Frango Grelhado à Bissau — Print Recipe

Butterflied chicken marinated in a fiery lime, garlic, and bird-pepper paste, then charcoal-grilled until smoky and juicy with crispy blackened skin.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (about 1.5kg), butterflied
Juice of 4 limes
6 cloves garlic, crushed
4 bird-eye peppers, ground
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Instructions

1 Pound garlic, bird-eye peppers, paprika, and salt into a paste using a mortar and pestle.
2 Mix paste with lime juice and oil. Rub all over the butterflied chicken, including under the skin.
3 Marinate for at least 1 hour (overnight is best).
4 Prepare a charcoal grill with medium-hot coals.
5 Grill chicken skin-side up first for 15 minutes, then flip and grill skin-side down for 15 minutes.
6 Continue turning and basting with remaining marinade until internal temperature reaches 75°C. Total grilling time about 40 minutes.
7 Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.

Did You Know?

On weekends, the scent of frango grelhado fills the streets of Bissau — nearly every neighborhood has an informal grill master who sets up shop by the roadside.