Chicken piri piri, who doesn’t know it? But do you also know the namesake of this iconic dish—the piri piri chili? No? Then it’s high time to change that, because with this chili you can do much more than just make chicken piri piri. This spicy, fruity flavoring can be used in many different ways, which is why in this blog we’d like to tell you more about this delicious chili.
We start with the origin of the piri piri chili. Next we’ll show you how to make the iconic piri piri spice mix yourself, and where to look if you’d prefer a ready-made piri piri. And of course we’ll tell you how to make chicken piri piri, but we’ll also show a different, less obvious recipe that uses the piri piri chili. Ready for some heat? Let’s begin!
What is piri piri? And where does piri piri come from?
The literal translation of piri piri from Swahili is ‘chili pepper’. The piri piri is therefore a type of pepper that belongs to the chili pepper family, like the jalapeño, serrano and cayenne pepper. This chili has its origins in the Americas, but was carried by Portuguese explorers during their long voyages and thus ended up in Africa. There this chili was quickly used in various dishes.
After the Portuguese introduced piri piri to Africa, they also brought it back to their homeland. There piri piri grew into part of the national cuisine. Piri piri is known for its intense heat, yet subtly fruity flavor. Because of this unique combination, piri piri is used by many chefs in sauces, marinades and spice mixes to add a nice kick.
In addition, piri piri is processed in other ways. You often see it in piri piri oil, a wonderfully spicy flavoring. Piri piri oil consists of oil, cayenne pepper, piri piri and salt. This oil can be used as a powerful marinade for meat and chicken, to incorporate into a dressing, or simply to dip bread in.
How can you make piri piri spices yourself?
Piri piri is a welcome guest in all kinds of spice blends, including of course the eponymous piri piri spice mix. You can easily make this spice mix at home, provided you have a number of basic spices on hand. The piri piri spice mix is always built on a base of the piri piri chili, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika powder, oregano, pepper and salt. This is a spice mix used to make the world-famous chicken piri piri, but you can also use it to marinate other cuts of meat and fish.
Although the base for the piri piri spice mix is the same for every cook, you can of course add any herb to taste. Prefer a more aromatic, herbaceous version? Then you can choose to add dried basil. Or if you’d rather add an earthy, warm aroma to your piri piri spice mix, you can add cumin. The possibilities are endless!
If you prefer a ready-made piri piri spice mix to save yourself a lot of time and be sure of a deliciously balanced flavor, you can find the piri piri spice blend in our assortment. To the base mentioned above we have added coriander, basil, ginger, cumin, mustard and turmeric. After much experimenting and tasting, we arrived at this mix—a nicely balanced, rich and spicy flavoring. Of course this mix is free from E-numbers, so you can responsibly enjoy this delicious spice mix.
How can you use piri piri?
Below we’ll show you how to use both the piri piri spice mix and piri piri oil in the kitchen. In the dish we name first below we use the piri piri spice mix, so make sure you’ve made this or obtained a ready-made mix.
Recipe 1: The Portuguese classic: chicken piri piri
You can’t write a blog about piri piri spices without highlighting chicken piri piri. This is perhaps the most iconic dish made with piri piri spices and is a true classic from Portuguese cuisine.
What we need for this are 4 chicken legs, 2 tablespoons of the piri piri spice mix, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 cloves of garlic, the juice of one lemon and salt and pepper to taste. Combine all ingredients, except the chicken, in a large bowl to make the piri piri marinade. Then rub the chicken legs well with the marinade and let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Then grill the marinated chicken on the grill or barbecue for best results. Do this over medium heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, turning regularly. If there is any marinade left, you can sprinkle the chicken with it while grilling for some extra flavor.
When the chicken is cooked it can be served! Delicious on its own, but for a full meal you could serve it with, for example, potato slices and a grilled corn on the cob. Literally finger-licking good!
Recipe 2: A salad with a kick: salad with piri piri dressing
And now a slightly less obvious recipe, namely a spicy salad flavored with piri piri dressing. We start with the piri piri dressing. You can make this by mixing 3 tablespoons piri piri oil (piri piri, cayenne pepper, oil and salt), 1 tablespoon olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon honey and salt and pepper to taste.
Next we cut and mix the vegetables that make up this salad. For this we take a mixed lettuce of your choice (for example arugula and lamb’s lettuce), sliced cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion and cucumber and a diced avocado.
Toss the vegetables well together, then add the dressing. Toss again so the dressing is evenly distributed. You can finish this salad by sprinkling it with crumbled feta and optionally roasted pine nuts.
By combining the piri piri oil with lemon juice and honey you get a wonderfully balanced dressing that yields a flavorful and refreshing salad. Spicy, sour, sweet, salty—everything is in there.
How will you use piri piri in the kitchen?
What a wonderfully versatile chili piri piri is, right? Besides making chicken piri piri, you can marinate all kinds of fish and meat with a piri piri-based marinade and even give a salad a beautiful flavor with it. Will you start your piri piri adventure with the classic chicken piri piri? Or do you dare to dive straight into the world of this spicy Portuguese flavoring? Whatever you do with this chili, it will undoubtedly add a delicious kick to all your dishes, with which you can surprise your friends and family. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions about piri piri
1. What exactly is piri piri?
Piri piri is a small, spicy chili pepper that originally comes from Africa and became popular in Portuguese cuisine. The pepper is often processed into piri piri sauce or used in spice mixes and marinades.
2. How spicy is piri piri?
Piri piri is quite spicy. On the Scoville scale the pepper usually scores between 50,000 and 100,000 SHU. The flavor is not only hot, but also fresh and slightly fruity.
3. What do you use piri piri for?
Piri piri is widely used in marinades for chicken, meat and shrimp. It is also popular as a spicy sauce for grilled dishes, potatoes or vegetables. You can use it fresh, dried or as a sauce.
4. What is the difference between piri piri and other chili peppers?
Piri piri is smaller and often fruitier in flavor than many other chili peppers. The combination of heat and bright acids (such as lemon or vinegar in the sauce) makes it unique compared to, for example, jalapeño or cayenne.
5. Can you make piri piri yourself?
Yes, you can make piri piri sauce yourself with fresh chilies, garlic, oil, vinegar or lemon juice and spices. Let the mixture steep for extra depth of flavor.
