Chichinga — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Spiced beef or goat skewers grilled over open charcoal, rubbed with a fiery groundnut-chilli powder, a beloved street food across the Central African Republic.

Ingredients

600g beef sirloin, cut into 3cm cubes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
For tankwa: 50g roasted groundnuts, ground fine
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1 Toss beef cubes with vegetable oil, salt, ground ginger, and garlic powder. Marinate for at least twenty minutes.
2 Make tankwa by grinding roasted groundnuts to a fine powder and mixing with dried chilli flakes and salt.
3 Thread marinated beef onto skewers, leaving small gaps between pieces for even cooking.
4 Grill over hot charcoal for three to four minutes per side, turning regularly, until charred outside but still juicy inside.
5 Sprinkle the hot skewers generously with tankwa powder immediately after removing from the grill.
6 Serve immediately on the skewers with extra tankwa on the side for dipping.

Did You Know?

Chichinga vendors are the heartbeat of evening markets, their smoky grills drawing crowds from blocks away.