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Kilishi-Glazed Chicken Thighs

Kilishi-Glazed Chicken Thighs reinterpret the complex, intensely spiced Kilishi paste — groundnut, ginger, dawa dawa, Cameroon pepper and selim — as a glazing sauce applied to chicken thighs during the final stage of cooking. The Kilishi paste caramelises beautifully onto the golden chicken skin, creating a deeply spiced, slightly crunchy, intensely aromatic crust that transforms the chicken into something completely extraordinary.

Kilishi-Glazed Chicken Thighs, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • Lemon juice and salt for cleaning
  • 1 teaspoon of curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon of thyme
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste FOR THE KILISHI GLAZE:
  • 3 big big tablespoons of Kilishi paste (the paste from Recipe #176 — groundnut, ginger, dawa dawa, spices)
  • 1 tablespoon of honey — to help caramelisation
  • 1 teaspoon of soy sauce — for depth and colour FOR THE SIMPLE PAN SAUCE:
  • Pan drippings after roasting the chicken
  • 1 glass of strong chicken stock
  • 1 cooking spoon of concentrated Banga sauce or palm nut extract
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. 01

    Seasoning and Parboiling. Season chicken thighs with curry, thyme, seasoning cubes and salt. Parboil in water with sliced onion for 20 minutes. Drain and pat the skin completely dry with paper towels — dry skin is the key to a crispy, caramelised Kilishi glaze.

  2. 02

    Roasting Until Skin is Golden. Place the parboiled chicken thighs skin-side up on a roasting tray. Roast in a very hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the skin is golden and beginning to crisp.

  3. 03

    Applying the Kilishi Glaze. Mix the Kilishi paste with honey and soy sauce until smooth. Remove the chicken from the oven. Brush the Kilishi glaze generously and evenly over every surface of the chicken — particularly the skin. Return to the hot oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the Kilishi glaze is deeply caramelised, fragrant and forming a spectacular spiced crust on the chicken skin.

  4. 04

    Resting. Remove from the oven immediately. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

  5. 05

    Making the Pan Sauce. Pour off excess fat from the roasting tray. Add chicken stock to the tray over high heat, scraping up all the caramelised Kilishi and chicken drippings. Add concentrated Banga sauce. Reduce until slightly thickened. Season.

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