel. Recreating their sauces at home lets you enjoy that same restaurant experience — with fresher ingredients and your own twist on their iconic flavours.
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Ingredients
- 2 piece Lemon — Zested & juiced
- 100 ml White wine vinegar — or apple cider vinegar
- 80 ml Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Fresh parsley — Chopped
- 1 tbsp Dried oregano — Use fresh if you want.
- 1 tbsp Fresh thyme — Or use dry
- 5 clove Fresh garlic cloves — Peeled
- 2-3 piece Red chilli — To taste, for spice
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- ½ tsp Coriander — Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp White Sugar
- 60 ml Water — adjust for consistency
Method
Prepare your ingredients:
Start by zesting and juicing both lemons — you’ll want all the zest for aromatic oils and all the juice for that signature tang. Roughly chop your herbs and chillies, then peel your garlic cloves. This ensures everything blends evenly later.Blend until smooth:
Add the lemon juice, zest, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, chillies, herbs, paprika, coriander, salt, pepper, sugar (or honey), and water into a blender or food processor. Blend on high until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. If your blender struggles, pause and scrape down the sides to capture every bit of zest and herb.Simmer to develop flavour:
Pour the blended mixture into a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over low–medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook for 8–10 minutes, allowing the raw garlic and vinegar to mellow while the flavours combine. The sauce should thicken slightly and coat the back of a spoon.Taste and adjust:
Once it’s cooked, taste and adjust — more salt for balance, extra lemon for brightness, or a pinch of sugar if it’s too acidic. You can also strain it through a fine sieve for a smoother, restaurant-style finish.Cool and store:
Let the sauce cool completely before pouring it into a sterilised glass bottle or jar. Seal tightly and refrigerate. It’s best left overnight for the flavours to settle and intensify.Serve and enjoy:
Use as a marinade for chicken, prawns, or halloumi before grilling, or as a table sauce to drizzle over rice bowls, wraps, or salads. Shake well before each use.
Tips & Variations
- Make it Creamy: For a richer, restaurant-style dip, whisk 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, or sour cream into 3 tablespoons of the sauce just before serving. It’s perfect as a dip for chips, wings, or halloumi fries.
- Boost the Spice: Love more heat? Add an extra bird’s eye chilli or ½ teaspoon of crushed chilli flakes before blending. This takes it closer to a “Medium” Nando’s level without overpowering the herbs.
- Thicken Like the Bottle: Blend in ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum or 1 teaspoon of cornstarch slurry during simmering for that glossy, clingy texture seen in commercial sauces.
- Use it as a Marinade: Marinate chicken, prawns, or tofu for 30–60 minutes before grilling or roasting. The acidity helps tenderise while infusing deep citrus-herb flavour.
- Make a Salad Dressing: Whisk equal parts sauce and olive oil with a splash of water. It transforms instantly into a lemon-herb vinaigrette for salads or roasted vegetables.
- Keep it Fresh: Store refrigerated in a sealed glass bottle for up to 2 weeks. Shake before each use, or freeze small portions in an ice cube tray to keep handy for quick marinades.
- Customise the Herbs: Swap parsley and thyme for basil, coriander, or dill for a different twist — each version still keeps that zesty peri-peri base but adds its own character.
FAQs
- Is Nando’s Lemon & Herb sauce spicy?
- Not really — it’s the mildest sauce on the Nando’s menu. You’ll taste more lemon, garlic, and herbs than chilli heat. If you want a touch more kick, add an extra small chilli or a pinch of red pepper flakes during blending.
- Can I use this as a marinade and a dip?
- Yes. The same sauce works perfectly as both. Use it raw as a marinade for chicken, halloumi, prawns, or tofu — or simmer and chill it for a pouring or dipping sauce.
- How long does homemade peri-peri sauce last?
- Stored in a clean, sealed bottle or jar, it keeps for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Shake before using. For longer storage, freeze in small portions for up to 3 months.
- What makes this copycat version authentic?
- It’s built on the same base as Nando’s original — lemon, vinegar, herbs, garlic, and mild African bird’s eye chillies — but uses fresh ingredients instead of processed concentrates. The result is a cleaner, brighter flavour that still tastes unmistakably Nando’s.
- Why simmer the sauce instead of using it raw?
- Simmering helps the vinegar and garlic mellow while the herbs infuse, giving a balanced, rounded flavour and thicker consistency closer to bottled Nando’s sauces.
- What can I serve it with?
- It’s brilliant with grilled chicken, wraps, burgers, or chips. Try drizzling it over Nando’s Fully Loaded Chips, Peri-Peri Chicken Wings, or even as a zesty dressing for salads.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 95 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 0.7 g |
| Fat | 8.9 g |
| Carbs | 3.1 g |
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