Homemade Nando's Peri Peri Sauce Recipe

Get restaurant-quality meals with this simple nando's style peri peri sauce recipe! Use it as a marinade or condiments for your chicken and more!

Course Dinner, Dips, Dressings and Sauces, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Mozambican, Portuguese

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Servings teaspoons

Calories 35kcal

⅓ cup sunflower seed oil or your preferred choice of vegetable oil
1 cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup African bird eye chilis (use between 2-5 chillis, if you prefer your peri peri sauce less spicy)
3 roasted red or orange bell peppers
1 red onion
7 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon smoked or sweet paprika (ground paprika)
a handful of fresh rosemary (or 1½ tablespoon dried rosemary)
½ cup fresh parsley
2½ teaspoon salt
2½ sugar (optional)
grated zest and juice of one lemon

Add all the ingredients with the exception of the grated lemon rind and lemon juice to your food processor. Blend into a sauce. How smooth or chunky the sauce should be will totally depend on your preference.
Allow a small saucepan to heat under medium heat. Add the blended peri peri sauce and allow it to reduce.
Once done, remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside to cool. Stir in the lemon juice and grated lemon zest. Use your peri peri sauce or keep it in sterilised jars or bottles in the fridge or freezer.

How smooth or chunky the sauce should be will totally depend on your preference.
To make sure the peri peri sauce retains its tangy-sweet flavor and to prevent it from developing a bitter taste, avoid using aged parsley or rosemary leaves.
Use more or less of the chili peppers, depending on how spicy you like your peri peri sauce.