Entree: Republic of the Congo – Northern Culinary Region – Pili-Pili Chicken (Spicy marinated chicken cooked with African bird's-eye chiles, garlic, and bright citrus)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 35 min

Additional 1 hr

Total 1 hr 35 min

Ingredients

- 8 bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and legs), approx. 3 lb (1.36 kg) total
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 8 bird's-eye chiles (pili-pili), stemmed and chopped, approx. 1 oz (30 g)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced, approx. 0.7 oz (20 g)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped, approx. 5 oz (140 g)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) white vinegar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste
- 1 tbsp (15 g) fresh grated ginger
- 1 tsp (5 g) chicken bouillon powder or 1 cube, crumbled (approx. 5 g)
- 1 tsp (5 g) smoked paprika
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp (30 g) chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Instructions

1. In a blender or mortar and pestle, combine bird's-eye chiles, garlic, onion, ginger, vinegar, lemon juice, tomato paste, bouillon, smoked paprika, 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil, salt and pepper; blend to a coarse paste.  
2. Rub the paste all over the chicken pieces, add bay leaves, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.  
3. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) if finishing in the oven, or prepare a medium-hot grill.  
4. Heat remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil in a large ovenproof skillet or on the grill; sear chicken skin-side down until deeply browned, about 6–8 minutes, then turn and sear the other side 4–5 minutes.  
5. If using the oven, transfer skillet to oven and roast until internal temp reaches 165°F (74°C), about 20–30 minutes depending on piece size. If grilling, move chicken to indirect heat, cover, and cook until done, 20–25 minutes. Baste once with pan juices or reserved marinade (not the raw portion).  
6. Remove chicken, let rest 5 minutes, then sprinkle with chopped parsley or cilantro and serve hot.