Baked Chicken, African Style
Today’s recipe is an extra flavorful version of the classic baked chicken. Back home when we fry chicken, this is often how we season it and we don’t coat the chicken in any batter or flour mixture. I wanted some chicken that I could just throw in the oven but I also wanted it to be very tasty and reminiscent of home. If you are like me and are looking for a baked chicken recipe with some African flavor, this Baked Chicken, African Style is the one.
This recipe, like a lot of my recipes, is very forgiving so you don’t have to do everything to a T. As long as all these ingredients are present, it will be good.
Here are a couple of tips:
- You can adjust the number of habanero peppers you put in it based on how spicy you want it to be. I put in one and it was not spicy at all (I will do 2 or 3 next time).
- I don’t have an exact measurement for the amount of salt to put in this recipe. I am used to eyeballing it so if you are used to seasoning meats this way, you can do the same. If not you can start with a teaspoon then taste a piece of chicken when it is almost ready then add more salt if needed. OR you can add salt directly to the spice blend. Then taste it keeping in mind that you want the blend to be salty enough to fully season the chicken.
- You want to bake these at a high temperature (I suggest 400 to 425°F) so it can brown and the skin can crisp up.
I hope these tips are helpful. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
Baked Chicken, African Style
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons ginger
- 1 hand full of parsley (or about half a bunch)
- 1 to 3 habanero peppers
- 2 small bouillon cubes
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- 8 pieces of chicken legs and thighs
Method
Blend garlic, ginger, parsley, peppers and bouillon cubes until puréed (you can add a few tablespoons of water to help it blend).
Season prepared chicken with salt and pepper then add blended spices. Stir until every piece is completely coated. Let sit in the refrigerator overnight or for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place chicken on a greased baking sheet making sure the pieces aren’t too close to each other. Bake it in the oven for about 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the pieces over midway into baking. Let is rest for about 5 minutes before serving and enjoying.
