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Home » Chili Pepper Types » Hot Chili Peppers » African Bird’s Eye / African Devil

African Bird’s Eye / African Devil

by Mike Hultquist · Oct 7, 2013 · 21 Comments

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.

Chili plants - bird's eye peppers.

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

  • Jollof Rice
  • Sambal Terasi (Indonesian Chili Sauce with Shrimp Paste)

Learn About These Other Hot Chili Peppers

  • Devil's Tongue Pepper: All About Them
  • Carolina Cayenne Chili Peppers
  • Fatalii Chili Peppers
  • Datil Pepper: Fiery Chili from St. Augustine
  • Sugar Rush Chili Peppers
  • Tshololo Chili Pepper
  • Wiri Wiri Pepper
  • Bahamian Chili Peppers
  • Tiger Paw NR Chili Peppers
  • Tabiche Chili Peppers
  • Madame Jeanette Chili Peppers
  • Jamaican Hot Chili Peppers
  • There are even more here!

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Michou says

    May 23, 2025 at 7:39 am

    habanero has a unique delicious flavor

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      May 24, 2025 at 2:39 am

      Indeed.

      Reply
  2. DJ says

    May 22, 2025 at 1:36 pm

    If you can not find African Bird's Eye chilies, what are the top 3 substitutes?

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      May 22, 2025 at 7:01 pm

      Thai Bird's Eye Chilies, Cayenne, Serrano...

      Reply
  3. Wazza says

    January 19, 2024 at 12:20 am

    Hi I have an African Birds eye chili plant that has an abundance of peppers but they are staying either a very deep purple almost black for at least the last 21/2 weeks. So green to start with then changes from the tip down to the stalk as I stated before deep purple to an almost black color, I'm leaving them for another week or so to see if they'll change to red!!! Do I pick now or wait. Any advice would be appreciated.
    Area grown in plant pot, Melbourne Australia.

    Reply
  4. Paul Maddison Cape Town , South Africa says

    March 06, 2023 at 4:51 am

    Have been growing Bird's eye chilly for some 4 years now from seeds someone got in Thailand . Recently replanted a plant that appeared in a pot that had a bird's eye chilly bush . This has produced what looks like a Bird's eye chilly but is a lot bigger ie almost 12 cm , also pointed and thickest end has a diameter of 2,5cm. Cannot figure out where this plant comes from .

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      March 06, 2023 at 6:42 am

      So interesting! Could be a variety of some sort, though Thailand has many, many different types of peppers.

      Reply
  5. Jim says

    June 08, 2022 at 8:49 pm

    I have these growing in my garden.

    Reply
  6. Francisco Magalhães says

    March 02, 2021 at 6:14 am

    I used to grow them back in Angola. Sold them comercially. One of my favorite peppers and today im growing them in Portugal. Excellent with BBQ chicken or even caldo de peixe, a fish soup they make in Angola.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      March 02, 2021 at 6:40 am

      Thanks, Francisco. Great peppers indeed.

      Reply
    • Maria Moura says

      February 04, 2023 at 8:23 am

      The best frango churrasco piri-piri in Luanda I was a child and didn’t have the spicy pallet yet, but heard every adult bragging about our churrasco
      I would like to know if you make your own sauce, because I’m growing these peppers as well, but in Florida. They love this weather

      Reply
  7. Lawrence says

    May 04, 2020 at 11:33 pm

    What do they taste like? i know they are hot...I want flavor too.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      May 05, 2020 at 7:22 am

      You'll get a nice fruitiness with these peppers, Lawrence, if you can get past the heat. Very good!

      Reply
    • Maria says

      February 04, 2023 at 8:27 am

      One is enough to marinate, for ex chicken, along with other ingredients like garlic and lemon
      You can make a sauce equivalent to Tabasco, with vinegar and salt , but gotta have the tools for fermentation

      Reply
  8. Gaz says

    January 15, 2019 at 2:41 am

    Put one of these babies in a carona and you have a damn tastey beer with a kick ? you're welcome!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 15, 2019 at 7:34 am

      I love it!

      Reply
  9. David D says

    October 21, 2018 at 4:22 pm

    I ate one of these in school and I was spiced out for almost a whole hour

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      October 22, 2018 at 8:17 am

      Yes, these can get quite spicy!

      Reply
  10. Ken says

    October 18, 2017 at 12:57 am

    I have two African Peri bushes and have made hot sauces that has fabulous flavor. Quite different than other common varieties. Thanks K

    Reply
  11. Mike H says

    December 20, 2014 at 10:56 pm

    Tony, that sounds great. Such a good pepper to cook with.

    Reply
  12. Tony says

    December 20, 2014 at 8:15 pm

    I just made a quart of fresh pear-based hot sauce using fresh Bird's Eye peppers, ginger, fish sauce, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, black pepper and lime juice. It's surprisingly tasty and has a building heat with a sustained hang time centering on the top of the tongue. My first time making hot sauce. Can't wait until the next time!

    Reply

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