Is Nando's Vegan? Every Vegan Option on the UK Menu

Nando’s has come a long way for vegans. The UK menu now includes dedicated plant-based options alongside a range of accidentally vegan sides and sauces. But the menu can be confusing since many items look vegan but contain hidden dairy or egg.

Vegan mains

• The Great Imitator Burger — plant-based patty in a vegan bun with vegan perinaise. The flagship vegan main.
• The Great Imitator Wrap — same plant-based filling in a wrap with salad and vegan perinaise.
• The Great Imitator Pitta — served in a pitta with grilled vegetables.
• Sweet Potato & Butternut veggie burger or wrap — check current availability as this rotates.

Vegan starters

• Houmous with Peri-Peri Drizzle — served with warm pitta bread.
• Spicy Mixed Olives — marinated in Peri-Peri spices.

Vegan sides

• Peri-Peri Chips — regular chips seasoned with Peri-Peri salt. Vegan.
• Spicy Rice — one of the most popular sides, and it is vegan.
• Chargrilled Veg — seasonal grilled vegetables.
• Corn on the Cob (plain) — vegan without butter. Ask for it plain.
• Mixed Leaf Salad — without dressing, or ask which dressings are vegan.
• Peri-Peri Nuts — roasted nuts with Peri-Peri seasoning.

Vegan sauces

This is one of the best things about Nando’s for vegans. Nearly all the Peri-Peri sauces are vegan:

• Extra Hot, Hot, Medium, Lemon & Herb — all vegan.
• Peri-Peri Sauce (all heat levels) — vegan.
• Vegan Perinaise — the plant-based version of their mayonnaise. Look for the green label.

You can also buy the bottled sauces in supermarkets. Most are vegan — check any Nando’s sauce on Is It Vegan? by searching the product name.

What is NOT vegan at Nando’s

• All chicken dishes — obviously not vegan.
• Regular Perinaise — contains egg. Make sure you ask for the vegan version.
• Halloumi — dairy cheese, not vegan.
• Coleslaw — contains egg-based mayonnaise.
• Macho Peas — contain dairy (butter or cream).
• Garlic bread — contains dairy butter.
• Corn on the Cob (with butter) — ask for it plain.

Tips for ordering vegan at Nando’s

Always tell your server you are vegan. Nando’s staff are generally well trained on allergens and can confirm which items are suitable. The menu in the restaurant and on the app has a “VG” symbol for vegan items — look for it. And always double-check the perinaise is the vegan version, as the regular one looks very similar.

The verdict

Nando’s is one of the better chain restaurants for vegans in the UK. The Great Imitator range, combined with the fact that almost all their sauces are vegan, makes it easy to build a satisfying meal. The main trap is the regular perinaise and the sides that secretly contain dairy.