If you want to get to the root of all Haitian cuisine, look no further. Haitian Epis is a seasoning blend of herbs and vegetables like garlic, scallions, bell peppers and cloves. This blend adds delicious Caribbean flavor to every Haitian recipe!
Recipe Origins
Haitian cuisine is flavorful and delicious, and one of the most important reasons for this is Epis! Epis is a blend of vegetables, herbs and spices that are used to flavor almost every dish in Haiti.
Epis can be used to flavor soups, stews, and rice, and is also a great choice for a marinade (it’s very similar to the Green Seasoning used in my Oil Down recipe from Grenada).
The recipe for Epis changes based on who is making it and where in the country it’s being made. It’s easy to adjust to your preference and is the perfect way to add some delicious Haitian flavor to your cooking.
It is a key ingredient in my Haitian Spaghetti Recipe and this Haitian Griot. If you really want a true taste of Haiti, serve your dish with this Pikliz Recipe too!
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Parsley: You can use Italian parsley or standard parsley, either will work.
- Scallions
- Thyme
- Olive Oil
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor!
- Bell Peppers: I use red and green
- Bouillon: I use a chicken bouillon cube. Make sure to crumble it up into the blender so that it disperses evenly
- Cloves: I use whole cloves for the sharpest taste, but you can also use ground cloves
Adaptations
No two recipes for Epis are the same, and they change based on each chef that is making them! The below ingredients are not listed in my Haitian Epis Recipe, but have been included in other videos/recipes I found while researching. You can choose to add them to your Epis Recipe if you’d like:
- Cilantro
- White Onion
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper: If you want a spicy Epis (Habanero can be substituted if you can’t find scotch bonnet)
- Vinegar: To extend shelf life
- Lime Juice
Tools
- Food Processor/Blender: This recipe is easiest to make when you have a blender to combine it all. In Haiti, this Epis Recipe is often made with a mortar and pestle, so you can also try that if you’d prefer.
How to Make this Epis Recipe
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Use a food processor or a blender to blend everything together until smooth.
Expert Tips
- You can add water, 1 tablespoon at a time if the Epis is too thick. Don’t add too much at one time because you don’t want it to be too runny. Try to match the consistency of the photos in this article.
- Smell your herbs before buying them to make sure you are getting the freshest options
- Go make some Haitian Griot and then enjoy them dunked in this sauce. Haitian Epis is the base for Haitian Spaghetti so enjoy using some of this the next night.
How to Use Epis in Cooking
You can use your epis for a variety of reasons, including the following:
- Marinating Meat: Beef, pork, chicken, seafood
- Saute: Saute the Epis in oil before adding other ingredients to add an infusion of flavor into your recipe.
- Dipping Sauce: Feel free to dip your finished product in Epis to coat your bites in flavor!
Recipe FAQs
If you make this recipe as is, it will last in the fridge for 7-10 days.
If you add lime juice, lemon juice, or vinegar, the shelf life will be extended. Adding Apple Cider Vinegar to this recipe will allow the epis to last for about 30 days in the fridge.
I stored my Haitian Epis in a mason jar with a lid. Some say that the leftovers can last up to 3 months in the fridge, but I personally only keep it for a week. If you want to keep it for longer, you can freeze it in cubes for up to 3 months.
Epis and Sofrito are similar but there are some key differences. Epis is a Haitian seasoning typically made with herbs, peppers, cloves, and vinegar and is used fresh or cooked into a dish. Sofrito is made with Spanish influence and tends to have peppers, onions, and tomatoes. It is usually cooked as the base of a dish.
Research Sources
I used these YouTube videos to teach me how to make this Haitian Epis Recipe:
- How to Make Haitian Spices/Epis from ThatNurse CanCook
- How to Make Haitian Epis | Haitian Spice Recipe | Episode 18 from Let’s Get Cooking with Lamise O
- How to Make Haitian Epis aka Haitian Seasoning from Haitian Dining with Marie
I also had my recipe looked over by Miata from Love of Yum.
Did you like this Haitian Epis Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
If you tried this Epis Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Epis Recipe
Equipment
- Food Processor/Blender
Ingredients
- 4 Stalks Scallions
- 8 stalks Fresh Thyme
- 1 cup Parsley
- 1 Green Bell Pepper
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 8 cloves Garlic
- 2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Chicken Bouillon Cube, crumbled
- 1 tsp cloves
- ¼ cup Water, only if necessary
Instructions
- Use a food processor or a blender to blend everything (except water) together until smooth.
- See Notes below on adding water.
Notes
- Parsley: You can use Italian parsley or standard parsley, either will work.
- Bell Peppers: I use red and green
- Bouillon: I use a chicken bouillon cube. Make sure to crumble it up into the blender so that it disperses evenly
- Cloves: I use whole cloves for the sharpest taste, but you can also use ground cloves
- You can add water, 1 tablespoon at a time if the Epis is too thick. Don’t add too much at one time because you don’t want it to be too runny. Try to match the consistency of the photos in this article 🙂
- Smell your herbs before buying them to make sure you are getting the freshest options
Joe says
I added a little ginger and an habanero for extra zing. For acid I used the juice of one lime, and some olive oil to smooth things out.
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Sounds like delicious adjustments Joe! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Rose says
This is great!
Epis is like magic in the kitchen. Preparing it in advance will cut the cooking time by at least 15 minutes. Since most bouillon cubes have MSG, we don’t use them in our epis, we add more garlic and definitely olive oil to last longer. Thanks!!
The Foreign Fork says
Epis is definitely magic! Thanks for your tips and the review 🙂
Carine says
It looks fantastic. Haitian epis is very versatile. Growing up, my grandma used only leeks, celery flowers, garlic, black pepper and chicken bouillon in her epis and her food always tasted super delicious. Next time, try adding olive oil instead of water. It’ll actually last longer and taste even better. But, either way, great job.
The Foreign Fork says
So glad you approve Carine! The olive oil definitely sounds delicious so I will try that next time.
Thanks for the comment!