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by Mike Hultquist · · 141 Comments · Jump to Recipe
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.
You can also process your homemade peri peri sauce with a water bath or pressure cooker for much longer storage. Just be sure to use proper canning/jarring safety procedures.
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.
Check out These Related Recipes:
- Caribbean Style Mango-Habanero Hot Sauce
- Pineapple-Mango Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
- The Hottest Hot Sauce I Ever Made (Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce)
- Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
- Mojo Picon - Canarian Red Pepper Sauce
- Bravas Sauce (Salsa Brava)
- Homemade Mumbo Sauce
Try Some of These Peri Peri Sauce Recipes
- Peri Peri Chicken Wings
- Peri Peri Chicken Legs
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
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.
Course: hot sauce, Main Course, Salsa
Cuisine: African, American
Keyword: hot sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Calories: 58kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 20
Tap or hover to scale
4.93 from 55 votes
Leave a Review
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
Makes about 1.5 cups.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 58kcalCarbohydrates: 2gFat: 5gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 79mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 310IUVitamin C: 32.9mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.3mg
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.
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.
Reader Interactions
Comments
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.Reply
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.Reply
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
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Haha, yes! Good to share, Bob! Glad you like it. =)
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Sankalp Packaged Foods says
A truly remarkable sauce that adds excitement to every meal.Reply
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.
thanksReply
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding! Nice level of heat! Enjoy, Robert.
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Douglas says
Loved the recipe made my mouth watering ,cant wait to prepare the sauce.
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Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Douglas!
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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!!
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Mike Hultquist says
I hear you, Matt! Great stuff for sure.
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Ross says
Can I make this sauce without using oil as I’m on an oil free diet?Reply
Mike Hultquist says
You surely can, Ross. Enjoy.Reply
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?Reply
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.
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Peggy says
Excellent recipe. To make it more wine friendly I used red bell peppers and deseeded Thai chilies - 5 for slightly spicy, 2 for mild.Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Peggy!
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Peggy Perry says
I love this recipe. To make it work better with wine I used a raw red bell pepper and 5 thai chilies that i deseeded.The sauce makes anything taste good. We used it with commercial Thai curry paste to make shrimp & coconut milk soup. It was great as a sandwich spread with sliced chicken.Mike Hultquist says
Wonderful! I love to hear this, Peggy! Very happy you enjoyed it!
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Dani says
why there is no onions in the ingredients?Reply
Mike Hultquist says
You can add onions if you'd like. See some of the other comments.
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Tiago says
Quick correction: the peri-peri sauce is originally Portuguese, not African. As is the chain Nando's (started by a Portuguese immigrant in South Africa)Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Tiago, it was made by Portuguese settlers in Africa after discovering local bird's eye peppers. This particular version is more like the Nando's brand of sauce. There are many ways to make it.
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Morne Steffens says
Nando's is a proudly South African brand. whether the founders came to SA a few hundred years ago to settle here or not. It is now a SA brand. Thanks for the recipe. These chillies grow wild in my garden!
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Pam says
I had a bag of jalapeños so used those then followed the recipe. What a fantastic sauce! Had it tonight on grilled steaks and tomorrow I have chicken wings to use in the grilled wing with piryi piri sauce! YummyReply
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Pam!
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Sean says
I put some thyme and ghost. It's fantastic. I have made 2 batches in a week. I put it on sandwiches, eggs, pizza, and I eat it with a spoon. I swear it's a drug!Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome to hear, Sean! Glad you love it! I know, pretty addictive.
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Bob says
I LOVE this stuff! I made it with ripe red jalapeños with a few ghost chilis thrown it to kick it up a bit. My favorite so far is on fried chicken but it's great for cooking on the grill or broiler. Great mixed with Buffalo wing sauce!Reply
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds awesome, Bob! I love it!
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Doug says
Can you tell me how many ml of sauce this recipe makes?Reply
Mike Hultquist says
About 350 ml.
