Officially dubbed the Great Pretender protein, the new meat-free option from Nando’s packs a flavour punch that will have you questioning everything you know about chicken. The secret, they say, is in the texture. Unlike the venue’s existing veggie patty, the Great Pretender mimics the consistency of minced meat so closely that once it’s cooked, it’s hard to tell the difference – it even caramelises and smells like cooked chook! The protein-rich patty is made using ingredients from Nando’s signature PERi-PERi recipe to deliver a kick of flavours including lemon and herb, and pairs perfectly with a hefty dose of bird’s eye chilli.

The Great Pretender can be substituted for chicken in any burger, wrap, pita, salad or paella for an additional $1. Keen to wrap your mitts around the new chicken-alternative? The Great Pretender will be officially unveiled at Nando’s Festival Towers restaurant this Thursday January 30 and to celebrate, the venue is giving away 500 classic burgs loaded with the mouthwatering new protein patty – so strap on your skates, mates! The meat-free alternative will be rolled out across all Nando’s Queensland-based restaurants from Tuesday February 4 with plans to take it nationwide later in the year.