My version of the ever famous Nando’s Peri Peri sauce.
If you’ve ever been to Nando’s, then you are very familiar with their world famous Peri Peri sauce. It’s this delicious blend of tang and spice that will send your taste buds on a wild ride. So I had friends always ask me if I had ever been to Nando’s before, and for the longest time, I had never heard of it or even tried it until the beginning of last year. My friends would always tell me I am missing out and I really didn’t understand what the hype was all about; until I tried it for the first time. WOW! They were not lying! This sauce was so good! Even though my food was already marinated in it, I used extra sauce on the side to dip everything in. It was just that good!
There are no Nando’s around where I live so I don’t get to eat it very often and it’s not as easy accessible. Although the sauce is available in some grocery stores, you won’t find it everywhere. So I figured I would make my own version and try to replicate it to use at home whenever I want! Let me tell you guys, this came out SO delicious that I couldn’t stop “tasting” it to see if the flavor was on point. I literally just kept taking spoonfuls of the sauce and eating it because it was amazing. Typically, this sauce uses Peri Peri chili or African Bird’s Eye Peppers, however, that is not readily available in your local grocery store so I tried to find the best substitute to achieve a similar flavor. There are different levels of spice to this sauce but I like things a little spicy so I added extra, but you can easily remove or add the spicy peppers based on your preference to achieve your desired spice levels. This sauce can be made in advance and bottled and kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks so you can keep on enjoying this delicious sauce!
To replace the African Bird’s Eye Peppers, I used a mix of habanero and jalapeno peppers to achieve the same spice levels, mixed with some acidity and vinegar to get that tang that the sauce has. Nando’s popularly slathers this sauce on grilled chicken but honestly, I think you can get really creative with this and put it on almost anything. It’s a marinade, but it’s also a dipping sauce or condiment that would be a great compliment to many dishes. While my non-veg friends will probably continue to enjoy this with chicken, shrimp, or their choice of protein, there are many things my vegetarian friends can indulge in as well! This would be seriously great on some paneer, halloumi cheese, french fries, roasted or fried cauliflower, spread on a sandwich, it would even taste delicious brushed on some charred corn! The options are truly endless!
Here are a few tips to achieving the best flavor for this sauce:
- Make sure you get a nice char on the peppers and onion when broiling them. If you don’t have a broiler, you can do it on a gas stove as well
- You can adjust the spice level by adding or removing the peppers. If you like it really spicy, add more habanero peppers. You can also you Serrano chilies with this sauce
- I recommend using fresh oregano as it elevates the flavor, but you can replace it with dried oregano if you don’t have fresh. You may need to use a bit more if using dried
- Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil
I hope you guys will give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as my family and I did! Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me in your creations! I love seeing everything you guys make! Happy eating, friends!
Peri Peri Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 red bell peppers seeded and sliced in half
- 1 white onion peeled and sliced in half
- 2 habanero peppers sliced in half
- 1 jalapeno pepper sliced roughly
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1.5 tbsp fresh oregano chopped
- 1/2 lemon juiced and zested
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Broil pepper and onion on low for 15-20 minutes until they are charred. Let pepper and onion cool down for about 10-15 minutes
- Once the onion and pepper are cooled, add to a blender and blend until you get a a smooth liquid consistency
- Then add the garlic, jalapeno, habaneros, oregano, lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, olive oil, and blend until you get a nice smooth sauce
- Once all the ingredients are blended, add the sauce to a saucepan on low heat and add butter
- Let the sauce simmer with the butter for about 20 minutes then take off the heat and cool
- Store in airtight bottle in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks
