Nando's South Africa Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, Nando's South Africa cooks with: not stated by Nando's SA; its own fatty-acid panels print poly-unsaturated fat at about half of the fat in the chips and wedges (10 g fat, 2 sat, 3 mono, 5 poly per 100 g) and 60-64% in the PERinaise and Creamy dips, a sunflower-oil profile (South Africa's default frying oil); chicken is flame-grilled, not fried, and basted with PERi-PERi sauce. Across the 129 menu items we analyzed, it averages 4.7g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of B (Medium Risk).
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Safest Orders at Nando's South Africa
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
Cleanest full order: 1/4 Chicken (on its own) + Bottomless Soda, 5.3g total
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Pineapple | 0.0g |
| Berry Bloom | 0.0g |
| Tropical Sunset | 0.0g |
| Appletiser (can) | 0.0g |
| Red Grapetiser (can) | 0.0g |
What to Avoid at Nando's South Africa
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Full Chicken (on its own) | 22.1g |
| 10 Winglets (on their own) | 19.5g |
| Hotpot with Spicy Rice | 16.8g |
| Hotpot with Casa Pap | 16.8g |
| Starter Livers & Casa Pap | 15.2g |
Every Nando's South Africa item, ranked
All 129 items we have for Nando's South Africa, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Pineapple | 0.0g |
| Berry Bloom | 0.0g |
| Tropical Sunset | 0.0g |
| Bottomless Soda | 0.0g |
| Appletiser (can) | 0.0g |
| Red Grapetiser (can) | 0.0g |
| Coke (Buddy) | 0.0g |
| Coke No Sugar (Buddy) | 0.0g |
| Creme Soda (Buddy) | 0.0g |
| Fanta Orange (Buddy) | 0.0g |
| Sprite (Buddy) | 0.0g |
| Sprite No Sugar (Buddy) | 0.0g |
| 1.5L Coke | 0.0g |
| 1.5L Coke NSNC | 0.0g |
| 1.5L Coke No Sugar | 0.0g |
| 1.5L Fanta Orange | 0.0g |
| 1.5L Stoney | 0.0g |
| 1.5L Sprite | 0.0g |
| 1.5L Creme Soda | 0.0g |
| 1.5L Stoney No Sugar | 0.0g |
| Cappy Juice Apple | 0.0g |
| Cappy Juice Breakfast Blend | 0.0g |
| Cappy Juice Orange Mango | 0.0g |
| Cappy Juice Orange | 0.0g |
| Rubro Iced Tea Peach | 0.0g |
| Rubro Iced Tea Lemon | 0.0g |
| Valpre Still | 0.0g |
| Valpre Sparkling | 0.0g |
| Feta | 0.1g |
| Cheese Slice | 0.1g |
| Strawberries & Cream Shake | 0.3g |
| Nando's Roll | 0.3g |
| Halloumi | 0.3g |
| Soft Serve | 0.3g |
| Soft Serve Cone | 0.3g |
| Soft Serve Strawberries & Cream Shake | 0.3g |
| XHot PERi-PERi Sauce | 0.5g |
| Hot PERi-PERi Sauce | 0.5g |
| Mild PERi-PERi Sauce | 0.5g |
| Soft Serve Bottomless | 0.5g |
| Soft Serve Peppermint Sundae | 0.5g |
| Avo | 0.6g |
| Medium PERi-PERi Sauce | 0.7g |
| 4 Nando's Rolls | 0.8g |
| Bar.One Shake | 0.8g |
| Soft Serve Bar.One Shake | 0.8g |
| Casa Pap (Single) | 1.0g |
| Nando's Salad (Single) | 1.0g |
| Roasted Veg (Single) | 1.0g |
| Nando's Salad (Sharing) | 1.2g |
| Casa Pap (Sharing) | 1.5g |
| Garlic Roll | 1.5g |
| Da Malva Pudding | 1.5g |
| Lemon & Herb PERi-PERi Sauce | 1.8g |
| Corn Medley (Single) | 1.9g |
| Garlic Roll with Cheese | 2.0g |
| Flame-grilled Mielie (Corn) Single | 2.0g |
| Roasted Veg (Sharing) | 2.0g |
| PERinaise Original | 2.4g |
| PERinaise Hot | 2.4g |
| Nandinos Chicken Burger & Chips | 2.6g |
| Spicy Rice (Single) | 2.7g |
| Pulled Chicken (on its own) | 3.0g |
| Chicken Strips (on their own) | 3.0g |
| Churros & Chocolate Sauce | 3.0g |
| Roasted Corn & Red Pepper Boujee Bowl with Halloumi | 3.3g |
| Roasted Corn & Red Pepper Boujee Bowl with Chicken Strips | 3.3g |
| Spicy Rice with Nando's Relish (Single) | 3.5g |
| Chicken Fillet (on its own) | 3.5g |
| Flame-grilled Mielie (Corn) Sharing | 4.0g |
| Nandinos Veg Burger & Chips | 4.0g |
| Corn Medley (Sharing) | 4.2g |
| Nandinos Winglet & Chips | 4.8g |
| Veggie Patty (on its own) | 5.0g |
| 1/4 Chicken (on its own) | 5.3g |
| Pulled Chicken Burger with cheese (on its own) | 5.4g |
| Veg Caesar Salad | 6.0g |
| The Grande Salad (Veg) | 6.0g |
| Halloumi Veg & Rice | 6.0g |
| Spicy Rice (Sharing) | 6.1g |
| Starter Livers and a Nando's Roll | 6.2g |
| PERi-PERi Wedges (Single) | 6.2g |
| Plain Wedges (Single) | 6.2g |
| Casa Pap & Nando's Relish (Single) | 6.4g |
| Chicken Caesar Salad | 6.5g |
| Chicken Burger (on its own) | 6.9g |
| The Grande Salad (Chicken) | 7.0g |
| Halloumi & Veg Wrap (on its own) | 7.0g |
| Veg Burger (on its own) | 7.1g |
| PERinaise Dip | 7.2g |
| PERi-PERi Chips (Single) | 7.3g |
| Plain Chips (Single) | 7.3g |
| Coleslaw (Single) | 7.5g |
| Spicy Rice with Nando's Relish (Sharing) | 7.5g |
| Veg Wrap (on its own) | 8.0g |
| PERi-tato Salad (Single) | 8.0g |
| Chicken Caesar Wrap (on its own) | 8.0g |
| Veg Caesar Wrap (on its own) | 8.0g |
| Chicken Wrap (on its own) | 8.1g |
| Pulled Chicken and Cheese Wrap (on its own) | 8.1g |
