I have been making these Brazilian Chicken Pittas on repeat lately because everyone loves them, and they are so easy to make. You can grill the chicken strips on the barbecue in true Brazilian churrasco style (more on this in a minute) OR you can cook these in the AIR FRYER! Making them a great menu addition all year round and not just in the warmer months.
I’ve based the chicken on the flavours of Brazilian frango de churrasco, think of mild peri peri (or piri piri) flavourings but with sweet notes to it.
There is also a coleslaw option for tomato haters who won’t like the salsa. If you have a toddler, weaning baby or fussy eater and are wondering how to adapt this recipe for your family, see here >
What makes these Chicken Pittas Brazilian?
In Brazil they call barbecuing ‘churrasco’, so this is a take on a frango de churrasco (barbecue chicken) recipe. In Brazil, barbecuing chicken marinaded in a lemon and peri peri seasoned base is common, so this is what I have based my marinade on. The salsa is also based on a Brazilian salsa using tomatoes, green pepper, onion and parsley.
The Stars of my Brazilian Chicken Pittas
The Marinade
This is in fact, a bit of a cheat recipe as it uses Nando’s Lemon & Herb marinade as the base for the chicken. And to that we’ll add some brown sugar, chopped fresh coriander and extra virgin olive oil. If you’ve had Nando’s before, you’ll know that the Lemon & Herb option holds the mildest level of spice, and we aren’t going to add in any more, making this suitable for young children to enjoy too.
The Chicken
We are going to use shop-prepared chicken mini fillets (tenders US) so no chopping chicken is required. You can of course buy chicken breasts and cut them into inch wide strips if you can’t get the mini fillets.
The Salsa
For the salsa, you can either finely chop the vegetables by hand, or save time by pulsing it in your food processor. If you have a tomato hater in the family, I have a different option for you! Just slice some cabbage and grate some carrot, add ⅔ mayo to ⅓ peri peri mayo (or Nando’s Perinaise). You can add in a little chopped coriander too. The coleslaw goes just as well in the pittas or on the side as the salsa does. Sometimes I make these pittas with the coleslaw instead of the salsa for a nice change.
The Peri Peri Mayo
The peri peri (piri piri) mayo can be homemade, instructions in the recipe, OR you can cheat some more and use Nando’s Perinaise!
Cooking the Brazilian Chicken on the Barbecue vs in the Air Fryer
Barbecuing the chicken is of course the most authentic way to cook this chicken, but in the UK barbecue season is so short as we only get a few warmer, dryer months. Using the air fryer means being able to make these Brazilian Chicken Pittas all year round!
Also, because of the way air fryers work, they have a similar way of cooking meat to a barbecue, so long as you put the chicken onto your crisper plates. This allows the excess marinade to run off and the chicken to cook with the flavour coating the outside without it sitting in sauce. The air fryer is also good at charring the chicken, and the sugar in the marinade helps expedite that process.
if you are in the market for an air fryer, I’m on my second one and I absolutely love it for family cooking! This is the Ninja one I have (you can see it at work in the above video for this recipe), you can cook with one large draw or add the divider in for two separate cooking zones.
FAQ’s For My Brazilian Chicken Pittas
Can I prepare these Brazilian Chicken Pittas in advance?
You can and you should prep the chicken in advance and leave that to marinade in a non-metallic bowl in the fridge for at least an hour and up to the night before. The salsa can be made in advance and refrigerated in an air-tight container. If you are opting to make the peri peri mayo (instead of using Nando’s Perinaise), you can do that in advance and again chill, covered in the fridge.
Can I serve these pittas with something other than salsa?
Definitely! I sometimes switch the salsa to a coleslaw with red cabbage and carrot and for the dressing I add ⅔ mayo to ⅓ peri peri mayo (or Nando’s Perinaise). I also add in a little chopped coriander. The coleslaw goes just as well as the salsa and it’s a simpler option.
Can I feed more people with this recipe?
You sure can! If you are choosing to grill the chicken mini fillets (tenders US), and you have a large barbecue, then that is the best option for cooking it as you’ll have more space and they will cook quicker. If you do want to double or triple the recipe to feed more people using an air fryer, it would be best to air fry these in batches.
Can I Store Brazilian Chicken Pittas leftovers?
