One-Pan Nando's Chicken & Halloumi Rice Bake
Description
This one-pan Nando's chicken and halloumi rice bake is the easiest weeknight dinner you'll make all week. Juicy diced chicken, sweet peppers, and long grain rice all bake together in one deep dish soaked in Nando's peri-peri seasoning and rich chicken stock — so the rice absorbs every bit of that bold, smoky flavour as it cooks. Finished with golden diced halloumi and a drizzle of Nando's chilli jam, this dish delivers a full, satisfying meal with barely any effort and almost no washing up. Ready in about an hour, it serves four and works perfectly for both weeknight dinners and meal prep.
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken breast largely diced
- 2 small red onions diced
- 1 red or yellow pepper diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced, or use lazy garlic
- 1 packet Nando's peri-peri seasoning mix
- 240 g long grain rice uncooked
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 800 ml chicken stock diluted
- 60 g Nando's chilli jam for topping
- 200 g halloumi diced (1 standard packet)
Instructions
- Dice the halloumi into small cubes and place on a sheet of kitchen roll to absorb excess moisture. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan / Gas 6). While the oven heats up, dice the chicken, onions, pepper, and mince the garlic.
- Add the chicken, onions, pepper, garlic, Nando's seasoning mix, rice, paprika, salt, and black pepper to a large, deep oven-proof baking dish. Pour in the diluted chicken stock. Mix everything together thoroughly until the rice and chicken are evenly coated in the seasoning. Cover tightly with tin foil.
- Place the covered dish in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, take off the foil, and give the contents a good stir. Scatter the diced halloumi evenly over the top. Return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 15–20 minutes until the rice is fully cooked through and the halloumi is golden.
- Remove from the oven and divide between 4 plates or meal prep containers. Spoon the chilli jam over each serving before serving.
Notes
- Use long grain rice only — basmati also works, but avoid short grain or risotto rice as it turns mushy in a bake like this.
- Pat the halloumi dry on kitchen roll before adding it to the dish. This removes excess moisture and helps it turn golden in the oven instead of steaming.
- Add the halloumi only in the last 15–20 minutes (uncovered). Adding it too early will make it tough and rubbery.
- If the rice still has bite at the end, add a small splash of hot stock, cover with foil, and return to the oven for a further 5–10 minutes.
- Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of water to loosen the rice. Not suitable for freezing.
- You can swap the pepper for courgette or add cherry tomatoes for extra veg without changing the cook time.