Nigerian · intermediate
Nigerian Banga Braised Chicken Thighs With Sweet Bell Peppers
A comforting skillet braise inspired by Niger Delta banga flavor notes, featuring tender chicken braised in rich red palm oil, fresh tomatoes, aromatic thyme, and mild scotch bonnet heat.
- PREP TIME
- 15 min
- COOK TIME
- 35 min
- SERVES
- 4
Good things
start in the kitchen.
LET’S MAKE IT
Step by step
- 01
Heat the red palm oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
- 02
Add the chicken thighs and brown each side for 4 to 5 minutes until golden, then transfer the chicken to a clean plate.
- 03
In the remaining oil, sauté the diced yellow onion, garlic, and minced scotch bonnet pepper for 3 minutes until translucent.
- 04
Stir in the chopped red bell pepper and dried thyme, cooking for another 2 minutes to soften the vegetables.
- 05
Pour in the halal chicken stock, stirring thoroughly to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- 06
Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 07
Uncover the skillet and let the gravy reduce for 3 minutes until slightly thickened before serving.
A LITTLE KITCHEN KNOW-HOW
Palm Oil Tempering
Gently heating unrefined red palm oil without overheating unlocks its deep earthy flavor while preventing smoke.
Notes from the kitchen
- Keep the skillet covered during the braise to keep the chicken moist and absorb the herbal thyme notes.
- Adjust the scotch bonnet quantity according to your spice tolerance level.
- Original home-cooking adaptation inspired by Nigerian; regional versions vary.
- Use halal-certified meat, poultry, stock, sauces, cheese and other processed ingredients. Check labels and avoid cross-contamination. Recipe screening is not halal certification.