Peri-Peri Sauce is a blend of spicy African bird’s eye chili mostly grown in African countries. It’s sour, a little sweet, and slightly salty, making it a complex and versatile sauce you can use on almost anything.
My version of this hot sauce includes hot chili peppers from one of the Asian vendors at my local farmers’ market. They carry a lot of fresh produce (vegetables and fruits) that are hard to get in a regular grocery store. So check out your local farmers’ market for unexpected treats. You can find this chili pepper (or a close relative) in Asian, Latin, and some Indian markets, but you could also use jalapenos.
The traditional African sauce blends chilies with fresh garlic, red chili pepper, basil, onions, and oregano. Add smoked paprika, salt, lemon, and olive oil to the mix for pure spicy goodness.
This tangy and savory hot sauce is pleasantly intense. However, if you don’t care for a lot of acidity in your pepper sauce, try my African pepper sauce. Enjoy!
Content…What Is It? |
What Is Peri Peri?
The Portuguese brought this pepper to Africa from South America, and the name pilipili (pili-pili, piri-piri, and peri-peri) simply means pepper in Swahili. We also call it African bird’s eye chili. The classic piri-piri or peri-peri sauce recipe contains red chili peppers, garlic, oil, and acid (which could be from lemon or vinegar). This sauce delivers a spicy condiment or marinade as an essential part of our food preparation.
Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh Red Chili Peppers – Any hot red peppers that add flavor or heat to the sauce work fine: Piri piri, Thai bird’s eye peppers, cayenne, serrano, scotch bonnet, habanero, etc., whatever you can find. A red bell pepper doesn’t hurt, either.
- Jalapeños – The green has more flavor, while the red has more heat. Mexican cuisine is the most famous for this mildly spicy pepper, but it’s also widely used in other cuisines.
- Seasonings – Garlic, basil, oregano, onions, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper smooth everything out for a robust and savory flavor.
- Olive Oil provides a slightly fruity flavor. It’s my go-to oil for dressings and sauces like this one.
- Acidity – Lemon juice and dark vinegar balance the spice and oil for a perfect hot sauce. Apple cider vinegar adds a touch of fruitiness if that’s what you have on hand.
How to Make Peri-Peri Sauce
- Puree the red peppers, jalapeno pepper, chili peppers, garlic, basil, oregano, and onions in a food processor or blender.
- Blend. Add olive oil to facilitate blending. Then add smoked paprika, lemon juice, black pepper, and vinegar and mix well. Adjust for salt and seasonings. Refrigerate and use when ready.
Recipe Alternatives
- Ginger adds more zing and spice to piri-piri sauce, along with subtle sweetness and a peppery flavor.
- Make it mild. Use red bell peppers, fresh mild paprika, or any other sweet pepper for a heat-free version.
- Garlic peri peri sauce. Double or triple the garlic for an even more flavorful sauce.
- Lemon zest. Add the zest from your lemon for a little extra.
Recipe Tips
- Saute savory ingredients like onions and garlic to give the sauce a caramelized flavor.
- Roasting your fresh peppers adds an extra layer of flavor. Yum!
- If you only have dried chili peppers, soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes, drain, and puree as you would fresh.
Make-Ahead, Serving, and Storage Instructions
This recipe is an ideal make-ahead because it lasts about 2 weeks in the fridge. I’ve heard it will last for six weeks because the vinegar acts as a preservative, but my jar is always empty before two weeks are up.
To freeze it for later, pour the sauce into ice cube trays. As soon as it freezes solid, pop the cubes into a freezer ziploc bag for tablespoon portions of hot sauce. You can freeze it for up to six months.
How to Use Peri Peri Sauce
The spicy goodness of this hot sauce pairs excellently with roasts, skewers, burgers, wraps, and fried foods. Peri-Peri marinated chicken skewers and peri-peri chicken are two classics. But you can replace the hot sauce in any recipe with peri peri sauce for a delicious twist. Nashville hot chicken and African meatballs in tomato sauce are excellent dishes to add a spoonful to.
More Easy Sauces to Spice up Your Life
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was first published in June 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
How to Make Peri-Peri Sauce (Piri-Piri)
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Ingredients
- ½ medium red pepper
- 2-3 fresh jalapeno peppers, coarsely chopped, seeds removed
- 6 fresh chili pepper, coarsely chopped
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- 4 large basil leaves
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh oregano
- ¼ cup (40g) onions, chopped
- 1 cup (240ml) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (7g) smoked paprika
- lemon juice to taste
- 1½ teaspoons salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon (3g) freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup (60ml) dark vinegar (optional)
Instructions
- Puree the red peppers, jalapeno pepper, chili peppers, garlic, basil, oregano, and onions in a food processor or blender.
- Add olive oil to facilitate blending. Then add smoked paprika, lemon juice, black pepper, and vinegar and mix well. Adjust for salt and seasonings. Refrigerate and use when ready.
Tips & Notes:
- Saute savory ingredients like onions and garlic to give the sauce a caramelized flavor.
- Roasting your fresh peppers adds an extra layer of flavor. Yum!
- If you only have dried chili peppers, soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes, drain, and puree as you would fresh.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Susannah Fox says
I am so thrilled with how this recipe turned out!!!
I have four kinds of Chilli Peppers growing in my tiny Italian garden – including the African Birds Eye – plus plenty of basil and oregano – and it was extremly satisfying to use them all.
I also used ginger and lemon zest – as per the optional extras.
I grew up in South Africa and was hoping to replicate the commercial Peri Peri sauces we got there. This recipe is even better.
Imma says
Awesome!!! So happy it turned out for you.
Susannah Fox says
I am onto my third batch! Batch No. 2 went to a hot sauce loving friend – much to my husband’s disappointment. Batch No.3 is just for us.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Susannah,
Wow, three batches? That’s amazing! I’m so glad to hear that the peri-peri hot sauce has become such a hit in your household—and among your friends too! It’s always a good sign when a recipe is so loved that it’s being gifted.
I can totally understand your husband’s disappointment at parting with Batch No. 2, but it sounds like Batch No. 3 will more than make up for it- lol
Thank you so much for your enthusiastic support and for sharing your experience. It’s comments like yours that make blogging so rewarding!
All the Best,
Imma
Nora Dye says
What is a chili pepper? Aren’t jalapeños chili peppers? What do you mean by chili peppers?
Imma says
A chili pepper is any hot pepper. Just use what you have.
suzanne bussiere says
I just made it find that mine is a bit more liquid than what I see in the picture but we love the tanginess of it .
i might of put to much lemon juice . but its still very great
merci
Imma says
Yeah next time adjust it so you can get the same recipe as mine, Try some other recipes from the blog I am sure you would love them all.
Susannah Fox says
Hi Suzanne.
Once you put the jar in the fridge the ‘solids’ float to the top; and the sauce becomes spoonful texture.
If you want something closer to Tabasco / pouring consistancy, then just mix it up.
Best hot sauce ever!
Imma says
I’m glad that you love this as much as I do. Thanks for taking the time to comment.