My African Pepper sauce is so simple yet sooo versatile. requires just three ingredients no tomatoes or bell peppers needed. This Nigerian sauce can be served with roasted and boiled yams or plantains. It also doubles as a base sauce for most of my African porridge recipes.
African Pepper Sauce (Nigerian Pepper Sauce)
With just 3 ingredients it really doesn't get any easier. When you learn exactly how to make this sauce, you will be amazed at how it can turn your meals around. Literally elevates most African dishes from boring to amazing.
I like to call it my Ultimate pepper sauce or onion pepper medley sauce. Whichever you choose, you will agree with me that this is a keeper. it is so yummy and particularly enhances the flavors in African porridge recipes like Asaro, unripe plantain porridge etc.
[bctt tweet="this pepper sauce takes your african porridge recipes to a different level" username="mydiasporakitch"]
Ingredients needed to make it
- Palm oil
- Onions
- Fresh pepper or
- Salt or Bouillon powder
Ingredient substitutions:
- Substituting the palm oil with vegetable oil wouldn't give the flavor as with palm oil so I suggest you try it out this recipe as written, before making substitutions.
- Granulated onion or flakes cannot be substituted with fresh in this recipe
- You can substitute crushed red pepper flakes for chopped fresh habanero pepper.
How to make African Pepper sauce 2 Ways.
- The chopping method: Chop the onions and pepper. Sauté onions and pepper in palm oil add salt or bouillon powder. Let sauce simmer on low heat for about 5 mins or until fragrant.
- The blending method: For this method, blend all the ingredients together in a blender. Summer on medium low heat till oil comes on top of the sauce.
How to use this African Pepper sauce in Recipes
It works magic in beans Porridge Recipes. If you don't like beans porridge then this sauce will definitely make you change your mind. I also use it in my Instant Pot Honey beans recipe.
Besides its use in enhancing the flavors of my porridge dishes like Yam porridge, Potato porridge/ pottage and plantain porridge, It can be eaten as a sauce to compliment meals like boiled or roasted yams and plantains. My 5 ingredients onion rice never disappoints.
[bctt tweet="This base sauce is the secret ingredient in most African porridge recipes" username="mydiasporakitch"]
Recipes that use African Pepper sauce.
- Instant pot Honey Beans porridge
- Vegetable yam porridge
- 5 ingredient onion rice
- Black eyed peas porridge
- Plantain porridge
Make ahead instructions and how to store.
African pepper sauce can be made ahead and stored for later use. Make a large batch, divide into smaller portions and freeze in small freezer bowls for when you want to make any recipe.
It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator or on the counter top. When ready to use, warm in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Quick Recipe Notes and Tips
- If using the blender method. The onions adds more liquid to the sauce, therefore it needs to cook for longer.
- Blending the pepper and onions with the palm helps reduce the moisture on the mix and helps it cook faster.
- I like some texture so I do a coarse blend not smooth. Feel free to blend it smooth if that's your preference.
- You can adjust the heat upwards by adding more peppers and vice versa
If you've tried anything like this or similar, I would love to hear all about it. Kindly drop me a comment below.
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African Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup Palm oil
- 4 medium Onions chopped
- 3 - 4 habenero peppers chopped
- ½ tsp salt / bouillon powder to taste
Instructions
- Heat up the palm oil just enough to cause a sizzle when the chopped onion is added. ( about 30 secs)
- Pour chopped Onions and pepper into the heated oil.
- Add the salt and stir. Taste and adjust accordingly.
- Allow it to cook for about 5 mins or until the onions softens and becomes translucent whichever comes first.
- Turn off heat and allow to cool.
- Your sauce is ready to use in whichever delicious awesomeness you choose. Enjoy
If you want to store the sauce in refrigerator for later use
- Let the sauce cool down, then blend all ingredients in a blender ( Do not add water )
- Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or Store in the freezer if you intend to keep for a longer period.
Notes
[…] this recipe, I usually just cooked the beans plain in the instant pot, then fried my african pepper sauce in a separate pot before mixing everything together to simmer on the […]