Homemade African Pepper Sauce enjoys the flavors of habanero, garlic, onion, basil, and other spices. This versatile sauce makes a great condiment, dip, and appetizer component.
In West Africa, pepper sauce is an essential partner for puff-puff, grilled meat, fish, and eggs. Actually, it’s splendid with any food. Something about pepper sauce takes a dish from bland to flavorful and enjoyable. As you might have guessed, pepper sauce is delightfully hot because of the spicy blend of hot peppers.
Although ingredients vary from one cook to another, one thing is constant—hot peppers. You can use so many kinds of pepper in this sauce: habanero, scotch bonnet, serrano, jalapenos, and more.
My preferred chili pepper is my beloved scotch bonnet. However, habanero peppers are a good replacement if that’s what you have available. Fresh hot peppers are the biggest difference between hot sauce and African-style pepper sauce.
Content…How Hot to Make It |
How Hot to Make African Red Pepper Sauce
The most authentic West African pepper sauce I’ve had the pleasure of trying contains a negligible amount of vinegar if any at all. The basic ingredients are peppers, salt, vegetable oil, and Maggi, ranging from mild to ferociously hot with a thick texture.
In this sauce, I added extra tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, and parsley to create a versatile sauce that makes a fantastic condiment or dip. Adjust the tomatoes to suit your taste buds and spice tolerance, or omit them.
Ingredient List
- Hot peppers are a given. While I love scotch bonnet peppers, you can use habaneros, Thai chili, red jalapenos, or any other hot pepper you love. Feel free to replace it with a sweet red pepper (aji dulce or red bell pepper) for a milder sauce while keeping the red color.
- Seasonings – Onion, garlic, bouillon powder (either chicken or beef Maggi is my go-to), basil, and parsley add intense flavor. You can leave out the bouillon powder for a vegan version.
- Roma tomatoes bulk up your sauce without adding extra heat.
- Vegetable oil brings it all together and provides a smooth texture. Olive oil or sunflower oil also works well.
How to Make African Pepper Sauce
- Puree Veggies – Coarsely chop the tomatoes and onions, and discard the pepper stems. Then, puree the tomatoes, onions, garlic, pepper, parsley, basil, and bouillon powder in a food processor with as much oil as needed to make a thickish puree. (Photo 1)
- Simmer – Pour the pepper mixture into a small saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and slowly simmer for about 15 minutes—stirring frequently to prevent burning. Adjust seasonings for salt. (Photo 2)
- Serve – Let it cool, pour it into a mason jar or a container with a lid, and store it in a fridge for up to a week. For your pepper sauce to last longer, fully cover it with oil.
Recipe Notes and Variations
- Lacto-fermented. With fermenting your own veggies becoming the rage, why not try it with pepper sauce? Replace the oil with brine from previously fermented veggies and store the puree in a glass jar on the countertop for 6-8 hours. Keep it in the fridge, and it should last 2-3 months.
- Make it milder by replacing some hot peppers with milder ones like red bell or sweet banana peppers.
- Another way to make pepper sauce is to simmer the ingredients in a little water for about 15 minutes, then puree with oil and serve.
How to Use African Pepper Sauce
Ramp up your favorite stews and soups (or other spicy dishes) with a spoonful of this goodness. Jamaican stew peas, African chicken stew, Instant Pot beef stew, Ethiopian lentils, and fish stew all enjoy having this sauce in them.
More Amazing Sauce Recipes to Try
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in October 2013 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
African Pepper Sauce
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Ingredients
- 10 hot peppers (habaneros, scotch bonnet peppers, Thai chili, etc.)
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons (20g) bouillon powder or Maggi
- 2 basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons (7-8g) parsley
- 1-3 Roma tomatoes, adjust the amount to taste
- ½-1 cup (118-236ml) vegetable oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Coarsely chop the tomatoes and onions, and discard the pepper stems. Then, puree the tomatoes, onions, garlic, pepper, parsley, basil, and bouillon powder in a food processor with as much oil as needed to make a thickish puree.
- Pour the pepper mixture into a small saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and slowly simmer for about 15 minutes—stirring frequently to prevent burning. Adjust seasonings for salt.
- Let it cool, pour it into a mason jar or a container with a lid, and store it in a fridge for up to a week. For your pepper sauce to last longer, fully cover it with oil.
Tips & Notes:
- Make it milder by replacing some hot peppers with milder ones like red bell or sweet banana peppers.
- Another way to make pepper sauce is to boil the ingredients with a little water for about 15 minutes, then blend with oil and serve.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Nek says
Have you ever tried using red bell pepper in addition to tomatoes? Some of the other recipes that I have seen online use bell pepper instead and I am just wondering. Thanks for reading 🙂
ImmaculateBites says
I have not, but am sure it adds another layer of flavor to it. This is the version I grew up making .
Maureen Quaranto says
Hi my name is Maureen and I am just wondering if the hot pepper sauce African hot pepper sauce can be canned and how long it would last if it’s canned and put in storage. Thank you very much
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Maureen! Sorry I haven’t experimented with canning food , so I don’t have much to offer.
