If you’re a fan of a well-balanced Prego sauce, juicy charred chicken breast, soft Portuguese rolls, and a side of crispy homemade chips, then this Fiery Chicken Prego Roll is calling your name. It’s fiery, saucy, messy in the best way, and full of that bold South African-Portuguese street food charm we all crave.
What makes these rolls so addictive is how perfectly everything comes together — the spice, the sweetness, the smokiness, and that satisfying crunch from the roll. It’s a full-on flavour experience that’s simple to make yet feels like something you’d order from your favourite corner café.
The Heart of a Prego Roll — The Sauce
A great Fiery Chicken Prego Roll lives or dies by its sauce. The Prego sauce is the star — fiery and tangy, with a hint of sweetness that keeps it balanced rather than blistering. If you’ve ever had a dry roll with no sauce, you’ll know how important this step is. The trick lies in the marinade: a blend of garlic, paprika, peri-peri, vinegar, and just a touch of sugar (optional, but trust me — don’t skip it). That touch of sweetness brings everything together and helps the heat shine without overpowering your taste buds.
And if you really want to level things up, use a homemade Peri-Peri Sauce — it adds depth and authenticity you just can’t get from a bottle. I used my own version in this recipe, and it completely transformed the roll from “good” to “can I have another one?”
Simple, Satisfying, and So Worth It
What I love about this Fiery Chicken Prego Roll is how simple it really is. You marinate your chicken, grill or pan-sear it until it’s beautifully charred and smoky, then slather your rolls with extra sauce before assembling. From there, garnish as you like — lettuce, tomato, caramelised onions, or even a fried egg if you’re feeling adventurous.
The rolls soak up all that rich, garlicky sauce while keeping the inside tender and juicy. It’s the perfect bite — fiery, flavourful, and deeply satisfying.
Homemade Crisps? Yes, Please.
To round things off, I made a batch of homemade “Lays”-style crisps. If you’ve got a mandoline, it couldn’t be easier. Just slice your potatoes thinly, fry until golden, sprinkle with salt, and you’ve got the ideal crunchy sidekick to your Prego roll. Simple, nostalgic, and completely addictive.
Dinner Sorted.
Whether you’re cooking for yourself, family, or friends, Fiery Chicken Prego Rolls deliver on all fronts — quick, bold, and bursting with flavour. It’s comfort food with attitude, a true taste of home with a kick of fire.
So, grab your tongs, fire up the pan, and get ready to make a meal that’s guaranteed to impress — and probably disappear in minutes.
Fiery Chicken Prego Rolls
Ingredients
Prego Roll
- 6 Portuguese rolls
- half a head of iceberg lettuce
- 2 large tomatoes sliced
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
Chicken Marinade/Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves finely sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 large bay leaf fresh or dry
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp sugar optional
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp red masala powder
- 4 tbsp Per-Peri sauce your favourite hot sauce, optional
- salt to taste generously
- 6 chicken breasts
Instructions
- Place chicken breast between two sheets of cling wrap. Using a rolling pin or tenderizer, flatten the chicken - aim for an overall thickness of 2cm. Place in the fridge until needed.
- Bring a medium saucepan to a medium heat. Add olive oil, sliced garlic, tomato paste, bay leaf, cumin powder, and red masala powder for about 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add tomato puree, lemon juice, sugar and salt to the spices. If you want to add more heat, then add the optional homemade peri-peri sauce or hot sauce of your choice. Simmer on low heat for around 15 minutes. Note: You may add some yoghurt/brown sugar if the sauce is too hot (spice-wise). Allow the sauce to cool and remove the bay leaf.
- Coat the chicken with enough sauce and keep the remainder for when you assemble the Prego roll. Cover the chicken with cling wrap and marinade in the fridge, for a minimum of 30 minutes but preferably 24 hours for maximum results.
- Once marinaded, bring a medium saucepan to a medium-high heat. Once hot enough, add the chicken. Cook on one side for 4-5 minutes, once releases from the pan flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until a crust forms.
- Cut rolls in half and layer with Prego sauce, chicken breast, lettuce, freshly sliced tomato and onion.
- Enjoy tastebuds, remember the messier the better!
Pls help! Trying to make this…when does one add the peri peri sauce? In the recipe for the sauce you list tomato purée, in the directions you list tomato paste AND tomato purée. You don’t say when to add the peri peri
Here to help! 🙂 You can add the homemade peri-peri sauce to sauce mixture just before you let it simmer for 15 minutes. This is and optional step but a wonderful one if you’d like to add additional depth and heat to the sauce. Enjoy!
My wife and I tried this recipe last night, the ingredients aren’t conventional for a prego sauce and sound a bit odd but we tried the recipe anyway. This is hands down the best prego my wife and I have ever had. The chicken was marinated in the sauce for 24 hours and remainder added to the roll as suggested. We added a bit of cream to the sauce to make it a creamy prego sauce which was amazing.
I would highly recommend you try this recipe for an easy week night meal.