If you are a lover of spice, you are certain to enjoy our Mediterranean Red Chilli Paste. Made with the flavour-filled combination of fresh chillies, garlic, and onion, this is a condiment you will want to have on hand to add spice to many dishes. With dozens of ways to use this flavour booster, it will become your new favourite condiment.
This has an incredible chili flavor and the perfect amount of spice for me and my husband! We love spicy food so have been adding this to pastas and curries. It’s such a great flavor enhancer. A must try!
– Tanya
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- The paste is made from simple, readily available ingredients. I love to have long red chillies and tomatoes on hand. They’re frequently used in so many of my favourite dishes. For this recipe, these humble ingredients are combined with pantry staples of salt, sugar, oil, garlic and onion to make this delicious condiment.
- It can be frozen so you can always have some on hand.
- You can add it to soups, stews, marinades, or sauces. It is a great addition to my Easy Sausage Casserole or Mediterranean Beef Stew.
- Homemade condiments are the best. If you love spice, you may also enjoy our Preserved Chillies in Oil or Sweet Chilli Sauce – both great condiments to have to hand.
Recipe Inspiration: this homemade Red Chilli Paste is a recipe close to my heart – one I grew up enjoying, and must always keep on hand. It is a recipe passed down by my godparents.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Long red cayenne chilli peppers – these can vary in heat but tend to be milder than many other varieties. I love the flavour of them and the boost of warmth and heat they offer.
- Sea salt – I add to taste.
- Sugar – a little sugar balances the flavour of the paste.
- Garlic – we use fresh garlic.
- Tomato – for extra flavour and sweetness.
- Onion – I have used a medium brown/yellow onion. You could also use shallots.
- Extra virgin olive oil – use another oil if you prefer, such as grapeseed. (Grapeseed was the original oil used in this recipe prior to an update, and works fine – I just prefer to use EVOO in general.)
Variations:
Chilli peppers – use the chilli variety that you prefer, whether you like a mild warmth or high degree of spice.
How To Make Red Chilli Paste:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Process your ingredients:
To begin, wash and dry the chillies and roughly chop. Add the chillies to your blender or food processor, along with the tomato, garlic, onion, salt and sugar.
2 – The mixture once blended:
Blend the ingredients until completely smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.
3 – Cook the paste:
In a large frying pan, heat the oil on a low heat and add then your paste. Stir well and frequently, to avoid the paste sticking and burning.
4 – The paste once cooked:
After about 35 minutes, the paste will be cooked, and you will note the colour change. The oil will have been absorbed into the paste, and it won’t have a raw taste to it.
Remove the pan from the heat and allow the paste to cool before storing.
Hint: after removing the pan from the heat, check that the seasoning is to your liking, adding extra salt or sugar if necessary.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
The Red Chilli Paste will last for one week in the fridge when stored in a sterilised jar.
The paste will last for three months in the freezer. I like to first freeze it in ice cube trays, before removing the cubes and storing in an air tight container.
When making your own condiments and sauces, always ensure you are sterilising the jars you will store them in. This is very simple to do. Choose a glass jar or jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed by hand in hot soapy water then rinsed well.
Preheat your oven to 130 Degrees C (270 F) and leave the jars in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Air dry the lids.
Yes, this is a step you must not skip. The cooking of the paste ensures the onion, garlic and other ingredients are cooked and allows the flavour to develop.
Top Tip:
For convenience, I like to freeze the Red Chilli Paste in an ice cube tray so I can remove one whenever I need it. Once frozen, remove the cubes, and place in a sealed container or freezer bag. You will find many ways to use them.
Serving Suggestions:
My Red Chilli Paste will quickly become your favourite way to elevate the flavour of so many dishes! I have listed some of my favourite ways to enjoy the Paste below, and I would love to hear if you have any more suggestions!
Use it to:
- Add extra flavour to any dish that could use a little heat. Use this Red Chilli Paste instead of fresh or dried chilli; it really is a game-changer!
- Make spicy scrambled eggs – top with fresh coriander/cilantro and bean sprouts for a delicious breakfast.
- Add a kick to Vegetarian Nachos (this one might be my favourite yet!)
- Make a super tasty plate of roasted sweet potato fries or potato wedges – top with some sour cream and the Red Chilli Paste.
- Elevate the flavour of a bowl of soup or pasta. The Mediterranean flavours of the paste are the perfect complement.
- Boost the flavour of seafood. Spread a little on salmon fillets or prawns and pop on the grill.
- Add to a cheese platter – it is especially delicious with soft cheese, such as goat or cream cheese.
- Use as a dip for chicken wings or my Baked Beef Meatballs.
- Make a mild dipping sauce – mix some of the paste with mayonnaise.
A few simple, humble ingredients are transformed into the most delicious, flavoursome and useful Red Chilli Paste. I do hope that you enjoy this full-flavoured condiment as much as I do. Let me know in the comments below when you give it a try and how you use it!
Alex xx
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Red Chilli Paste – Mediterranean Style
Equipment
- High-speed blender or food processor.
