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3 Comments Quick & Easy Piri Piri Sauce Recipe
Ready to bring the heat? This fast and flavorful homemade piri piri sauce comes together in no time, and you only need a handful of ingredients to get started. Before you know it, you’ll be slathering this spicy magic on everything. I don’t know about you, but it gives me total summer vibes already. I know, I know – spring is not over yet, but hey… never too early to get prepped for grilling season, right?
Table of contents
What is Piri Piri Sauce?
“Piri piri” (sometimes spelled peri peri) originally refers to a type of chili pepper from Africa – the name literally means pepper pepper. Portuguese explorers brought it back to Europe, and nowadays, it’s become a beloved staple in Portuguese cuisine. But like many global dishes, its roots are a little more tangled than they seem. We even had an episode on Dutch television specifically about the origin of this spicy sauce.
Wherever it comes from, one thing’s for sure – this sauce is crazy versatile. I use it most often to marinate chicken (hello, piri piri chicken!), but it’s also amazing mixed into roasted veggies or stirred into mayonnaise for a spicy dressing, adding a bit to a sugar-free barbecue sauce or sandwich spread. It’s vegan so you can also use it for a vegan mayo. The flavor profile of piri piri is somewhat similar to harissa or gochujang.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Just a few simple ingredients:
- 1 roasted red bell pepper – you can roast one yourself or go for store bought. I tend to use the latter for ease of use.
- 6 fresh red chili peppers – officially this should be piri piri chilies but any chilies will do. Make sure to balance the heat as some peppers are way hotter than others.
- 3 cloves of garlic
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
Can’t find traditional piri piri chilies? No problem – any fresh red chili peppers will do. Just keep in mind: some are fiery, others are super mild. Taste before you blend! If you want more heat you can add other hot chilies.
How to Make It
- Toss the roasted red bell pepper, garlic, red chilies (yes, seeds and all!), lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil into a blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth. That’s it!
This sauce is bold, punchy, and packed with flavor. Perfect for marinating meat (like you would also use a teriyaki sauce for instance), spicing up mayo, or giving your veggies a zesty kick.
FAQs About Piri Piri Sauce
It depends on the peppers you use. Leaving the seeds in makes it hotter. If you want a milder version, remove the seeds and white inner ribs before blending.
You can, but fresh peppers give the sauce its signature brightness and flavor. If you only have dried, soak them in hot water for 15–20 minutes to soften before blending.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it’ll keep for about 1 to 2 weeks. The oil helps preserve it!
Absolutely. Freeze it in ice cube trays and pop out a cube whenever you need a flavor boost.
Besides chicken and veggies, try it on grilled shrimp, over rice bowls, in sandwiches, or even drizzled over pizza. You really can’t go wrong.
Want more spicy recipes like this? Stay tuned – I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite dishes using this sauce in the coming weeks. Until then, go blend yourself a batch and let the summer flavors roll in!
Piri piri sauce
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper roasted
- 6 red chilies fresh
- 3 garlic cloves
- 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Place the roasted peppers, garlic, red chili peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper (including the seeds and membranes!) in a blender or the bowl of a hand blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Piri piri sauce is delicious for marinating meat, but you can also use it to add flavor to mayonnaise or vegetables.
- Depending on the peppers you use, it can sometimes be hotter. If you don’t want it to be so hot, you can remove the seeds and membranes before putting it in the blender.
Notes
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
The first piri piri I bought was at Albert Hein, Amsterdam LOL ! Now, here you give it from scratch. Could it get any better ?!?!?!?!? Thank you!
You’re joking! Hahaha. That is so funny!
If you love spicy food this is your go to sauce. It is super quick to put together and very versatile to use. Add some to mayonnaise or rub it on your chicken fillet. Delicious!