Piri Piri Hot Sauce

Not a canning recipe

Prep Time Total Time
10 mins 10 mins

Bright lemon and spicy chilies come together in this incredibly versatile hot sauce recipe.

Yield: 1 1/2 c

Course: Sauce
Servings: 6 people
Author: Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere

Ingredients

4 lemons, zested and juiced (roughly 1/2 c juice)
8 garlic cloves
4-8 African Bird's Eye chilies*, stemmed (Asian Bird's Eye, Habanero, Cayenne, Tabasco, or Serrano could also be used)
4 tsp fresh oregano ~1 t. dried
4 tsp fresh thyme 1 1/3 TB (fresh x 3/4t. dried) -> ~1 t. dried
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 c olive oil

2019

Instructions

Place lemon juice and zest, garlic cloves, whole chilies*, oregano, thyme, paprika, and salt in the bowl of your food processor (or blender). Process until smooth. (If you're looking for a very kicky sauce, taste it at this point and add another chili if desired.)
Add the oil 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing after each addition until desired consistency is reached.
Store the sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. (If using this recipe for canning, process only using a pressure canner.)
Use the sauce as a marinade for chicken, fish, or pork. Or, use it to give just about anything a bright burst of spice and an herby-citrus flavor. (It works great as a dip too!)

Recipe Notes

*For a sauce with less of a kick, remove the seeds from the chilies before pureeing.