Peri peri chicken is a much-loved Slimming World dish, typically made with boneless chicken thighs or lean, free-range chicken breasts marinated in a spicy peri peri seasoning. The best part? It’s often completely Syn free, making it a brilliant choice for a filling, flavour-packed meal.
While many Slimming World peri peri chicken recipes are served with classic SW chips, there are plenty of other low-syn side dishes you can pair it with to keep things interesting.
In this guide, we’ve rounded up our favourite Slimming World-friendly sides to serve alongside peri peri chicken, plus links to some of the best recipes online to give you extra cooking inspiration.
Cooking a Slimming World–friendly peri peri chicken recipe is simple, but deciding on the perfect side dish can be tricky. The best sides should balance the spicy, smoky flavour of the chicken while keeping your meal low in syns.
Here are some of the tastiest SW-friendly side ideas to serve with your peri peri chicken.
Homemade chips are a classic choice, especially when cooked in an ActiFry or air fryer for a crispy finish. Simply cut your potatoes into wedges, spray with low-calorie cooking oil, and season with paprika or chilli powder for extra flavour.
Fresh coleslaw pairs perfectly with spicy peri peri chicken. To keep it low syn, swap mayonnaise for fat-free natural yoghurt. Mix shredded cabbage, carrots, and onions with yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice for a refreshing side.
Instead of supermarket packets full of salt, make your own Slimming World spicy rice at home. Cook your rice with paprika and chilli, then add diced vegetables such as peppers, peas, or sweetcorn. It’s ideal for batch cooking and makes great leftovers.
Wholegrain couscous is a light, fibre-rich side that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. Fluff it up with boiling water, season with herbs or spices, and serve alongside your peri peri chicken for a healthy, filling option.
For a Nando’s-style experience, wrap corn cobs in foil with garlic, butter, and a pinch of salt, then roast until tender. Serve hot for a naturally sweet and smoky side dish.
Creamy sweet potato mash makes a hearty and nutritious pairing for juicy chicken thighs or breasts. Add a splash of skimmed milk or a teaspoon of light butter for a smoother texture without too many syns.
Halloumi brings a salty, savoury twist to your meal. Grill lightly with a touch of spray oil, then serve in moderation with your peri peri chicken for a Mediterranean-inspired side.
Make your own Slimming World garlic flatbreads and use them to wrap up your chicken kebab-style. Add a crisp salad for a filling, complete dish that still stays low syn.
Now we've gone over some of the best side dishes to have with your peri peri chicken, we have put together a small list of our favourite peri peri slimming world friendly chicken dishes online to help you out with the cooking process.
At 1/2 syn per serving, this recipe from SW themselves serves 4 people and takes under an hour to cook.
For the recipe, you will need to make sure you have 4 chicken legs, potatoes, garlic, tomato puree and Nando's medium peri peri sauce, but you can opt for a lighter spiced Nando sauce if you want.
To make the food, you simply need to rub the peri peri mix all over your organic chicken legs, cook for 10 mins then add in your chips and allow it all to bake for around an hour.
This Nando's fakeaway peri peri chicken uses thighs to make the meal even juicier and is SYN FREE too.
You should have your organic, free-range chicken thighs on hand, some buttery corn on the cob, and the paste ingredients to make a marinade to coat thighs.
The thighs will be cooked on a grill pan and the corn boiled then grilled after, the whole recipe serves three people in total.
Overall, peri peri chicken is a filling and healthy meal to be enjoyed on the SW diet with any side you like, keeping the meal low in syns and satisfying.
For a Nando's fakeaway, this recipe with spicy rice and corn on the cob can hit the spot without you having to order unhealthy takeout and go over your syn allowance.
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