Slow Cooker Nigerian Chicken
I’ve been watching The Chew since its inception. I love learning about food, culinary trends and cooking techniques from them, but honestly I don’t make a whole lot of their recipes. In fact I can think of mere two recipes I’ve made in these 6 years. One was a dairy-free Alfredo a la Daphne Oz. And the next was this Nigerian Chicken.
When I hear Carla Hall talk about her Smothered Nigerian Chicken, I was so intrigued, I knew I had to make it A.S.A.P. The first time I made it was actually on a Sunday, which is typically a leftover day. I didn’t have all the ingredients…and I wanted it after church for lunch, so I threw the chicken in the slow cooker with the tomatoes and made a quick dash to the store after church to get the peppers.
I wasn’t sure if I would like the smothered part or not. Her version called for the blending of banana with mango and stirring it into the sauce. I didn’t buy a mango since we already had pineapple at home, and I have subbed pineapple for mango plenty of times, especially in my FAVORITE salad of all times, the Cobb Salad with Basil Vinaigrette. I digress. Now back to this slow cooker Nigerian chicken. I think the sweet served as a quality contrast against the spicy, but I left out the fruit purée since my family wasn’t wild about it, and I think the dish stands alone mightily on it’s own. There are quite a few changes in this recipe compared to the original, so if you are interested in the original at all, go here to compare the recipes: Smothered Nigerian Chicken.
This Slow Cooker Nigerian Chicken is an unanticipated delight to the taste buds. You can make it as spicy as you want. It’s not in my wheelhouse to unite lime with cinnamon and cayenne, but, man, it works! Don’t trust me though; venture out and let me know the verdict.
Slow Cooker Nigerian Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. chicken thighs can leave the skins on with bones
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder), or to taste
- 1 medium green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 1 pepper of choice seeded, and diced (I used jalapeño pepper)
- 2-14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes or 4 cups of raw tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 2 cup broth or water
- zest of 1 lime
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Optional, in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, brown thighs in cast iron skillet on medium heat, cooking 7 minutes on one side, and 3 minutes on the other. Salt and pepper, and then place chicken in a slow cooker.
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Optional, if you have time, sauté the onions and bell pepper in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium heat until the onions start to brown. Add minced garlic in the last 90 seconds or until just fragrant. Place contents of skillet in slow cooker. The onion mixture can be added to the slow cooker anytime doing cooking: beginning, middle or end. Beginning is best to blend flavors, but feel no guilt if you add it at the end. It will still bring a depth of flavor to your slow cooker meals. If you don't have the time, you can omit the sautéing and throw the olive oil, onions, bell pepper and garlic uncooked.
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Place all ingredients in a 5 quart (or larger) slow cooker, and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, or until chicken is falling apart.
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Serve on a bed of rice, or quinoa, and enjoy!
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