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Solomon says
Hello, silly question, but how many cups will 1pound of red chili peppers be?
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Mike Hultquist says
Approximately 2 cups, but it depends on how you cut them, etc, so it's best to go by weight.
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Karen says
This looks fantastic! I want to know if I can can this for long shelf lifeReply
Mike Hultquist says
Karen, this will last a week or so in the refrigerator, sealed. It doesn't have much acid to preserve it, though you can add in vinegar or more citrus to lower the pH for longer keeping. You can also freeze it.
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Sangeeta Patel says
Thank you! Love your recipes!
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Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Sangeeta!
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Sandra Weston says
Can this be frozen?
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Mike Hultquist says
Sandra, yes, you can freeze peri peri sauce, no problem.
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Joni says
Ok you did NOT classify this as American cuisine. It is not American. America does not really have a cuisine. I’ll give you the southern stuff/ Louisiana .. but THIS is PORTUGESE.
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Joni, it's actually African (yes, I should have marked that, oops), though with a Portuguese influence, from what I understand. I left it in the American category, as it is a bit Americanized. FYI. And, yes, there are many different cuisines in America. Cheers.
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Yo-mama says
are you bored? seems like no one cared. it's a recipe board, not a come and complain boardReply
Todd L Wiley says
Mike, made this a couple of days ago and I do say it is very tasty! However, I could not find the bird's eye pepper, so I used red Thai peppers. I don't know the differences between the two peppers as far as flavor. I also used lemon basil because that is the only basil the international market had. I increased the basil to 1/2 a cup. I also put 1 cup of white vinegar and a 1/4 cup of agave, then blended until very smooth. Then I bottled it. I love the recipe. Thanks, Mike!Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Very nice! Sounds wonderful, Todd! Glad you enjoyed it.
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Lynne says
Used jalapenos,garlic and herbs fresh from the garden. We love it! I wonder if our little local grocery will wonder why the the Nando's sauce doesn't seem to sell as fast as it did? Our habit was getting expensive. Thanks for this recipe!Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds perfect, Lynne. Yes, homemade! So good!
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Michael says
If I do get the African Birds eye chiles do you still suggest 1lb of them for this sauce? Or will that be extreme heat?
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
It would be pretty darned hot, Michael. Depending on your heat preference, you may want to balance that out with milder peppers. Let me know how it goes for you. Enjoy!
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Chris says
Wow! I had to use fresno chiles (as can’t find African birds eye locally) and added a bit of red wine vinegar for a bit more acid on my first pass. Turned out great, spicier than I expected with the fresno, but so good! Reading through the comments here, I see some great ideas for the next batch! Thanks, Mike, I love this site.Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent! Thanks, Chris! Glad you enjoyed it.
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John Fairfield says
Great recipe Mike!
I share your love for hot sauce and piri piri in particular. In my humble opinion your recipe and ingredient composition are far superior to Nando’s version of this childhood delicacy. I have tweaked the recipe a little and the results are amazing.I found that frying the ingredients together for a few minutes before liquidising them produce a much deeper and richer flavour and also prolong the shelf life of the end product. I therefore prefer to start by frying of the garlic in virgin olive oil in a saucepan together with two finely chopped sweet onions and half a tin of tomato paste. I then deglaze the onion and garlic with balsamic vinegar before adding the rest of the ingredients. Simmer over slow heat for 5 minutes and then liquidise the pan’s contents. My own “secret ingredient” and natural preservative is the two tots of good whiskey or agua ardente which are mixed in with the mixture just before it is bottled.
Your reference to prawns on the beach in yesteryear’s LM brought back pleasant memories of stays in the Polana hotel. On one of these occasions I accompanied an airforce delegation to render logistical support during Mozambique’s first democratic elections. During an evening meal one of the generals present ladled on the peri peri sauce on every morsel on his plate despite our warnings of the possible dire consequences of this excess. Needles to say but the general did not turn up at the breakfast table the next morning and when questioned his aide d’ camp drily remarked that he was in bed on doctor’s since his “after burner” wouldn’t shut down.
Morale of the story for the uninitiated - friends beware - traditional African peri peri should always be used in moderation.
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, John. Yes, such a great sauce, with so many ways to play with the recipe. Very nice. Great story, btw! Love it.
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Bill says
Traditional Piri Piri Sauce as consumed in Portugal is a simple recipe and in fact almost every restaurant in Lisbon has their own recipe and makes a traditional version. The recipes here omit bay leaves, which are a required and traditional ingredient along with Piri Piri chiles. These are often called African Bird's Eye Peppers as they're very small, less than 1/2 " in length but pack heat. The list of ingredients include, plenty of garlic, sometimes paprika, cracked black pepper, wine vinegar or cider vinegar or sometimes brandy and olive oil. This all gets blended in a blender jar and used as you like. If using fresh garlic store in the refrigerator or if you want to keep it on the kitchen counter, heat until the olive oil just begins to sizzle without burning the garlic. Remove from the stove and let come to room temperature,. You want to make sure the garlic is cooked thoroughly as there's the danger of food poisoning from the undercooked garlicReply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
This version from Portugal sounds wonderful, Bill. Thanks for sharing.
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Christo says
Great recipe and website Mike. My kind of food. As a South African chef living in France I miss the spiciness here so I love being able to make my own nando's sauce. Years ago we used to eat peri-peri prawns on the beach in Lourenco Marques (now Maputo). So many memories. I try incorporate your style of food in my weekly menus for our restaurant here, people love them.
Well done!
Stay safe
ChristoReply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks so much, Christo. I appreciate the kind words! Cheers!
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Gerard says
Thank you for the fantastic recipes. We so look forward to receiving them!We find the reference to Nandos interesting. As we understand it the name derives from the Portuguese name Fernandez. The entrepreneurial inventor of the brand. Originated in Southern Africa. Our anecdote ...
We were on a tour bus going through the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (downtown) when the bus suddenly stopped. Broken-down. To our luck this happened right outside a Nandos restaurant and takeout. We really felt blessed!
Thanks again Mike, and everyone!
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Gerard. Great story! I appreciate it.
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WILLIAM E BENDICK says
I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN & UNABLE TO GET RED CHILI PEPPERS. CAN I USE DRIED ? RECEIPE SAYS ONE POUND. HOW MANY OZ. OF DRIED WOULD EQUAL ONE POUND OF FRESH ??
THANK YOU, BILL@PEWTER2009@CHARTER.NETReply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
William, yes, you can use dried. Just rehydrate them in hot water until soft. Use 1/4 pound dried for 1 pound fresh. Let me know how it goes for you. Enjoy!
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Larry R says
Hi Michael - over 50 years ago when I was Cadet on a Delta Lines ship we used to eat Piri Piri Prawns at local restaurants in Lobito and Luanda, Angola.
The Sauce was in empty Coca Colas Bottles with a Laundry Spritzer Top and was almost Water Thin but really HOT !! We would "sprinkle" it over the boiled Prawns. Loved to get it every time we were there "In Port"
I make it "thicker" today, but can't seem to find to exact "authentic taste" as I remember it.
Larry
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hey, Larry. My guess is it was a good homegrown version out of someone's kitchen, possibly unique to that cook. So many sauces vary from cook to cook. Could have been a high vinegar concentration (or possibly water or lemon juice) to make it thinner, with heat from local peppers. Bird's eye peppers are the most common for this, though you could easily slip in some habaneros or hotter. Something to experiment with.
