Cafriela de Frango da Guiné-Bissau (Char-Grilled Chicken in Lemon, Garlic, Bay & Onion Sauce) – Authentic Guinea-Bissau Recipe
Lusophone-Guinean masterpiece grilling chicken smoky before simmering it in a tangy lemon-garlic onion sauce.
- Country of Origin
- 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau (West Africa, Africa)
- Dietary Profile
- omnivore
- Prep Time
- 15 min
- Cook Time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Signature Staples
- Char-grilled chicken thighs, Mountains of caramelized yellow onions, Crispy potato wedges or rice, Juice of 3 lemons/limes, 6 cloves garlic
Ingredients for Cafriela de Frango da Guiné-Bissau (Char-Grilled Chicken in Lemon, Garlic, Bay & Onion Sauce) (4 Servings)
- 1.25 lbs (or 2.5 cups) char-grilled chicken thighs, prepped into bite-sized pieces
- 1.5 cups mountains of caramelized yellow onions, washed and trimmed
- 1 cup crispy potato wedges or rice
- 1 medium onion and 3 cloves garlic, finely minced with juice of 3 lemons/limes
- 1.5 tbsp traditional Guinea-Bissau seasoning (6 cloves garlic, bay leaves, white wine/vinegar splash, chili)
- 2.5 cups rich culinary stock or aromatic cooking liquid, plus 2 tbsp cooking oil
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat; brown char-grilled chicken thighs for 5 minutes.
- Add minced onion, garlic, juice of 3 lemons/limes, and 6 cloves garlic, bay leaves, white wine/vinegar splash, chili, stirring for 2 minutes until deeply aromatic.
- Add mountains of caramelized yellow onions and pour in the braising liquid; bring to a lively simmer.
- Cover and braise over medium-low heat for 20–22 minutes until meltingly tender and the sauce is rich and glossy.
- Stir in crispy potato wedges or rice right before serving warm.