Susan says
I keep my sauce in a tight sealing canning jar in the refrigerator. We use it after two fish dinners (two weeks). If I double the recipe, I freeze one jar. Then I let it thaw in the refrigerator for about two days when we are having fish again.
Susan says
Hi! Just wanted to give an update! I harvested 6 Fish Peppers from my garden and bought 1 large banana pepper (hot) to make this sauce. My family loved it! So good! Not to spicy, just enough kick. We had pollock fillets over brown rice and a salad with Vidalia onion dressing. This sauce was amazing with the fish fillets. Best meal of the week!
Susan says
I am growing Fish Peppers in my garden and needed a sauce recipe. This great recipe came up first! Can’t wait to make it and serve it with a nice fish dinner!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Susan! It’s one of my favorites to make. You are going to love it .
Eduard says
Thnx! Great recipe! It really tastes like being back in Cameroon. My Dutch family likes it a lot.
Very attractive pictures by the way. I love the way you put it all together. Easy to follow.
Un grand merci.
ImmaculateBites says
De rien! So happy to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks!
Dustin says
Maybe it said in the comments and I missed it, but what flavor of bouillon?
ImmaculateBites says
Any bouillon would do just fine. Chicken is the one I use most often
Erin says
Imma! You have changed my life!!! With a huge smile I presented the Pinyin man with a large jar of your pepe and he says “where did you buy this!?!?” LOL. Yessss!!! I love it! He has put it on EVERYTHING. Your recipe is so delicious. I honestly can’t thank you enough, not just because my husband has a full belly, but more so because I’m finally able to make all of these amazing dishes for my children. It really means the world to me. We are literally working our way through every recipe you have day by day. So exciting. Thank you!
Amy says
Hello! I am a crazy fan of hot sauce, the hotter the better and im gonna try this recipe! However, im just wondering, can i use less oil? as I am dieting at the moment so I really want to cut down on oil where possible.
I usually finish half pint of hot sauce in one month, so if it should stay reasonably fresh even without that much oil right?
If i can reduce oil quantity, whats the lowest quantity i must use?
Your help is much appreciated!
thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Amy, I would say cut the oil in half. This is what I do sometimes- make a big batch with 1/3 of the oil , then divide in 4 portions and freeze, every week I remove a portion – so it last about a week each. Let me know how it works for you.
Erika says
Hi, is your sauce more of a yellowish or orange tint before boiling? I followed the recipe almost to the letter but I was unable to get a rich red hue like what’s in your picture. I even added more tomatoes to see if that would help, but it altered the tate and not to my liking. I’m wondering if it’s just user error, lol…or a fluke batch. Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Erika, am not going to lie and say it is a fluke batch. I would love for it to come out with a rich hue color, every single time but in reality it never does . It all depends on the tomatoes, the color of the pepper and the other ingredients. I focus on the taste- that’s what counts. Sometimes, I add some paprika -maybe about a 1/2 teaspoon. Hope this helps
Lufann says
Hi, I just want to know if I would need plenty of ventilation while cooking? If i make a small amount of this would I be able to stay in the house and breathe?….lol Does boiling it in water first help with this?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, you would be able to breathe, just open the windows. It is not that bad. AND boiling definitely helps. Sometimes, I boil all the ingredients and just grind and store. Still taste good.
chantal says
WOW this sauce is amazing!!! Its the best hot sauce ever. its better than hot sauce, i used it over the bbq talapia as she suggested but also with rice, as salsa, its very versatile! I THINK I will be making this a staple cooking it in large batches! I think my husband will love it also. Thanks Your blog is my new favourite, I wasn’t very aware of african cooking until now 🙂 thank you
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Chantal! Glad to hear enjoyed this pepper sauce – it really tastes GREAT! A staple at my household.
P.S your tastebuds are going to love you… African food sure is tasty.
Alexandria Williams says
I was interested in making pepper sauce to put in the african spinach and cabbage I love. I recieved the african spinach recipe from some Liberians in my God moms family. They always made the sauce but the person we got it from in the family just passed away. So do you think this is the correct pepper sauce to place in spinach and cabbage?
ImmaculateBites says
Sorry to hear about your loss. I can’t say for sure if this is the correct pepper sauce – what I can attest to is that it taste really good. Give it a try!
adjoa says
i love your blog, great recipes and so neat. awesome work!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Adjoa
EatMyBlog says
I just found your website – I love it! Especially all the spicy sauces 🙂 I’m going to try some of your recipes tonight!
ImmaculateBites says
Love your site too! You do great reviews on restaurants and have some great recipes.
Ashley says
……. Good afternoon immaculate, I am just coming to the end of my previous batch of Harrisa paste, I look forward to attempting to make and trying your pepper sauce, sounds yummy…… Once sealed and batched how long will the sauce last?….. Well wish me luck, i’ll be sure to let you know how I get on……….
ImmaculateBites says
Ashley, I have some in the fridge that has been there for about 1 1/2 month. I usually freeze half of the sauce and it can last for about 3 months. A friend said it stayed fresh for about 4 months in the fridge drenched in oil.Hope this helps. Please let me know how it works for you.