| Creamy Dip | 8.4g |
| Grande Cheese Burger (on its own) | 8.5g |
| Avo & Halloumi Boujee Bowl with Pulled Chicken | 8.6g |
| PERi-Spinach (Single) | 8.6g |
| Nandinos Strips & Chips | 8.7g |
| Avo & Halloumi Boujee Bowl with Veg Patty | 9.0g |
| Grande Veg Cheese Burger (on its own) | 9.0g |
| Halloumi & Veg Pita (on its own) | 9.0g |
| Livers and a Nando's Roll (Full portion) | 9.4g |
| Casa Pap & Nando's Relish (Sharing) | 9.6g |
| Cheesy Rissoles | 10.0g |
| Chicken Strips & Spicy Rice | 11.0g |
| 1/2 Chicken (on its own) | 11.1g |
| PERi-PERi Chips (Sharing) | 11.5g |
| Plain Chips (Sharing) | 11.5g |
| Veg Pita (on its own) | 11.6g |
| 6 Winglets (on their own) | 11.7g |
| Coleslaw (Sharing) | 11.9g |
| PERi-Spinach (Sharing) | 12.0g |
| PERi-tato Salad (Sharing) | 12.0g |
| PERi-PERi Wedges (Sharing) | 12.2g |
| Plain Wedges (Sharing) | 12.2g |
| Chicken Pita (on its own) | 13.0g |
| Pulled Chicken and Cheese Pita (on its own) | 13.0g |
| Starter Livers & Casa Pap | 15.2g |
| Hotpot with Spicy Rice | 16.8g |
| Hotpot with Casa Pap | 16.8g |
| 10 Winglets (on their own) | 19.5g |
| Full Chicken (on its own) | 22.1g |
Frequently asked
Does Nando's South Africa use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, Nando's South Africa cooks with: not stated by Nando's SA; its own fatty-acid panels print poly-unsaturated fat at about half of the fat in the chips and wedges (10 g fat, 2 sat, 3 mono, 5 poly per 100 g) and 60-64% in the PERinaise and Creamy dips, a sunflower-oil profile (South Africa's default frying oil); chicken is flame-grilled, not fried, and basted with PERi-PERi sauce. Across the 129 menu items we analyzed, it averages 4.7g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of B (Medium Risk).
What oil does Nando's South Africa cook with?
Our research indicates: not stated by Nando's SA; its own fatty-acid panels print poly-unsaturated fat at about half of the fat in the chips and wedges (10 g fat, 2 sat, 3 mono, 5 poly per 100 g) and 60-64% in the PERinaise and Creamy dips, a sunflower-oil profile (South Africa's default frying oil); chicken is flame-grilled, not fried, and basted with PERi-PERi sauce. Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does Nando's South Africa use beef tallow?
No. Our research indicates Nando's South Africa cooks with not stated by Nando's SA; its own fatty-acid panels print poly-unsaturated fat at about half of the fat in the chips and wedges (10 g fat, 2 sat, 3 mono, 5 poly per 100 g) and 60-64% in the PERinaise and Creamy dips, a sunflower-oil profile (South Africa's default frying oil); chicken is flame-grilled, not fried, and basted with PERi-PERi sauce, not beef tallow. For chains that fry in tallow or other real fats, see Tallow Watch.
Is Nando's South Africa seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates Nando's South Africa cooks with not stated by Nando's SA; its own fatty-acid panels print poly-unsaturated fat at about half of the fat in the chips and wedges (10 g fat, 2 sat, 3 mono, 5 poly per 100 g) and 60-64% in the PERinaise and Creamy dips, a sunflower-oil profile (South Africa's default frying oil); chicken is flame-grilled, not fried, and basted with PERi-PERi sauce, which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Nando's South Africa?
Pineapple is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Nando's South Africa, at an estimated 0.0g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Nando's South Africa?
Full Chicken (on its own) is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Nando's South Africa, at an estimated 22.1g PUFA. Fried items and creamy, mayo-based sauces are usually the heaviest.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, and similar vegetable oils — are extracted from seeds using high heat and chemical solvents. They are very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable at cooking temperatures and can oxidize easily. Many health-conscious eaters choose to minimize seed oils and prefer foods cooked in beef tallow, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead. This page shows estimated PUFA grams per menu item to help you make more informed choices. These are estimates — actual values vary by preparation and location. New to the topic? Start with what seed oils are and the complete list, or read the evidence on why people avoid them.
Compare other chains
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See where Nando's South Africa lands on the full Seed Oil Index, or check which chains cook in real fats on Tallow Watch. Wondering about a specific dish instead? The Is It Seed Oil food guide answers it for 200+ everyday foods, and the distributor oils page covers what independent restaurants fry in.