Peri peri seasoning also known as piri piri, is an amazing African spice blend that elevates all your meat and poultry dishes!
Why You'll Love It
This incredible mouth-watering chicken seasoning is sweet, spicy, and flavorful all at the same time. It effortlessly turns your ordinary chicken and vegetable dishes into a lip-smacking masterpiece!
Peri peri seasoning takes less than five minutes to whip up. It is so hassle-free, anyone could do it!
Also, it is homemade, so you know exactly what's going into it. No additives or harmful ingredients. There is no cooking required, it's made by mixing up a handful of ingredients that blend so well together.
What's more? You can whip up a big batch and store it for at least six months. That way, you're guaranteed to enjoy super delicious chicken or veggie dishes for a long time.
What is Peri Peri Seasoning?
Peri peri, also known as piri piri or peli peli is a popular seasoning from Southern Africa, originally invented by the Portuguese settlers in Mozambique. Africa's Bird's Eye Chili, as it is called, is also known as its most famous seasoning.
Peri peri seasoning is a sour, sweet, and salty mix of various spices and herbs usually used to season chicken, veggies, meats, and any food you like. In the UK, Nando's made this spice popular, so people refer to it as Nando's spice.
Ingredients Used
Here are the spices you need for this homemade peri peri seasoning.
- Peppers: Smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
- Herbs: Dried oregano, dried thyme.
- Aromatics: Garlic powder, onion powder.
- Spices: Ground coriander, ground ginger, salt, ground cardamom.
How To Make Peri Peri Seasoning
Piri piri seasoning comes together very quickly!
- Measure all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Mix them up together.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Storing and Reheating
Peri Peri seasoning is a dry rub spice mix, so it keeps quite well for months. Store this recipe in a sealable jar or air-tight container in a cool, dry place.
You can also keep it in your pantry or spice drawer and bring it out to use as needed.
What can I eat this recipe with?
This African homemade seasoning goes well with almost anything you can think of. I love to use it for my peri peri chicken but I also use it for my meats, seafood, or veggies before cooking.
It's such a hit when made with peri peri chicken. You can also slather it over a T-bone steak, chicken wings, drumsticks, or lamb chops before cooking for a wonderful, delectable experience!
Tips on Making Peri Peri Seasoning
- You can blend the combination for a smoother mix. It'll also help mix the spices properly.
- Just like the rest of your spices, keep this dry rub seasoning blend away from direct sunlight.
- Label your pili pili seasoning blend container with the date and name to help you easily identify it.
- Spray or rub your meat with olive oil before rubbing in the peri-peri seasoning so that it sticks to it for best results.
Recipe variations
- If you enjoy spicy food, add as much pepper as you want to it. Add just a little pepper if you're not a fan of it. The choice is completely up to you!
- Mix some of this delicious seasoning with mayonnaise to make an irresistible dip.
- Traditionally, the recipe calls for piri piri pepper, but you can substitute it with cayenne pepper or red chilli powder.
Frequently asked questions
It is typically made from a blend of dried garlic powder, sugar, onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, cardamon, and other herbs. I prefer to skip the sugar since I am on a low carb diet.
In the absence of peri peri seasoning, you can use this homemade chicken seasoning recipe for your meat and veggie dishes. It is a dry rub seasoning that is made from a blend of various spices and herbs that helps add so much flavor to your dishes.
Depending on the spices and herbs you use, peri peri seasoning can be sweet, sour, spicy, or salty. It could also be a complex mix of all of them.
No, peri peri is not the same as paprika. Paprika is a blend of different types of peppers that have been dried and smoked, while peri peri is a spice blend. Although both of them contain peppers, peri peri contains other spices and herbs too.
Enjoy Piri Piri Seasoning with these dishes!
Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Need more rubs and seasonings? Check these out!
📖 Recipe
Peri Peri Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper adjust to heat level
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients together.
- Mix them together.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- If you enjoy spicy food, add as much pepper as you want to it. Add just a little pepper if you're not a fan of it. The choice is completely up to you!
- Mix some of this delicious seasoning with mayonnaise to make an irresistible dip for French fries.
- Traditionally, the recipe calls for piri piri pepper, but you can substitute it with cayenne pepper or red chilli powder.
Nutrition
Tayo Oredola is the founder of Low Carb Africa, where she shares healthy, low carb dishes with global flavors. She is passionate about teaching people how to cook drool-worthy dishes while losing weight and living their best lives. Tayo’s recipes have been featured on MSN, Women’s Health, Parade, Yahoo News, Pure Wow, Essence, and other online publications.
Hello! I just returned from my first visit to South Africa and am addicted to peri peri! Do you have a recommendation on how to use this blend to make a peri peri sauce?
You can mix the seasoning with some oil and blend them together.