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Ingrid says
How did I never come across this incredible blog before today? (while googling "how to use up lots of habaneros") So many recipes that I cannot WAIT to try!This one is at the top of my list. About 15 years ago my husband and I were living in Western Australia, and our favorite Latin-style hot sauces were nowhere to be found. How would we survive? But there were Nando's Chicken franchises everywhere, and then we found the Nando's hot sauces in bottles at the grocery store! So, so tasty! Similar consistancy and spice level to a Cholula or Tapatio, but with a really unique flavor from the lemon and the herbs. I'm so excited to give this a try, and relive the memories of that time 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Ingrid! Glad you found me. =) Enjoy!
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Ashley says
You’d be crazy not to try this! I am obsessed with Peri peri chicken but don’t eat it too often as it’s hard to find a good restaurant. This sauce on my chicken is probably better than anywhere I’ve ever had it professionally made and I will for sure be keeping this at the top of my recipe listReply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great stuff, Ashley! I love Peri Peri Chicken!
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Karanicle says
I used a whole bunch of birds eye chillis I grew and WOW this sauce is stomach-turning spicy. Each pepper might have been 250,000 on the scoville scale; they were an interesting breed.I added grilled pineapple to sweeten it a bit, and now its okay to use in small doses. But SO delicious.
Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome!! I love it!
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Veronika says
I made the mild version with 1 red jalapeño and the rest red bell peppers. I love the cilantro/basil combination! Amazing! Made grilled chicken with it and my husband said not to EVER lose this recipe! Fantastic flavors even without all the heat. Thank you!Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds wonderful! Thanks, Veronika!
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Dpg says
The results are great. Thanks for the recipe. One procedural thought… I like to put the garlic and lemon in the blender first and purée while I chopped the peppers and other ingredients. Just mellows the garlic a lot… Or so it seems. I also couldn’t leave well enough alone and enjoyed the addition just a teaspoon or less of fish sauce.Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Wonderful! Thanks!
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Lily says
Do you remove seeds from the peppers? I used unseeded red jalapenos and it's pretty spicy!Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Lily, you can if you want to. I usually do not, but some people prefer to remove the seeds. Removing the whitish innards will remove much of the pepper heat.
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SHELDON says
Made this with some frozen jalapeno peppers I had around. Very Delicious! Added an extra garlic clove and a little extra lemon juice. Want to try some other hot peppers once ready to be picked 🙂Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great, Sheldon! Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. It's great with other peppers for sure.
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James Mallon says
An instant favorite!!Loved it. Did a three pepper blend: chile de Arbol, sweet shepherd pepper and red bell. A little more lemon juice for me.
Fantastic!
Thank you.
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I love the pepper blend! GREAT combination there. Super happy you enjoyed it, James.
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Leticia says
this was awesome recipe my family loved the chicken test with this sauce.
thanks
Leticia
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Leticia! Glad your family enjoyed it!
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Fixit says
Hello, your peri peri recipe is superb! Can this be kept for a few days at room temp? I am planning to send this sauce out of town...Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
This is best in the refrigerator, though the citrus will act as a preservative. If you need to keep it out of the fridge, I would add more citrus or vinegar to help preserve it.
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Margo Sluman says
Definitely 5 stars but I knew I had to sub sub some red bell pepper. I'm in heaven over here and so is my husband!! Tried two now and both 5*sReply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Margo! I love to hear it! Peri peri is SO GOOD. Glad you both enjoyed it.
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Bruno says
Lol Nando’s ain’t the world famous Piri Piri sauce never heard of Nando in Portugal or in Spain, lol this is a Portuguese sauce and most likely Afro Portuguese origins. Angola it’s the most likely the ex Portuguese African colony where originates actually they don’t really sell Piri Piri sauce maybe nao as white Portuguese only have Piri-Piri chicken and we don’t even advertise it it’s same as chill sauce or mayo for us, Afro Portuguese Angolan descendants they have them small chillis in a sauce and they take couple and put on their own plate and crush it we don’t really cook food with chillis in it we ad it after. Portuguese cuisine don’t use much chillis.
