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 chicken. The protein-rich patty is made using ingredients from Nando’s signature PERi-PERi recipe to deliver a powerful kick of flavours including lemon, herbs and garlic and pairs perfectly with a hefty dose of birds 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 rolled out across all Nando’s Queensland-based restaurants from Tuesday February 4 with plans to take it nationwide later in the year.