Frango à Zambeziana (Zambezi Coconut Milk, Lime & Piri-Piri Grilled Chicken) – Authentic Mozambique Recipe
From Quelimane and the Zambezi region: smoky grilled chicken basted in coconut milk, garlic, and piri-piri.
- Country of Origin
- 🇲🇿 Mozambique (Southern Africa, Africa)
- Dietary Profile
- omnivore
- Prep Time
- 15 min
- Cook Time
- 18 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Signature Staples
- Chicken thighs marinated in coconut milk and lime, Roasted potato wedges, Tomato-onion salad, Thick coconut milk, Fresh lime juice
Ingredients for Frango à Zambeziana (Zambezi Coconut Milk, Lime & Piri-Piri Grilled Chicken) (4 Servings)
- 1.25 lbs (or 2.5 cups) chicken thighs marinated in coconut milk and lime, prepped into bite-sized pieces
- 1.5 cups roasted potato wedges, washed and trimmed
- 1 cup tomato-onion salad
- 1 medium onion and 3 cloves garlic, finely minced with thick coconut milk
- 1.5 tbsp traditional Mozambique seasoning (fresh lime juice, 5 cloves garlic, Mozambican piri-piri chili)
- 2.5 tbsp traditional cooking oil, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and fresh citrus or herbs
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
- Whisk together thick coconut milk, fresh lime juice, 5 cloves garlic, Mozambican piri-piri chili, cooking oil, and sea salt in a bowl to form a fragrant Mozambique marinade.
- Coat chicken thighs marinated in coconut milk and lime and roasted potato wedges thoroughly in the seasoning and let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Heat a cast-iron grill pan or heavy skillet over high heat until smoking hot.
- Sear chicken thighs marinated in coconut milk and lime and roasted potato wedges for 4–5 minutes per side until blistered, charred at the edges, and cooked through.
- Transfer to a warm platter, scatter with tomato-onion salad, and serve immediately.