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David says
For anyone canning a pepper sauce recipe, make sure there is enough vinegar and salt to ensure a low pH. The reason is that peppers by themselves are a low acid food and can support botulism bacteria if there is too little vinegar and salt in the recipe. This is why all commercial hot sauce recipes tend to taste so sour and salty as they need that acid and salt content for food safety reasons.My spice preference for Peri Peri sauce tends to wild thymes rather than cilantro or basil and certainly not tarragon. I have made several Peri Peri sauces using salted preserved lemons and the chopped up whole lemons have a great mild lemon tang after fermentation.
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
David, yes, that canning/preserving information is available on many pages of this site, and in my How to Make Hot Sauce page: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/how-to-make-hot-sauce/. Thanks for the information. Wild thyme sounds like a nice addition. Preserved lemons are great, too, and I believe used in the popular commercial brand. Thanks for commenting!
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James Verster says
Excellent recipe.
Simple, effective and elegant. I produce many hot sauces professionally and this is a cool recipe for a hot sauce.
We'll done!Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, James! Definitely one of my favorites. A go-to for sure. I appreciate it!
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Rajat Dhameja says
Cannot wait to try this Peri Peri recipe. Thank you
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I hope you enjoy it!
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Jenny says
Piri piri chicken is really popular in portugal. Almost all churrasquira’s sell chicken this way, but sometimes It’s great to make your own sauce. And this recipe is simple and tasty. Thank you
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Jenny! I appreciate it!
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Verna says
I love you recipe and I will tag you when I post my vlog on you tube. hehehe
Thank you♥Reply
Joann C says
I'm so happy to have found your website! I have an abundance of peppers in my garden this year and you have given me all kinds of ideas here. Thanks!
Your new fanReply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Joann! Glad you found us, too!! Welcome!
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Hafeez Raja says
hi,
I am trying to replicate the mild and medium NANDOs suace /marination , any help on this?
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hafeez, sorry, I have yet to make a duplicate of that sauce, but hope to in the future!
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Gage H says
This sauce rocks!! The only thing I did differently is add some more spices. I’m also not a huge fan of lemon so I used half a lemon and also added some red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, black pepper, and some minced onion all to taste. This enhanced the flavor in my opinion and while I didn’t have the traditional African Birds Eye, I used dried chilies instead and it was off the wall.Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds great, Gage! I love it! Glad you enjoyed it.
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Syud says
thanks for sharing this recipe. i'd made the sauce previous week. the taste a little bit strong because i put 10 clove garlic. it was a good mistake as well.
my family said it was good. Glad to make it againReply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Syud. Glad you are happy how it turned out! Enjoy.
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ASHI says
Your Peri Peri recipe is a bomb , i have used it to my new you-tube video. Thank you so much .
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Marie says
Hello Mike, Love your site. Two Questions:
1) your pictures show a "chunky" sauce yet your instructions are to blend to a paste. The pictures do not reflect a paste. Where is the difference.2) I have a lot of peppers from the garden; Ghost, Jalapeño, Cayenne, Red Chili, etc. I am planning on making a bunch of sauces but I need to have them last at least a year. In the above instructions ( I can jar/can); Do I make the Peri Peri and the other hot sauces, then place them into the hot water bath as part of the canning process? Is this what you mean in how to store them longer? If so, what is the canning time for each of the sauces? 5min, 10min 20min???
Thanks,
MarieReply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Marie, it's really to your own consistency preference. I actually updated the description to make that more clear. Thank you for alerting me to that. For the canning/jarring process, 15 minutes in a hot water bath is usually sufficient. I have water bath instructions on this Tomato Chutney Recipe that you can follow: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/tomato-chutney/. Let me know if this helps. Same process.
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Marie says
Thank you Mike.I am on it and Thank you for replying!!
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Happy to help!
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Keith says
Absolutely delicious. Any info on expanding to 5 litres please?Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Keith! I would focus on the peppers and add in the liquids in smaller proportions until you achieve the proper consistency. The solids can be mostly ratio'd up, but be careful with the liquids.
