The African bird's eye pepper is a small, vibrantly colored hot pepper found in the African wild, clocking in at 175,000 Scoville Heat Units, popular in soups, hot sauces and more.

lso sometimes known as Piri Piri or Pili Pili, the African Bird’s Eye is a small chile, growing to only about 1 inch, but they pack a lot of punch. They mature to red or purple, and have a tapered shape, with a blunt point. Historically found in the African wild, it has recently been grown commercially in some parts of Africa, often to be used as pepper extract or as organic pest control.
Scoville Heat Units: 175,000 SHU
Also sometimes known as Piri Piri or Pili Pili, the African Bird’s Eye is a small chile, growing to only about 1 inch, but they pack a lot of punch. They mature to red or purple, and have a tapered shape, with a blunt point. Historically found in the African wild, it has recently been grown commercially in some parts of Africa, often to be used as pepper extract or as organic pest control.
The African Bird’s Eye is commonly used in soups, stews, hot sauces and chicken dishes, but the flavor is less interesting than other popular peppers. It is a close relative of the Tabasco pepper. It is the main ingredient in Peri Peri Sauce - get the recipe here.
Try Some of These Recipes with African Bird's Eye Peppers
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Sara Garrett says
I have Chiltepins and Hontakas that I grew last year and have dried and stored in glass jars. If I grind them up, are there any good spice blends that I can make using them for heat?
Mike Hultquist says
Sara, absolutely. You can use them in any of my blends. See my Spice Blend Recipes here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/spice-blends/