Easy West African Piri Piri Sauce With Free Printable

"This sauce only requires 30 minutes of your time, but you want to give it your full attention. For the flavors to blend and emulsify, you need to add each ingredient slowly and give it a full 10 minutes of whisking at the end. It'll keep in your fridge for five days, and you'll use it on everything."

- JJ Johnson

Welcome to our kitchen! Not gonna lie, this piri piri sauce is one of my favorite sauces because it's heavy on the tomatoes and it's got a strong kick to it.

It's easy to make, tastes amazing, and is customizable to suit your heat preference. Put it everywhere.

Learn more about cooking with kids.

If you like this piri piri sauce recipe, you should try Chef JJ's jollof rice, braised oxtail, Mother Africa sauce, Afro-Asian-American gumbo, vegetarian gumbo, and sambusas, as well as Persian shrimp with rice, rice and peas, Costa Rican rice and beans, and Cuban rice and beans.

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Between Harlem and Heaven Cookbook

This piri piri sauce recipe comes from Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day by JJ Johnson, Alexander Smalls, and Veronica Chambers.

This cookbook has so much to offer a new or experienced home cook. The recipes are approachable and can easily be combined as you learn more about the food and the Afro-Asian-American flavor profile.

In his latest cookbook, The Simple Art of Rice: Recipes from Around the World for the Heart of Your Table, Chef JJ explores the role of rice throughout history and across cultures.

Find more from JJ Johnson in Black Food, at FIELDTRIP, on Cleo TV, and on Chef JJ's YouTube.

Learn more about Alexander Smalls and Veronica Chambers.

Stop by our shop to see more Family & Kids' Cooking Resources.

Learn more about allergies and your family.

What is Piri Piri Sauce?

Piri Piri Sauce is a West African sauce consisting of onions, garlic, chiles, and tomatoes. In Between Harlem and Heaven, JJ Johnson leaves you wanting to experience piri piri prawns in Ghana.

In the meantime, this homemade piri piri sauce is the perfect addition to vegetarian gumbo and barbecue prawns.

What Are Good Piri Piri Sauce Peppers?

This piri piri sauce recipe calls for bird's eye chiles and habaneros. On this particular occasion, we could only find habaneros so we doubled up. You do you.

How to Make Piri Piri Sauce

Ingredients

• oil - extra virgin olive oil is recommended
• onion - yellow onion is preferred but use what you have on hand
• garlic
• ginger - fresh ginger is recommended and it seems to be a favorite among kids in our home
• bird's-eye chiles - if you can't find them, you can also do like we did and double-up on your habaneros. Feel free to adjust based on your preference
• habanero pepper
• tomatoes - this recipe calls for plum tomatoes to make the best piri piri sauce
• tomato paste
• oranges - you'll want the juice and the zest for this piri piri sauce recipe
• salt
• black pepper

Equipment

• apron
• prep bowls
• child-friendly knife
• cutting board
• box grater or microplane
• 5.2 quart saucier or sauté pan
• measuring spoons
• measuring cup
• wooden spoon
• whisk

1. Prep the Ingredients

Wash your hands with soap and water. Gather the onion, garlic, ginger, chiles, tomatoes, and oranges. Use a knife and cutting board to chop up the onion, garlic, ginger, chiles, and tomatoes.

Wash your hands after handling the peppers to prevent any transfer to the eyes or face or irritation of the skin.

Use a box grater or microplane to zest the oranges. Next, cut and squeeze the oranges to get the desired amount of juice. Katalina collected the juice in a measuring cup.

2. Heat the Oil

Turn the stove to medium-low heat. Use a measuring spoon to add 2 tablespoons of oil to the saucier or sauté pan.

3. Add the Onion, Garlic, Ginger, and Chiles

Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chiles to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to give it a stir and let it cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. When the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent, move on to the next step.

4. Add the Diced Tomatoes and Tomato Paste

Add the diced tomatoes to the pan. Use the wooden spoon to transfer the tomato paste and stir it until everything is combined. Let it cook for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.

5. Add the Orange Juice and Orange Zest

Add the orange juice and zest to the pan. Give it a stir. Turn the heat down so that the sauce simmers for 10 to 15 minutes. It will thicken during this time.

Turn off the stove when finished.

6. Add the Remaining Oil While Whisking

Remove the pan from heat. Pour the remaining oil into the pan while whisking. Add salt and black pepper as needed.

Katalina ran with the idea of multitasking and took up her wooden spoon once she finished adding the oil.

The result is a smooth, creamy sauce that tastes amazing on everything. In fact, one of my pipedreams is to keep the ingredients for making homemade piri piri sauce stocked in the fridge at all times. We should never be without it.

Free Piri Piri Sauce Recipe for Pre-Readers and Up

Grab your free printable recipe cards above. Kids can gather ingredients using the ingredient list, gather their equipment with the tools list, and prepare the meal using the step-by-step recipe cards, with assistance as needed.

The cards are easy to use, include pictures, and encourage confidence and independence in the kitchen. They also make an excellent addition to your Montessori continent box for Africa.