Copycat Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis copycat Nando’s peri peri sauce recipe is a delicious and flavorful hot sauce, made with bird’s eye chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, and spices! Use it as a sauce, a marinade for chicken, or brush it on meat as it’s grilling.
Ready in 15 minutes, this easy no-cook hot sauce is simple to make and has a wonderful flavor. It has some delicious heat and tastes just like our restaurant favorite!
Want more spicy recipes? Try our chorizo pasta without cream, our copycat Carmine’s penne alla vodka, and our favorite 3-ingredient spicy margarita with limeade.
Every time we travel to a city that has Nando’s chicken, we have to stop in for lunch! We were recently in Calgary, and had delicious Nando’s chicken and their classic peri peri hot sauce (also called piri piri sauce), and I had to make a version at home. The sauce originates from South Africa, and is made with peri peri chili peppers. Unfortunately, New England is lacking in Nandos’ but this delicious hot sauce is a great copycat recipe that tastes just like the original.
Start by trimming your peppers and adding them to a food processor with garlic, vinegar, and fresh lemon juice, and other spices for flavor. Once the sauce is blended, you can use it as a marinade for chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken pieces or a dipping sauce for any protein or vegetables you have on hand. Note: This isn’t Nando’s official recipe, it’s just a copycat version that we make at home that is close to the original.
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s hot, spicy, and super flavorful – one of our favorite hot sauce recipes.
- Just like the restaurant version – a delicious copycat!
- It takes just 15 minutes to make, so you can have this easy peri peri sauce fast.
- A great no-cook recipe that can be made in a food processor or blender.
- Anyone can make peri peri hot sauce (or any homemade condiments)Â successfully by following our step-by-step photos and directions below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
African bird’s eye chilies are a key ingredient, which are a variety of hot Thai chili pepper. They are also known as ‘peri peri’ peppers, making them the star of this delicious hot sauce. You can find them in most grocery stores, or order them online.
Both garlic and onion add a great flavor to this sauce. I also finish it off with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, which adds a wonderful citrusy kick. The red peppers also give this a sweetness.
Olive oil and apple cider vinegar give the sauce it’s liquid-y texture. You can also add a tablespoon or two of water to thin the sauce out if yours is too thick.
And other ingredients for this hot sauce are: honey (for a little sweetness), smoked paprika for a tasty smoky flavor, and thyme which adds a wonderful herby flavor.
Additions and Substitutions
You can add more garlic or more onion to give this dish a deeper savory flavor.
If you don’t have smoked paprika, you can use regular paprika or omit it altogether. Substitute honey for brown sugar, or the apple cider vinegar for white vinegar or red wine vinegar.
Fresh herbs would be a great addition – 1/2 bunch chopped parsley or cilantro blended into the sauce would give it a wonderful freshness.
Fresh lemon juice makes this sauce – I made this recipe the first time without it, and the lemon juice and zest really added a nice flavor. I highly recommend using fresh lemons and not bottled lemon juice. Or substitute lime juice if desired.
How To Make Peri Peri Hot Sauce
Step 1: Before starting, I recommend wearing food-safe gloves to protect your hands from the pepper oils. Remove the stems from the peppers, and place the whole peppers in a food processor.
Step 2: Add in the garlic, chopped onion, olive oil, white vinegar, honey, smoked paprika, thyme, and salt.
Step 3: Zest the lemons first, then slice and add the fresh lemon juice to the hot sauce.
Step 4: Start the food processor on low speed, and work your way up to high. Process for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce is a liquid-y consistency. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water if needed to thin the sauce out.
Step 5:Â Pour the hot sauce into jars or bottles, and refrigerate. Enjoy for up to 2 weeks. Save extra sauce in an airtight container and store for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe FAQs
This copycat recipe uses bird’s eye chili peppers, onion, garlic, honey, thyme, lemon, smoked paprika, and red bell pepper. It’s a delicious and flavorful sauce that tastes just like the restaurant version!
Peri peri sauce is made with peri peri peppers, or bird’s eye chilis. They have a wonderfully spicy flavor, and pair well with garlic and lemon juice to make a tasty hot sauce.
Instead of a food processor, you can add the ingredients to a blender to get it extra smooth. If the blender seizes up, you an add an extra tablespoon or two of water to get it to your desired consistency.
Expert Tips
- For a more mild sauce, you can remove the seeds from inside the peppers before adding them to the food processor.
- Season to taste – everyone has a different preference for salt and pepper, so if more is needed, please add your desired amount.
- If making this recipe ahead of time, make sure to give the hot sauce a good shake before serving, as it can separate.
What To Serve with Peri Peri Sauce
- Oven Baked Chicken Shawarma Skewers Recipe
- Air Fryer Mango Chicken Recipe
- Big Green Egg Halibut Recipe
- Copycat Olive Garden Herb Grilled Salmon Recipe
- Big Green Egg Grilled Pork Chops
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Copycat Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Funnel
- Hot Sauce Jars
Ingredients
- 1 lb bird’s eye chili peppers or Fresno chiles
- 1 red bell pepper seeds and stem removed
- 1 head garlic about 10 cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 sweet onion
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 lemons zested and juiced
Instructions
- Before starting, I recommend wearing food-safe gloves to protect your hands from the pepper oils. Remove the stems from the peppers, and place the whole peppers in a food processor.
- Add in the garlic, chopped onion, olive oil, white vinegar, honey, smoked paprika, thyme, and salt.
- Zest the lemons first, then slice and add the fresh lemon juice to the hot sauce.
- Start the food processor on low speed, and work your way up to high. Process for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce is a liquid-y consistency. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water if needed to thin the sauce out.
- Pour the hot sauce into jars or bottles, and refrigerate. Enjoy for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- For a more mild sauce, you can remove the seeds from inside the peppers before adding them to the food processor.
- Season to taste – everyone has a different preference for salt and pepper, so if more is needed, please add your desired amount.
- If making this recipe ahead of time, make sure to give the hot sauce a good shake before serving, as it can separate.
Nutrition
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