Make your own peri peri, or piri piri, sauce at home with this recipe. A traditional African sauce made from African Bird's Eye chiles.
Homemade Peri Peri Sauce Recipe
If you have not tried Peri Peri Sauce, this is one you need to put on the list.
What is peri peri sauce? Peri Peri sauce is a traditional South African sauce made by Portuguese settlers to the area made with spicy African Bird's Eye chili peppers. It is also known as piri piri, or pili pili. It's perfect for any spicy food lover.
If you want the TRUEST of the TRUE peri peri sauce experiences, you'll make this with African Bird's Eye peppers, though you can make it with other chili peppers of choice.
You may have heard of the world's most famous brand of Peri Peri sauce - Nando's. This is a homemade version that is fairly similar.
Homemade Peri Peri sauce (or should I say Homemade Nando's?) is simple enough to make.
It requires no actual cooking, just some chopping and processing of the ingredients. It's an oil-based sauce, at least it is with our version, ideal for dipping, and it goes GREAT with chicken and seafood.
Let's talk about how to make peri peri sauce, shall we?
Peri Peri Sauce Ingredients
- 1 pound red chilies chopped – African Bird’s Eye peppers are traditional, but you can sub with red peppers available to you, including bell peppers
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika you can sub in other chili powders
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
- Juice from 1 lemon (lemon juice)
- Salt to taste
How to Make Peri Peri Sauce - the Recipe Overview
Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Process to form a smooth sauce to your preferred consistency. You can strain out some of the excess liquid if you'd like, or just use it as-is.
Enjoy! Refrigerate until ready to use.
BOOM! That's it. It's an incredibly easy recipe to make.
What to Serve with Peri Peri Sauce
Peri Peri sauce goes particularly well with grilled chicken of any kind. Peri peri chicken is the most common use for it, and I love it for peri peri chicken wings on the grill.
However, it's also wonderful with seafood, such as shrimp or whitefish.
Recipe Tips & Notes
If you can't source African Bird's Eye chilies, you can sub in an equivalent amount of red peppers of your choice.
I have made this with long red cayenne peppers, red jalapeno peppers, and fingerling peppers, all to similar results.
Traditional ingredients also call for a variety of herbs, though ours incorporates basil and cilantro. You might try oregano, tarragon, or rosemary.
You'll find regional differences throughout Africa and Portugal.
Patty's Perspective
This is a great sauce to have on hand because it can be used to enhance any number of dishes. Make it on the weekend and use it throughout the week for sandwich spreads, quick sauce or rub for chicken, spooned over tacos, whatever you think!
Storage
Peri peri sauce should keep a few months easily in the fridge, or even longer.
It's all about the acidity. To be technical, target level ph for shelf stable foods is below 4.6 ph, but should probably be lower for home cooks, around 3.5 or so, to account for errors.
If you're concerned, add more citrus or vinegar to lower the ph.
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.
- The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Hot Sauce Bottles
Here is a link to some bottles I like (affiliate link, my friends!): Swing Top Glass Bottles, 8.5 Ounce - Set of 4
. If you like the smaller bottles that most hot sauce makers use, here's another link: Hot Sauce Bottles, 5 Oz - 24 Pack
.
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Try Some of These Peri Peri Sauce Recipes
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Peri Peri Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound red chilies chopped – African Bird’s Eye peppers are traditional, but you can sub with red peppers available to you
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika you can sub in other chili powders
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Process to form a smooth sauce to your preferred consistency.
- Enjoy! Refrigerate until ready to use.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
This sauce is gluten free.
This recipe was updated on 4/5/19 to include new photos and a video. It was originally published on 2/10/16.
David says
Hi Mike, I have an abundance of serrano chillies left can I ferment these before making this sauce?
cheers from Spain
Mike H. says
Hi David, yes, definitely! Fermenting could add even more complexity and depth to the flavor.
Jeff says
Just found Birds Eye chilies but they are dried … planning on deseeding them but how much should I use given that they are not fresh?
Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Jeff, dried pods are 1/4 the weight of fresh, so you can use 4 ounces dried for this recipe, or make a smaller batch.
Anita Ingham says
Have just subscribed to your site as I am growing lots of different chillies and am looking for tasty ways of using and preserving. The piri piri looks right up my street but would love to preserve this in jars..you have no instructions other than you mention water bath..I have a pressure canner but am a novice and am overwhelmed by worries of botulism where oil is included. Could you give instructions please.
Mike Hultquist says
Anita, it is not recommended to home can foods that contain oil. FYI. I've amended that statement to make it clear. You can, however, freeze this sauce for longer keeping. Otherwise, I would just keep it refrigerated and it should last a few months. I appreciate it.
Diane says
I made this recently and it’ll be in our dinner rotation for sure. The sauce is full of flavour
Can the PeriPeri sauce be frozen? I don’t want to waste a drop of it, it’s that’s good
Mike H. says
I appreciate it, Dianne! And yes - you can absolutely freeze it!
Mike Anderson says
I live in South africa. I make chilly source using homegrown pepperdews and birds eye . do you remove the seeds or blend them in. I take most of the seeds out and boy it is still hot enough but with the pepper dew flavour . I really enjoy your recipes. thank you Mike
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Mike. I usually leave the seeds in, though it depends on the peppers. I deseed dried pods, as the seeds there can be bitter. You can remove them if you'd like. The heat doesn't really reside in the seeds themselves, but in the whitish innards of the peppers, which winds up getting removed when you remove the seeds. FYI. Many people like to remove the seeds because they tend to float around in the sauce.
Harry Vick says
Would you simply go heavier on the garlic using this recipe if you wanted to emulate a nando's garlic Peri Peri?
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, I would add more garlic, and maybe skip the basil. You can add a bit of rosemary, though, as Nando's includes rosemary extract in their ingredients list. Let me know how it goes for you.
Jerry van West says
What about any vinegar/ACV to get the ph levels down. This looks absolutely amazing btw.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Jerry. Yes, vinegar would definitely make it more acidic. Enjoy!
Peter Punky says
Where did you get the idea to add the basil? You say you were recreating Nando's, but that's sans herbs, even less powerful ones. I gave it a go with a bit less, and it's not bad, but it's definitely a different experience.
Mike Hultquist says
Peter, this is NOT claimed to be a Nando's Copycat recipe. Nando's uses a rosemary extract, whereas I chose basil out of preference. Of course this is not identical. You can obviously play with similar ingredients to get closer to the Nando's you prefer. Adios.
Michelle Barrett says
Hi - I made some of this sauce the other day, and left it on the side - it seems to have expanded in the jars - would you know why this is please?
thanks
Mike Hultquist says
Michelle, I'm not sure why it would have expanded, unless there was some type of fermentation starting, though I doubt that. Make sure there are no bad/off smells, like rot or infection. I've never had this particular issue.
Kristan says
We have an abundance of Portuguese green peppers in our garden...can we sub out the red chilis for these, or do you have a different recipe using Portuguese green peppers you'd recommend? Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Kristen, you can make this recipe with the green pods, though the flavor will be more "green", unripened. You can use them in many, many recipes here.
bob says
Made this the second time today - simple and oh - so tasty!
the jar gets gnarly after a few weeks but... I need to give some away sooner- sharing is good.
Mike Hultquist says
Haha, yes! Good to share, Bob! Glad you like it. =)
Sankalp Packaged Foods says
A truly remarkable sauce that adds excitement to every meal.
robert J adams says
made this with a little extra heat from 1.5 habaneros - It is terrific and I keep looking for ways to use it.
thanks
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding! Nice level of heat! Enjoy, Robert.
Douglas says
Loved the recipe made my mouth watering ,cant wait to prepare the sauce.
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Douglas!
Matt says
I got hooked on Peri Peri in the UK at Nando's. I smoke the red pepper and red onion on my smoker to get some of that rich smoky goodness and add homemade chipotle - everyone should have this!!
Mike Hultquist says
I hear you, Matt! Great stuff for sure.
Ross says
Can I make this sauce without using oil as I’m on an oil free diet?
Mike Hultquist says
You surely can, Ross. Enjoy.
Becky Quoos says
Holy hotness! I ordered the chilies online. it came with the seeds mixed with the dried chilies. I'm trying desperately to tone it down. It's good, but way too hot. Help a girl out?
Mike Hultquist says
Becky, sorry to hear. The best way to beat the heat with a batch like this is to make another batch with NO chilies, then combine them. Or incorporate more of the other ingredients in a similar fashion. Dilution.