Tasty little fiery piri piri peppers. They dot Portuguese gardens, vibrant red amongst the dense green leaves. You can find bottles of piri piri pepper sauce and oil on the tables of restaurants throughout Portugal. But I’ve found that the people who cook with it here are holding back when it comes to these little malagueta peppers.
Odd looks follow me when I take a bite of “picante” piri piri chicken, then proceed to go grab the little bottle of piri piri oil to give it some heat. It’s not because the piri piri pepper isn’t hot (it’s considered to be up there with the less spicy habanero peppers), it’s just that I like spice and I have a strange feeling spicy food here is much more tame than what I’m used to. I blame my mom for giving me a wide variety of different foods when I was growing up (thanks for getting me hooked on spicy food, Mom, now the Portuguese think I’m weird… that or it’s ’cause I am weird…). 
My family here has figured out that I like spicy, so when any of them harvest their little red jewels of edible heat, we usually get a few handfuls (probably close to a pound or more each time). I never know what to do with them all, because for some silly reason not everyone around here is as in love with spicy food as I am. Go figure.
There is a way to keep them from going bad though. Preserve them in olive oil and whiskey! Then you will have some piri piris at your disposal for when you want to make piri piri sauce, heat up a dish with some peppers, or to help in making a marinade for chicken, beef, pork or shrimp (I’m sure there are others that it would be great with too!)
First things first. You need to dry your peppers. There are two ways to do this fairly easy. First (the easiest way and I didn’t do it cause for some silly reason it just didn’t occur to me) is to take a some cooking string and thread a needle, poke through each pepper until you have them all on there. Tie off the ends and hang in a good spot to dry for a month or so.
The other way, is to… Oh I’ll just show you.
When your peppers have dried out they will be wrinkled and have become darker in color. Don’t just assume they are good, as you never know for certain until you open them up and check the inside. Make sure to do this with each pepper before you add them to a very clean (dishwasher clean is best as it sterilizes as it washes) jar.
Oil and Whiskey Preserved Piri Piri Peppers
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 jar of preserved peppers 1x
Description
Preserve fiery Piri Piri peppers in olive oil and whiskey for a potent, spicy addition to sauces, marinades, and dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried Piri Piri peppers (or cayenne peppers if Piri Piri aren't available)
- Olive oil, enough to fill the jar
- Whiskey, enough to fill the jar halfway
- 1 clean jar and lid
Instructions
- Ensure your peppers are thoroughly dried. They should be wrinkled and darker in color. Check each pepper by opening it up to ensure there is no mold inside.
- Once confirmed, cut each pepper down the middle lengthwise, being careful not to touch the inside seeds too much.
- Place the prepared peppers into a very clean jar. A dishwasher-clean jar is best as it sterilizes during washing.
- Fill the jar halfway with whiskey, then top it off with olive oil until the peppers are completely submerged.
- Seal the jar tightly with the lid and store it at room temperature.
- Allow the mixture to sit for a couple of days to develop a strong and spicy flavor. The preserved peppers are ready to use after this period.
Notes
Store the jar at room temperature. The preserved peppers are good for at least a month, though they can last up to a year. Ensure the jar is sterilized to prevent spoilage. If Piri Piri peppers are unavailable, cayenne peppers can be used as a substitute.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Condiment
- Cuisine: Portuguese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 10
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 0
- Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 0
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 0
- Cholesterol: 0
Store at room temperature. Wait a couple of days and you’ll have a very strong and spicy mix that
is good for at least a month (I was informed that it was good for a year at which time the oil is no longer good, but I’m paranoid).
I don’t know about you, but mine won’t last that long to find out!
Why only dry peppers? Why not fresh ones?
Why whiskey?
Hey Rochelle! I´m American and live in Portugal too, in Faro! I´ve been here for 20 years and LOVE eating and cooking Portuguese food. Thanks for the recipe! My partner Fernando and I have lots of piri piri growing in our garden, and I plan to make this and put it in cute jars for Christmas gifts this year. Thanks again, Jill
I have some black cobra peppers from my garden that I’m going to try this with. Going to be super hot and spicy.
Yes! I think you can use just about any hot pepper. When I get some other varieties of chilies growing, I’ll definitely try it to see how the flavors change.
Hi Rochelle,
I just love this recipe! Wonder if I can try it using other peppers?