African Chicken: A Gem OF Macanese Cuisine It's Something You'll Love

African chicken widened my mind to new and unique experiences. The chicken is grilled to give it a crispy skin, Smokey flavor, and juicy texture, but the substantial sauce—which can only be made by braising—gives it a good deal of flavor. The fresh herbs and spicy chili paste counterbalance the sauce’s sweetness from the peanuts and coconut milk. The result has a savory, well-known flavor indicative of Chinese food. While there are multiple opinions about the origins of African chicken, all relate to Macau’s Portuguese colonial history.

According to one story, the meal was created by Américo Ângelo, a local chef, who experimented with spices in the 1940s after visiting Portugal’s colonies in Africa.
Macanese cuisine has a rich history spanning over 400 years in the SAR, and it was among the earliest fusion foods in the world. The food is unique, combining flavors and ingredients from many other cuisines, including Portuguese, Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, African, and many more.

Crushed peanuts, butter, and coconut milk make a crispy & juicy chicken dish. Nutty, spicy, sweet, and savory!

Ingredients you’ll Need:

4 bone-in chicken thighs (skin on)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
One medium onion cut roughly
2 tablespoons of paprika
2 tablespoons of chili paste or hot sauce
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 full tablespoons of butter
1 cup of coconut milk
½ cup of crushed peanuts
Adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
Cooking oil

Instructions:

Combine the minced garlic, chopped onion, paprika, chili paste or hot sauce, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Now in the bowl, add the chicken thighs and evenly brush them with marinade. Give them a minimum of one hour or, for optimal flavor, overnight marinating time in the fridge.
Set the grill’s temperature to medium-high.
To avoid sticking, brush some cooking oil on the grill surfaces.
Following the marinating process, put the chicken thighs on the grill and cook for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked completely and has grill marks or broil the chicken until it’s crispy on a charcoal grill before baking with other ingredients. This is the actual method for making Smokey chicken.
As the chicken cooks, make the sauce. Melt the butter by heating it in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the crushed peanuts and boil for a few more minutes, or until they start to become light brown.
Add the coconut milk and well whisk. Stirring regularly, cook for an additional five minutes or until the sauce begins to slightly thicken.
Take the sauce off its boiling source right away and keep it aside.
Get the chicken from the grill and leave it to rest.
Serve the grilled chicken thighs with the coconut peanut sauce on the side.

It Tastes Even Better The Next Day,

Once cooked, the dish is ready and the sauce is incredibly tasty. But because the curry’s spices will have had time to infuse into the sauce, the leftovers will taste even better.
Add crispy chicken, vibrant peppers, and soft potatoes to the hot rice, then ladle in some of the creamy, nutty sauce. Dinner will be incredibly tasty, healthful, and cozy!

Tips:

In Macau, the meal is typically served with steaming white rice. My spouse and I like to serve it over mixed grains or brown rice because we’re healthier that way. It tastes very good!
Stir-fry the peppers separately on the pan and add them to the stew at the end, or put them to the stew 10 minutes into baking if you want them crisp and fresh.
You can use boneless thighs, drumsticks, sliced entire chicken, or even chicken breast. Skin-on-bone-in thighs are my favorite cut because they are more tasty, delicate, and simple to prepare. If using boneless thighs or chicken breast, bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.
If you want your dish to be less spicy, you can like me, avoid the cayenne powder. This will make the meal more balanced without using excessive amounts of spice. But if you enjoy your food hotter, you might want to try putting 1 teaspoon of cayenne spice in the sauce.

African Chicken: A Gem OF Macanese Cuisine It’s Something You’ll Love