Nando’s Vegan Options Australia: Your Complete 2025 Guide
If you’re vegan in Australia, walking into Nando’s has always been a bit of a guessing game.
But this blog may just surprise you. Unlike other fast food restaurants, such as McDonald’s and their limited vegan offerings, Nando’s Australia actually has quite a few vegan items available - and it’s a lot more than just a side of chips and salad!
I’ve put together the ultimate Nando’s vegan options guide for you all. Whether you're wondering “Does Nando’s do vegan options?”, “Is Nando’s Great Pretender vegan?”, or even the very common “Is Nando’s corn vegan?”, this blog will break down everything you need to know before your next PERi-PERi craving hits.
Let’s get into it.
Does Nando’s Have Vegan Options in Australia?
Yes. Actually, they have heaps!
Nando’s themselves confirm they have plenty of menu items that don’t contain ingredients from animals. The key is knowing which ones are truly vegan, and which ones are accidentally vegan.
The Nando’s PERi PERi Chips are vegan!
What I like about Nando’s Australia is that they care about their customer’s allergens and dietary preferences. Their website allergen guide is quite clear in stating what items include common allergens such as soy, nuts, dairy etc., as well as defining that some items may include 'traces’ of these allergens.
This is particularly useful for vegans when understanding which Nando’s products use animal-based ingredients, and items that may contain such items due to manufacturing processes - depending on how strict you are, these are often considered vegan friendly also.
Nando’s Australia also go a bit further by stating that they do their best to make sure all meat-free items are kept separate, including using different areas of the grills and separate bottles of baste for each. While they go this extra mile, there are always no guarantees when buying food from places that sell non-vegan and vegan products that cross-contamination may occur.
The Great Pretender: Is It Vegan?
This is one of the most Googled questions, so let’s clear it up:
Yes - The Great Pretender at Nando’s is vegan friendly.
The Great Pretender itself includes no animals products. That means no dairy, no egg and no animal ingredients.
If you aren’t familiar with the Great Pretender, it is a high protein, plant-based chicken alternative that is made from wheat and pea protein - it also boast an incredible 17.4grams of protein and only 297 calories. The vegan protein has a similar texture to a chicken patty, including colour, juiciness, and even caramelises like meat when being grilled.
Back in 2020, I did a full taste test on my Jack Rock That Vegan Dad YouTube channel, and honestly, I was shocked at how good it was. If you want to see my full first reaction (and a breakdown of the flavour and texture), you can watch it right here —>
It’s incredibly easy to implement the Nando’s Australia Great Pretender in any burger, wrap or salad for just $1 extra. Restaurants often charge an arm and leg to add vegan protein options, but $1 isn’t a huge ask - and it’s honestly so delicious.
All Nando’s Vegan Options (Australia, Updated 2025)
Well, I’ve probably gone on long enough now, so here’s the complete Nando’s Australia vegan run down for you to save and enjoy!
Please also be mindful that the Nando’s Australia menu is quite customisable where you can add and remove items quite easily, making them vegan friendly. For instance, the Mediterranean Salad can be made vegan by removing the feta or the PERinaise Classic burger can be made vegan by removing the traditional PERinaise and mayo.
Bastings & Sauces:
BBQ Basting
Lemon & Herb
Mild PERi-PERi
Hot PERi-PERi
Extra Hot PERi-PERi
Vegan Sauces:
Vegan PERinaise
Smoky Capsicum Relish
Caramelised Onion Relish
Snacks:
Hummus with PERi-PERi Drizzle
Pita
Salads:
Garden Salad
Paella
Sides:
Chips
PERi-PERi Chips
Sweet Potato Chips
Corn on the Cob
Spicy Rice
Vegan Burgers, Wraps & Pitas (Build Your Own):
Nando’s has two plant-based patty choices — both vegan-friendly:
Vegan Patties
Great Pretender Plant Protein
Superfood Veggie Patty
Vegan Breads
Soft White Bun
Portuguese Roll
Pita
Wrap
Toppings
Avocado
Pickled red onion
Crispy chickpeas
Hummus
Pineapple
PERi Seeds
PERi Crackle
Build Your Perfect Vegan Nando’s Meal
As I mentioned above, you can easily build a vegan Nando’s meal thanks to the customisation available. Choose your bread, add a patty, load on the toppings, choose a suitable dressing and your favourite basting - remember to remove the non-vegan items and you’re set!
My Go-to Vegan Order at Nando’s
Here’s a sample of my go-to vegan Nando’s Australia order:
PERinaise Classic: Great Pretender Protein, Wrap, Mild, No Mayo, No Mild PERinaise, Extra Vegan PERinaise!!
PERi-PERi Chips with Vegan PERinaise: You can buy bottles of the Nando’s Vegan PERinaise at Woolworths or Coles
Vegan Nando’s FAQ
Here’s a simplified list of the common questions surrounding Nando’s Australia’s vegan options - use it as your very own Nando’s Vegan Cheat sheet!
Does Nando’s have vegan options?
Yes! Plenty of mains, sides, sauces and build-your-own options.
Is the Great Pretender vegan?
Yes! No animal-based ingredients at all. The way that it is grilled near meat products may have some vegans second guessing it.
Is Nando’s corn vegan?
Also yes. But also another item that is grilled near meat products.
Is Nando’s spicy rice vegan?
Contains wheat/barley but no milk or eggs.
Are Nando’s chips vegan?
100% vegan. I also recommend opting for the PERi-PERi Chips as the far superior option.
Is Nando’s garlic bread vegan?
Nope this one contains dairy.
Does Nando’s have vegan sauces?
Vegan PERinaise
Tahini dressing
Lemon Dijon
Trio Bell Pepper
All PERi-PERi bastings
Vegan Nando’s in Australia Is Better Than You Think
Nando’s Australia has quietly built a super solid range of vegan friendly meals. From their vegan patties and wraps to salads, sides, and sauces, and when you know what’s truly vegan, it becomes a great option for plant-based families looking for an effortless treat.
While trying their best to cater for vegans, Nando’s Australia has put effort into:
separate grill areas for meat-free items
separate vegan baste bottles
officially labelled plant-based proteins
It’s not perfect (desserts… please Nando’s, help us out), but it’s definitely one of the more vegan-friendly fast food chains in Australia.