Love Oporto Burgers? Try my easy homemade Portuguese Chicken Burger recipe! Inspired by the famous Peri Peri Chicken Burger from Oporto or Ogalo, these burgers are juicy, flavourful, and have just the right amount of spice. They’re so tasty, you’ll keep coming back for more! Best of all, they’re super simple (and cheap) to make at home!
Say goodbye to pricey takeout and whip up this Portuguese Chicken Burger recipe in the comfort of your home at a fraction of the cost you’d shell out for four at Oporto! It’s a quick and easy process that takes less time than heading out or waiting for a delivery.
These burgers capture the authentic taste and are a must-try in your own kitchen. You won’t be disappointed. My partner, Rob, was thoroughly impressed, exclaiming, “You absolutely nailed it!”.
Putting these burgers together is simple! Start with toasted sesame seed buns from the supermarket, then layer them up with a good quality mayo (or Kewpie), crunchy shredded iceberg lettuce, melty burger cheese, crispy breaded chicken, and a drizzle of Peri Peri Sauce. Serve with golden air-fried chips, and for a little extra indulgence, mix some extra mayo and Peri Peri Sauce as a dipping sauce—trust me, it’s worth it!
How to make Portuguese chicken burgers
Creating these burgers involves two essential steps – preparing the easy Peri Peri Sauce and assembling the burgers themselves.
- Prepare the Peri Peri Sauce: an effortless, no-cook sauce made in a food processor or NutriBullet.
- Prepare the Chicken: Thinly slice the chicken breast fillets, season with salt and lemon juice then coat in a mixture of breadcrumbs, flour, and paprika.
- Cook the Chicken: Pan-fry the chicken fillets till golden brown and generously brush them with the Peri Peri Sauce.
- Prep the Buns and Toppings: Toast your buns and layer them with mayo, lettuce, cheese, and the seasoned chicken.
- The Last Touches: Finish by adding extra mayo and spooning Peri Peri Sauce over the tops of the burger buns. Sandwich them together and serve.
THEY TASTE JUST LIKE THE REAL DEAL!
Portuguese Chicken Burgers
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breast fillets, each sliced into 4 thin fillets
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ⅔ cup dried breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup plain flour
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 sesame seed hamburger buns, split in half
- 2 cups shredded ice-berg lettuce
- ⅔ cup good quality mayonnaise (See Notes)
- 4 slices burger cheese (See Notes)
- Neutral oil, for cooking
QUICK PERI PERI SAUCE
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2cm piece fresh ginger, sliced
- 8 whole dried red chillies, halved and deseeded (make sure to wear food safe gloves when preparing these)
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon mild dried chilli flakes (adjust to suit your taste buds)
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup neutral oil (such as canola, vegetable, rice bran etc)
- juice of ½ lemon
TO SERVE
- Frozen chips or fries air-fried or baked till golden brown
- Extra mayonnaise, for the chips or fries
Instructions
CHICKEN BURGER
- Place the chicken fillets onto a plate and season well with salt. Pour over the lemon juice and toss to coat.
- Combine breadcrumbs, flour and smoked paprika in a shallow wide plate or dish. Working with one chicken fillet at a time, press into the breadcrumb mixture to coat well on each side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan and spray generously with oil. Cook the burger buns, cut side down, in batches, adding more oil when necessary until golden brown and they have a nice seal on them. (you want a nice seal to stop the burgers going soggy). Transfer buns, cut side up to a clean chopping board or work surface. Spread each bun base with mayonnaise and top with lettuce and cheese. Set aside.
- Heat the same pan again over medium high heat and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Cook chicken, in batches, for 2-3 min each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Brush with tops with Peri Peri Sauce then transfer 2 fillets to each burger bun on top of the cheese and spoon on a little more mayonnaise.
- Spoon the tops of each burger bun generously with Peri Peri Sauce and spread to the edges. Place tops onto burgers to complete. Serve immediately with oven baked or air-fried chips or fries. If desired, serve extra mayonnaise with some Peri Peri Sauce swirled through for a yummy dipping sauce. Serve with lots of paper towels. They can be a bit messy!
QUICK PERI PERI SAUCE
- Place all ingredients, except lemon juice into a blender, small food processor or Nutri-Bullet and blend until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and stir through lemon juice. Store any leftover Peri Peri Sauce in an airtight container or screw-top jar in the fridge and use within 2 weeks.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - GOOD QUALITY MAYONNAISE
For optimal results with these burgers, opt for a high-quality mayonnaise. Personally, I favour the rich taste of Kewpie, although any reputable store-bought whole egg mayonnaise such as Best Foods, S & W, or Hellmann’s will yield excellent results. - BURGER CHEESE
Burger cheese (like at McDonalds) is bold, tasty and perfect for homemade burgers. You can purchase different brands at the large supermarkets. These are a few that I like to use. Dairylea, or Cheer Aussie Jack Burger Cheese, but these also work too – Coles brand Smokey Sandwich Slices or Woolies Smokey Slices. If you have regular “plastic cheese,” though not as optimal, it can still be used with a good result. - PERI PERI SAUCE you can make this sauce up to two weeks ahead and store it in a sealed jar or container in the refrigerator until needed. Prior to use, give it a good stir.
The sauce maintains a balanced level of spiciness, and the heat largely depends on the intensity of the chillies and dried chilli flakes you choose. Adjust to your preferred spice levels by tasting and modifying accordingly.
This versatile sauce isn’t limited to burgers; consider using it to brush over a butterflied roast chicken or chicken pieces. Its excellence extends beyond burgers, making it a superb basting sauce or marinade for various poultry dishes.
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