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.
If you have not tried peri peri sauce, this is one you need to put on the list. Peri Peri sauce is a traditional African sauce made from 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 grown in Africa, as the soil conditions there are completely different than anywhere else in the world, which influences the pepper flavor, and therefore the resulting sauce.
So let’s all go to Africa!
But of course! It is the same with peppers grown in New Mexico or the Caribbean. Hatch chiles, for example, are so darned good when you get them directly from New Mexico.
I love this sauce. You may have heard of the world’s most famous brand of Peri Peri sauce – Nando’s. This is a homemade version.
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 we make it, shall we?
Ingredients Needed
- 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
Making this Peri Peri Sauce Recipe
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 Goes Great with Peri Peri Sauce
I made some chicken wings and chicken legs with ours and we LOVED them. Peri Peri sauce goes particularly well with grilled chicken of any kind.
However, it’s also wonderful with seafood, such as shrimp or whitefish.
About the Chili Peppers and Recipe 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 and tarragon.
You’ll find regional differences throughout Africa. Such a great recipe.
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!
Frequently Asked Hot Sauce Questions
Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get on other sauces:
How long will this sauce keep?
It 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 4.0 or so, to account for errors. If you’re concerned, add more vinegar to lower the ph. Sauces made with fermented chili peppers will last even longer.
Where’d you get that sauce bottle?
I find them locally sometimes, but I also order through Amazon. Here is a link to some bottles I like (affiliate link, my friends!): Swing Top Glass Bottles, 8.5 Ounce – Set of 4
Can I process this hot sauce for longer storage?
Absolutely. Just be sure to use proper canning/jarring safety procedures.
What should I do with hot sauce?
Aside from drizzling it over anything you please, here’s a post I did about How to Cook with Hot Sauce. As if you need even MORE reasons to eat hot sauce. LOL. I hope you find it helpful!
Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes.
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.
Print Recipe
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
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.
You’ll love some of these recipes that incorporate Peri Peri sauce.
Peri Peri Chicken Wings
A recipe for chicken wings that have been brined, rubbed with chili powder and garlic, then tossed with your own homemade Peri Peri sauce. Then we grill them to perfection and toss them again in Peri Peri sauce. Win!
Peri Peri Chicken Legs
A recipe for flavorful chicken legs smothered in a homemade peri peri chili sauce then baked and served with extra sauce. A quick and easy weeknight meal. They’re great grilled, too!