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) long red cayenne chilli peppers See Note 1
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 medium brown/yellow onion
- 1 medium tomato
- 1-2 teaspoon sea salt/cooking salt See Note 2
- 1-2 teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil See Note 3
Instructions
- Roughly chop the chillies and add to a blender or food processor along with the garlic, tomato, onion and 1 teaspoon of the salt and sugar. Blend until completely smooth.
- In a large pan or wok, heat the oil on a low heat and add the paste. Stir well to avoid the paste sticking and burning. Scrape down the sides of the pan frequently.
- After about 30-35 minutes, the paste will be cooked. The oil will have been absorbed into the paste and won't have a raw taste to it. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Check the seasoning is to your liking – add in the additional teaspoon of sugar and salt if you prefer. Allow the paste to cool before storing.
Notes
- Chillies: I have used the milder long red chillies for this recipe, as I like their subtle heat and flavour. You can use chillies of your preference, and certainly, add in hotter ones if you like more heat!
- Salt: ensure you use cooking salt or coarse sea salt, as regular table salt may contain anti-caking agents.
- Olive oil: if you prefer, you could use another neutral oil such as Grapeseed Oil.
- Storage: the Red Chilli Paste will last for one week in the fridge when stored in a sterilised jar.
- Freezing: for convenience, I like to freeze the paste in an ice cube tray so I can remove one whenever I need it. Once frozen, remove the Chilli Paste cubes, and place in a sealed container or freezer bag. The Paste will last for 3 months.
- Nutritional information: please note, the nutritional information is based on the entire recipe, which yields approximately 2 cups (500 ml).
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Marie
Great recipe! I made a big batch and froze most of it so I have it on hand all the time.
Alexandra Cook
I am so happy to hear this, Marie – thank you! Alex xo
Michelle
Brilliant made it today very ezy I even like it as a dip as well it will become a staple in my house thank you
Alexandra Cook
Hi Michelle,
That is great to hear – thank you 🙂
I appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Alex xo
Tanya
This has an incredible chili flavor and the perfect amount of spice for me and my husband! We love spicy food so have been adding this to pastas and curries. It’s such a great flavor enhancer. A must try!
Alexandra
Hi Tanya, thank you so much for letting me know how much you enjoy our Red Chilli Paste. It really does add great flavour to so many dishes. 🙂
CHRISTOPHER
How much paste use !!
Alexandra
Hi Christopher,
This will depend on what you’re using it for, how hot your chillies are and how spicy you want the dish to be.
I would recommend starting with 1-2 teaspoons, and adding more to taste if you like.
Thanks, Alex
Frances Baker
Is there an alternative to sugar?
Alexandra Cook
Hello Frances,
The sugar is to balance out the flavours – it needs to be adjusted to taste, so I’d try it without firstly and see what you think. You could try using something like honey or maple syrup, but it may alter the flavour slightly.
Do you have a sugar alternative you usually like to use? Stevia could perhaps be a good option.
Let me know if you give the recipe a try! Alex xo
Anne
Can you tell me what kind of chilies to use exactly? I hope I don’t sound dumb, but here in the States we cook with a lot of different kinds of chili peppers. If I go to my grocer and ask for “long red chilies,” he’ll scratch his head and ask me “OK, so they’re long and they’re red but what kind are you referring to exactly?” We’re just used to more specific names for chili peppers. Again, I hope I don’t sound dumb, but this is actually a common issue with Americans when reading cookbooks published in England and Australia which refer to “red chillies,” or just “chillies,” and then say nothing more specific about them. I’ve Googled this but have gotten vague info, but I really want to try all these recipes, including yours, so I hope someone can finally “crack the code” for me.
Alexandra
Hello Anne,
Thank you so much for your message! It is very helpful, as I certainly appreciate I will need to update some posts with this information.
So, the chillies we call “long red chillies” here, seem to be called “long red cayenne”. Another substitute is a “finger hot pepper”.
Just to give some insight – our long red chillies can vary from mild to quite hot but tend to fall somewhere in the middle.
So, I would say that any chilli pepper that has a good balance of heat and flavour would work well in this recipe.
The chilli paste should be nice and warming!
If you can find the long red cayenne, that is what we use – I hope this helps?!
Let me know – and I can always have a chat to some grocers here to find out some more info!
Kind regards, Alex
Natascha Kaess
I use, what we in Australia call Birds Eye 🌶️ Very hot. I jar it and give it to family. My brother says it’s the best chilli paste he’s ever had, and he lives for and loves his hot chillies. I add a few cashews to the mix. But other than that I stick to this recipe. Always a winner
Alexandra Cook
Hi Natascha,
Thanks so much for your comment 🙂 The addition of the cashews sounds delicious – I’ll definitely have to give that a try!
Alex xo
Jessie
This is amazing! I love freezing it in the ice cube trays makes it so easy to pop out and add a nice kick off flavor!
Alexandra
Hey Jessie! Thank you so much –
I am pleased you enjoyed this recipe. Kind regards, Alex