Recipe
Peppered Chicken: Nigerian Party Chicken Recipe
Smoky grilled chicken tossed in a spicy pepper sauce — a favourite at every party tray we prepare.
15 Sept 2026 · 1 min read · Chef Nissi
Prep time
20 mins (plus marinating)
Cook time
35 mins
Servings
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1kg chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks work well)
- 2 stock cubes
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1-2 scotch bonnet peppers (to taste)
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 thumb ginger
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Method
- 1Season the chicken with one stock cube, curry powder and thyme, then grill, roast or pan-fry until cooked through and lightly charred.
- 2Blitz the peppers, scotch bonnet, half the onion, garlic and ginger into a chunky sauce — not completely smooth.
- 3Heat the oil in a pan, fry the remaining sliced onion until soft, then add the pepper sauce.
- 4Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and deepened in colour. Season with the second stock cube.
- 5Toss the cooked chicken through the sauce and simmer for a further 5 minutes so it takes on the flavour.
- 6Serve hot, straight from the pan.
Peppered chicken is one of the most requested items on our food trays — it holds its heat well and reheats better than most fried dishes, which makes it practical for events as well as popular.
For a milder version, deseed the scotch bonnet before blending or use just one instead of two. The sauce should coat the chicken rather than drown it, so let it reduce properly before adding the meat back in.