AI-generated image
Chichinga
Chichinga: Accra's spicy peanut-dusted beef kebabs, grilled over charcoal with onion and pepper
As the sun goes down on Oxford Street in Osu, Accra, chichinga sellers fan their charcoal grills at the roadside and the smell of spiced beef and roasting peanuts pulls in the evening crowd. The skewers came south with traders from northern Ghana and are close cousins of Nigerian suya: chunks of beef rubbed with a hot powder of ground peanuts, ginger and chilli, grilled with onion and green pepper and eaten with a sprinkle of extra spice, sliced tomato and a cold drink. It contains peanuts. Chef's tip: dust on most of the peanut spice in the second half of grilling; over fierce coals it scorches if it goes on too early.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the spice
- 2 ⅞ oz unsalted roasted peanuts
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 ½ tsp hot chilli powder or cayenne
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the skewers
- 1 ⅓ lb beef sirloin or rumpcut into 2.5 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onioncut into chunks
- 1 green peppercut into chunks
- 12 wooden skewerssoaked in water for 30 minutes
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Grind 2 ⅞ oz unsalted roasted peanuts to a fine, dry powder in a spice grinder in short bursts; stop before it turns to butter. Mix with 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 ½ tsp hot chilli powder or cayenne, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder and 1 tsp salt.
5 minStep 2: Toss 1 ⅓ lb beef sirloin or rump with 2 tbsp vegetable oil and a third of the spice. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
20 minStep 3: Thread the beef onto 12 wooden skewers, alternating with pieces of 1 red onion and 1 green pepper, leaving small gaps so the heat reaches every side.
10 minStep 4: Heat a charcoal grill or griddle pan until very hot. Grill the skewers for 4 minutes, turning, until the beef is browned on all sides.
4 minStep 5: Sprinkle generously with half the remaining spice and grill for 4–6 minutes more, turning, until the coating is toasted and the beef is cooked to your liking: firm with a little give for medium, or with no pink and 160°F inside for children. Common mistake: cutting the cubes too small; they dry out before the coating toasts.
6 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 37 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chichinga take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of ground ginger?
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger per ¼ tsp ground.
- What can I use instead of smoked paprika?
- Sweet paprika + a pinch of chipotle or a drop of liquid smoke.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Tteokgalbi
Tteokgalbi is rib meat chopped finely, pressed back into neat slabs and grilled, so it's soft enough to eat without struggling with a bone. Two places in South Jeolla claim it: Damyang, the bamboo county, where all-beef patties come with rice steamed in bamboo tubes, and Gwangju's Songjeong district, whose restaurant street near the railway station mixes beef with pork. This home version uses minced beef and pork, seasoned with soy, garlic and pear, then brushed with a soy and honey glaze as it cooks. Serve with rice, lettuce and a few banchan; leftovers are good cold in a lunchbox. Chef's tip: slap the mince against the bowl for a few minutes; it turns sticky and the patties hold together on the grill without any breadcrumbs.
Korean
Char siu
Hanging in long glossy strips in the windows of Guangzhou's siu mei shops, char siu is the roast pork Cantonese families pick up on the way home to put on rice, noodles or into steamed buns. The outside is lacquered, sweet and a little charred at the edges; the inside stays juicy, savoury and faintly scented with five-spice. Shoulder (pork butt) is the cut to use, because its marbling keeps the strips moist through a hot oven. Marinate it overnight in the fridge, roast it the next day and eat it warm with steamed rice and blanched greens, or cold in fried rice and noodle soups. Chef's tip: save the honey for the last ten minutes; brushed on at the start it burns black long before the pork is cooked.
Chinese