Chicken Dust — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Smoky flame-grilled chicken pieces basted with a spicy tomato and chili sauce, sold at roadside stalls across Eswatini and famous for their addictive charred flavor.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tomatoes, blended
1 onion, grated
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1 tsp cumin

Instructions

1 Mix oil, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, cumin, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a marinade. Rub thoroughly into chicken pieces.
2 Marinate chicken for at least two hours, preferably overnight in the refrigerator for maximum flavor penetration.
3 Light a charcoal fire and let it burn down to medium-hot coals with a light coating of white ash.
4 Grill chicken pieces slowly over the coals, turning every five minutes to prevent burning while achieving even charring.
5 Blend tomatoes with grated onion for a basting sauce. Brush onto chicken during the last ten minutes of grilling.
6 Chicken is done when juices run clear and the skin is deeply charred and crispy. Serve immediately with sides.

Did You Know?

The name Chicken Dust comes from the dusty roadsides where these grills are set up, with the chicken smoke mixing with the red Swazi earth dust.