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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- There are even more here!
Sithembele Ndinisa says
Good day Mike,
I have been a subscriber to Chilipeppermadness for some time and I greatly enjoy your simple recipes. However, I also need to start growing these Peppers and Green Herbs like Basil, Cilantro and others. How do I get appropriate seeds?Sunny Yellow Chili, Habanero Peppers and other varieties. We are experiencing our first rains early this 2026 Spring in Gauteng, South Africa and I am keen to plant at my backyard. I want to make these Sauces, Powders and Grilled Chicken and Wings.
Mike Hultquist says
Good Day, Sithembele. I have a resources section on the site here you can check out. I'm not sure if any deliver to South Africa, but it can be a start: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/resources/ -- Best of luck.