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trever says
One pound of Bird's Eye??
I just tried this and it was completely uneatable. WAY TOO HOT
My wife is from Ghana and she couldn't take more than a small dap on her tounge before she spit it out, and she can literally drink Nando's XX sauce.
I find it hard to believe that this much, one pound, is what is called for.Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Trever, yes, 16 ounces is a lot of peppers, but traditional peri peri sauce is highly pepper based, so the measurement is correct. It sounds to me like you're trying to find a Nando's Peri Peri Sauce copycat recipe, which this is not. This is more of a traditional sauce. If you'd like to more closely approximate Nando's, find out their peppers, ingredients and ratios. You can also sub in different peppers, such as the red bell pepper, as discussed in the post, so you can achieve flavors closer to what you are looking for. I'm happy to help you adapt. Best of luck.
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Trever says
I'll be trying this tonight.
Any idea on how to make the Nando's Wild Herb suace?
thank you!Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sorry, Trever. No, I do not know hot to make Nando's Wild Herb Sauce, though if I knew the ingredients, I could probably duplicate it.
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Dave says
What is the resulting volume?
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Dave, this recipe yields about 1.5 cups. Let me know how it turns out for you.
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Lamija says
What Chile can be used in place of the African BirdChile?
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Lamija, dried pods are a good replacement, or you can use Thai peppers, or cayenne peppers. Let me know if this helps.
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Francisco says
Good recipe Michael, but I must say that the sauce is portuguese in origin, the Nando's grilled chicken franchise was opened by a portuguese emigrant in South Africa. The piri-piri (or peri peri in several African dialects) pepper was brought to Africa by the Portuguese.Reply
Debby Geffre says
YUM-0......we grow reapers, ghost, friars hat, lemon drop .....love me some HOT and or /sweet peppers!! thanks for sharing....never tried the African birds eyeReply
Debby Geffre says
Did I say thanks for your time MIKE!!Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Haha, DOUBLE appreciation! Thanks!
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Debby! I appreciate it!
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Diane E Contreras says
how long can it last in the refrigerator and can you freeze this sauce?
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Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Diane. This sauce will last easily a week in the fridge or longer if you include more citrus. Yes, you can freeze it up to 3 months. Let me know how it turns out for you.
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Nyasha says
I especially love peri peri however I have only heard Nando's and not a more authentic taste of this sauce. Looks like I'll have to follow your recipe and get back to you.Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I hope you enjoy it!
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Damien C. says
Yeah, baby. This is basically kick a**. Really digging the flavor with the african birds eye chillies. This is one of my new easy go-to sauces.Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, Damien. Thanks!
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Terry Black says
Great recipe - made it with some home grown hot chilli's - lasted a couple of months in the fridge until it was all eaten up - delicious and simple...Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Terry! Glad you enjoyed it.Reply
Joanne says
Can I make a version without oil? I do Slimming World and would love syn free version
REPLY: Joanne, it won't be the same, but YES, you can omit the oil and use vinegar instead. If you do this, though, you might want to simmer the sauce a bit to mellow it out. Try it fresh and with a simmer and see which youprefer. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
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Mary Daly says
How long does this receipe keep. Thanks
REPLY: Mary, it should easily last a month in the fridge because of the lemon juice content, though if you'd like longer storage, add in some vinegar. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
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Jorge says
Correct name is Piri-Piri.
REPLY: George, I mention in the post it is also know by "piri piri" or "pili pili". -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
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Todd says
I have DRIED piri-piri peppers - not fresh, how can I change this recipe to use these?REPLY: Todd, you can rehydrate them. Here is a link: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/cooking-with-chili-peppers/how-to-rehydrate-dried-chili-peppers. You might need to use more of them, or use some of the steeping liquid. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
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Ilona @ Ilonas Passion says
I''ve never tried per peri sauce but by looking at ingredients I already know that I will love this sauce! Pinning!Reply
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Llonas!Reply
