Peri Peri Seasoning substitute

Substitutes for Peri Peri Seasoning with ratios

1. 2Cajun or Creole seasoning plus lemon zest

   Close match

   Use the same amount plus the zest of ½ lemon or ¼ tsp citric acid per tablespoon

   A paprika-and-cayenne blend with garlic, onion and herbs, which is peri peri's closest supermarket relative.

   What changes

   Best for

   grilled or roast chicken, chips, wedges and roast potatoes, burgers and wraps, any recipe where you just need the heat and colour to land

   The best single-jar swap, because the paprika, cayenne, garlic and onion backbone is nearly identical. What shifts is the herb: Cajun blends lean on thyme and sometimes celery seed rather than oregano, so the result tastes a touch more American South and less Portuguese-African. Adding the lemon zest closes most of the gap. Cajun seasoning is often much saltier, so taste before salting the food, and be aware some brands are noticeably hotter than a mild peri peri.

2. 3Piri piri sauce (the wet version)

   Different texture

   Use 1 tbsp sauce for every 2 tsp dry seasoning; pat the food dry after marinating

   The bottled Portuguese-African chilli sauce made from the same chillies, garlic and citrus.

   What changes

   Best for

   marinating chicken thighs, wings or drumsticks, basting during grilling, tossing with cooked chips or roasted vegetables, mixing into mayonnaise or yoghurt

   Flavour-wise this is the most accurate option of all, since it is the same thing in liquid form, with the acid already built in. The problem is purely physical: it is wet, so it steams rather than crusts. Marinate with it, then wipe the surface and finish over high heat, or brush it on only in the last few minutes. It will not give you a dry, dusty coating on chips, so for chips add a pinch of paprika and salt separately as well.

3. 4Harissa powder plus lemon zest

   Different taste

   Use the same amount plus the zest of ½ lemon and ¼ tsp dried oregano per tablespoon

   A North African dry chilli blend of paprika, chilli, garlic, caraway, cumin and coriander.

   What changes

   Best for

   roast chicken and lamb, roasted vegetables and chickpeas, yoghurt marinades, when you want heat with more depth

   Very good, but it tastes like somewhere else. Caraway and cumin are the tell: chicken made with harissa powder reads as Tunisian rather than Portuguese, warmer and earthier, with a slightly medicinal edge from the caraway. Adding oregano and lemon pulls it back toward peri peri without erasing that. Harissa powder is usually hotter than a standard peri peri shaker, so start with three quarters of the amount and taste.

4. 5Paprika plus cayenne, the two-jar version

   Different taste

   Per 1 tbsp peri peri seasoning: 2 tsp paprika + ½ tsp cayenne + ½ tsp garlic powder + ½ tsp salt + a squeeze of lemon on the food at the end

   The bare-minimum build for a kitchen that only has the basics.

   What changes

   Best for

   midweek chicken when the cupboard is thin, chips and roast potatoes, eggs and grilled cheese toast, seasoning a soup or stew that needs heat

   Honest about what it is: the right colour and the right heat, without the layered garlic-oregano-citrus complexity. It will taste noticeably simpler and slightly flat next to the real shaker. The lemon at the end matters more than any of the spices you are missing, so do not skip it. If you have smoked paprika, use it for at least half the paprika, because that smoky note stands in for the char of a proper grill.

5. 6American-style chili powder

   Different taste

   Use ¾ of the amount called for, plus ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp dried oregano and lemon zest for every tablespoon of peri peri seasoning

   The least-bad emergency swap, and only if nothing above is available.

   What changes

   Best for

   when it is dinner time and this is all there is, mince, burgers and traybakes, wedges, dishes where other strong flavours are present

   Use this knowing what will happen: American chili powder is cumin-led, so the chicken tastes like tacos. It is also much milder than peri peri, so add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne or chilli flakes per tablespoon to get anywhere near the right heat. The oregano and lemon help, but cumin is loud and will not hide. If you have any straight cayenne or chilli flakes at all, the two-jar version above is a better route.