You can store any Brazilian Chicken Pittas leftovers in an air-tight container or resealable food bag in the fridge for up to 3 days (cook day + 2). Leftovers can also be frozen, just defrost for 24 hours in the fridge and reheat in the microwave, until steaming hot all the way through.
For more on safe food storage and reheating read here >
What diets is this recipe suitable for?
My Brazilian Chicken Pittas are egg and nut-free.
Adapting My Brazilian Chicken Pittas For Your Family
Eating together is beneficial for families of all ages and stages, for a multitude of reasons; nutritional, behavioural, psychological and for healthy family functioning. This section will show you how to tweak this Brazilian Chicken Pittas recipe for sharing with a weaning baby, toddler or a fussy eater, which will help make it easier to eat together as a family.
Keeping Picky Eaters Happy
If you have a fussy eater who won’t touch the homemade salsa with a barge poll (like mine!) then either just serve theirs with the lettuce and chicken inside and a salad veg on the side, OR if they like carrot, you can mix some grated carrot with a little mayo and add that in. Or just add in plain grated carrot, no mayo.
If they aren’t used to any spice, you can add plain mayo to their pitta instead of the peri peri mayo. It will still have all the flavour and mild spice from the chicken, which is good for expanding their palette.
If you want to get your kids eating mixed salad with dressing with the rest of the family, have a read of my How to Get Kids Eating Salad article >
See more from me on fussy eaters here >
Making My Brazilian Chicken Pittas Suitable for Baby Led Weaning
My Brazilian Chicken Pittas are suitable for babies over 12 months old. This is because of the salt in the Nando’s marinade and the sugar we are adding.
How to Serve to Babies & Toddlers
Serve their chicken pitta deconstructed. Slice their chicken mini fillets lengthways, into finger wide strips. Do the same with their pitta bread. You can serve them some tomato slices and any other vegetables you’d like them to have, prepared for their age and stage.
Serving salads with dressing can be really tricky to introduce later on, so I would recommend serving weaners from 10 months+, and definitely from 12 months, their salad with dressing to avoid salad refusal when they are older.
I’ve also added these notes to the bottom of the recipe so you have them to hand when you come to cook. For more info on how I keep my family meals suitable for baby weaning, read here >
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Brazilian Chicken Pittas (Air Fryer or Barbecue)
Equipment
- Medium non-metallic bowl + lid or clingfilm
- Measuring spoons + scales or cups
- Air Fryer or barbecue
- Chef’s knife + chopping board
Ingredients
- 640 g chicken mini fillets (tenders US)
- 4-5 pitta breads
- 4-5 large round or butter lettuce leaves washed
- Nando’s Perinaise or see homemade version below
THE MARINADE
- 125 g Nando’s Lemon & Garlic Sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
THE BRAZILIAN SALSA
- ½ tablespoon chopped parsley
- ½ red onion
- ½ green pepper
- 2 tomatoes
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- Salt & pepper
HOMEMADE PERI PER MAYO
- 150 g mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Pinch - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper see notes
- A little salt and pepper
Instructions
FOR THE CHICKEN
- Toss the chicken and all marinade ingredients together in a non metallic bowl and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour in the fridge, and up to the night before.
FOR THE SALSA
- Finely chop the parsley, onion, green pepper and tomatoes. Alternatively, roughly chop everything and add to your food processor and pulse until you have a chunky salsa texture. Toss the salsa in the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside.
FOR THE PERI PERI MAYO
- If you are making the mayo from scratch, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
FOR THE PITTA
- Toast your pitta until slightly hardened. Then once cooled enough to handle, slice an opening along one side of the pitta, carefully slicing through the inside to open up a pocket for your filling.
TO BARBECUE
- Cook on an oiled grill for 3-5 minutes each side, until cooked through with a nice char on the outside.
TO AIR FRY
- Lay the chicken fillets onto your air fryer crisper plates. If you have a large air fryer, lay in one even layer (use both draws if you have two). For smaller air fryers, you’ll need to double lay some of the mini fillets. Cook at 180ºc / 320ºf for 12-14 minutes (may need another couple minutes if air frying in two layers), until the chicken is golden brown and the fillets are cooked through.
TO ASSEMBLE
- Once the chicken is ready, spread some of the peri mayo on the bottom inside of the pitta pockets. Then add a large lettuce leaf to each, top with a layer of the mini fillets (I usually do 3 large-4 small) and add in a few spoonfuls of the salsa. Serve immediately.
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