Join us for an adventure in flavor!
Home » Sauces and Condiments » Peri Peri Sauce Kashmiri Powder
Peri Peri Sauce is a spicy African condiment with a complex flavor profile. It’s most well known as the star ingredient of Peri Peri Chicken, but goes great with so many things.
Just a quick whir in the blender, and you can have your very own homemade Peri Peri Sauce. But let me warn you, these flavors are very addictive!
We love making our own sauces, they’re so much better than bottled stuff. Some of our top spicy sauces are Salsa Taquera, Harissa Sauce and Jamaican Jerk Sauce.
This latest addition is right up there with the best of them.
Peri Peri, also known as Piri Piri or Pili Pili, is an exotic, fiery chili sauce with deep African and Portuguese roots. This tantalizing blend is famous for its perfect combination of heat and flavor.
Traditionally, African bird’s eye chilis are used in the sauce. They lend the sauce their local name, which is derived from the Swahili word pilipili, which means “pepper”.
Where it was first produced is unclear, but it does seem most likely that the original sauce was created by the Portuguese from African peppers.
More recently, the restaurant chain Nando’s has helped Peri Peri become a household name. Originating in South Africa, Nando’s specializes in Portuguese-African cuisine, with Peri Peri chicken being its signature dish.
Nowadays, bottled Peri Peri Sauce is common on supermarket shelves. But as with most foods, homemade is always best!
As mentioned, African bird’s eye chilis are traditional. If you can find those, use them.
A great substitute is Thai bird’s eye chilis, which are readily available in most local Asian grocery stores.
If you can’t find either of these varieties, other hot red peppers can be used.
Take note that our recipe uses Thai bird’s eye chilis. If you are using other chili peppers, you will want to adjust the amounts based on how hot they are. African bird’s eye peppers are 2-3x hotter, so if that’s what you have, start with 2 or 3 and taste before adding more. Most chili peppers available in supermarkets will be less hot than Thai.
Place all ingredients except olive oil in a blender or food processor. Blend to a fine consistency.
Blend until the oil emulsifies.
Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
Our favorite use for Peri Peri sauce is as a marinade. It goes great with pork chops, steaks like skirt or flank, shrimp and, of course, chicken. Stay tuned, our next post is Peri Peri Chicken.
Don’t discard the used marinade! Simmer it in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes, then it makes a great dipping sauce for your marinated meat.
It’s also a wonderful dipping sauce for things like Fries, onion rings and chicken tenders. Or use it like a salsa. Dip tortilla chips or drizzle it on Tacos or Burrito Bowls.
It is a great flavor booster for soups or beans. Add in a tablespoon at a time until you achieve your desired taste.
Peri Peri Sauce refrigerates well in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.
It can also be frozen for 2-3 months. Freeze it in ice cube trays, then transfer to a freezer safe zip top bag for later use.
Each cube is about 1 tablespoon, so you can take out as much or as little as you want.
Add some spice to your life by mixing up a batch of this amazing Peri Peri Sauce. Once you try it, you’ll see why its popularity is spreading around the globe!
Make sure to save or pin this recipe so you always know where to find it. And don’t forget to subscribe to GypsyPlate, we’re always cooking up new recipes for you!
Try these other easy and delicious condiments Remoulade Sauce Peruvian Green Sauce Sriracha Mayo Utah Fry Sauce Hollandaise Sauce Garlic Aioli Tzatziki Chili Oil
Peri Peri Sauce is a spicy African condiment with a complex flavor profile. It's most well known as the star ingredient of Peri Peri Chicken, but goes great with so many things.
We like our piri piri sauce pretty spicy. If you aren't very heat tolerant, start with 5.
Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
Get griddling! Try these Blackstone Recipes!
Join the GypsyPlate mailing list and get easy dinner recipes right in your mailbox. From homestyle comfort food to exotic dishes from around the world.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Hi! I’m Alpana, former worldwide tour leader and professional caterer. Along with my husband, Jason, I love to cook foods from around the world. Here you’ll find hundreds of easy, step-by-step recipes tested right in our own kitchen.
Red Powder Chili Travel a word of flavors with GypsyPlate. Sort our recpes by regions: