Chicken chichinga are Ghanaian chicken kebabs made with suya spice, which is a peanut-based spice blend that’s widely used in Ghana and Nigeria. Chichinga can be made with any meat, tofu or vegetables. The meat versions of chichinga, particularly beef, are popular street foods in Ghana and Nigeria (where it is referred to as suya). Chicken chichinga is delicious and very easy to make. You can cook it on the grill or in the oven with a grilling pan.
How to Make Chicken Chichinga (Ghanaian Chicken Kebabs)
You’ll need the following ingredients to make chicken chichinga: 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (chopped into 1 inch cubes; should have about 30 pieces of chicken), 2½ tablespoons of suya spice, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of garlic (minced), 1 teaspoon of ginger (minced), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of canola oil.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomato paste, suya spice, canola oil, garlic, and ginger and use a spoon to mix the ingredients together to make a marinade. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and place the chicken in the bowl with the marinade. Use a spoon to coat all the sides of each chicken piece with the marinade. Place the marinated chicken in the fridge for 30 minutes. If you’re using wooden skewers, place them in a bowl with warm water during this time. It’s good to do this because it will help to prevent the skewers from burning when you grill the chicken.
Remove the wooden skewers from the bowl and thread each chicken piece onto the skewers (I threaded about 6 pieces of chicken onto each skewer). Set the skewered chicken aside on a clean plate. If you’re using a grill, place the chichinga on the grill and grill each side of the chicken until the chicken is cooked through and browned on each side (about 10-15 minutes).
If you don’t have a grill and are using a grilling pan, lightly oil the pan and heat it on the stove with the stove set at medium heat. Place the chichinga on the grilling pan and make grill marks on each side (about 5 minutes for each side). Put the grilling pan with the chichinga in a preheated oven (set on low broil). Broil the chichinga in the oven for 8 minutes and then turn it and broil for another 8 minutes. The internal temperature for each chicken bite should be 165°F. Chichinga is usually served with sliced onions and tomatoes. Enjoy!
Other Ghanaian Recipes
Chicken Chichinga (Ghanaian Chicken Kebabs)
Ingredients
- 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (chopped into 1 inch cubes; about 30 pieces)
- 2½ tbsp suya spice
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp ginger (minced)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp canola oil
Instructions
- Combine the tomato paste, suya spice, canola oil, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl. Use a spoon to mix the ingredients together to make a marinade.
- Sprinkle the salt and pepper onto the chicken and place the chicken into the bowl with the marinade. Use a spoon to coat all the sides of each chicken bite with the marinade. Place the marinated chicken in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- If you’re using wooden skewers, place them in a bowl with warm water for 30 minutes to prevent the skewers from burning when you’re grilling the chichinga.
- Remove the skewers from the bowl and thread each chicken piece onto the skewers (I threaded about 6 pieces of chicken onto each skewer) and set aside on a clean plate.
- If you’re using a grill, place the chichinga on the grill and grill each side until the chicken is cooked through and browned on each side (about 10-15 minutes).
- If you don’t have a grill, oil and heat a grilling pan on the stove. Place the chichinga on the grilling pan and make grill marks on each side (about 5 minutes for each side).
- Transfer the grilling pan with the chichinga to a preheated oven (set on low broil). Broil the chichinga in the oven for 8 minutes. Turn each skewer and broil the chichinga on the new side for another 8 minutes.
- The internal temperature of each chicken bite should be 165°F.
4 Comments
Ellie
September 10, 2023 at 12:43 pmAny suggestions for side dishes to serve with this? This sounds delicious and I’m going to make it this week.
Meals by Mavis
September 11, 2023 at 10:24 amHi Ellie, we generally just eat it with slices of onions and tomatoes. However, if you want to make it more filling, you can add flatbread like pita. You can also serve it with rice dishes like jollof rice. Note: Don’t cook the chicken with the jollof rice (like I’ve done in that recipe) if you’re planning to make chicken chichinga to eat with the jollof rice.
Ellie Barta-Moran
September 15, 2023 at 9:55 amYum, thanks! I liked the pairing a lot, though now I also want to make the rice with the chicken and shrimp on its own!
Meals by Mavis
September 15, 2023 at 5:35 pmI’m glad it turned out well. Yes, do give the jollof rice a try. It’s very good, if I do say so myself. Lol.