Macanese One-Pan Chicken Curry

If you’re looking for a dish that tells the story of Macau through flavor, African Chicken—or galinha à africana—is it. Despite its name, this spicy, richly sauced chicken isn’t traditionally African. Instead, it’s a uniquely Macanese creation, born out of a collision of cultures during the Portuguese colonial era. The dish is a melting pot, indicated by its history and ingredient list – oyster sauce, curry powder, coconut milk, peanut butter, and olive oil, all in one pot.

What Is African Chicken?

African Chicken is a beloved Macanese dish featuring bone-in chicken marinated and grilled (or roasted), then coated in a complex sauce made with peanut butter, coconut milk, spices, and sometimes a touch of chili heat. The flavor is bold and layered—earthy from the peanuts, aromatic with spices like paprika and bay leaves, and comfortingly creamy.

African chicken

What makes this dish special

There are many different versions of African chicken. I encountered this dish in Macau back in 2012. The chicken is usually cut to bite-size bone-in pieces, grilled, then made into a stew. The dish usually includes a very long list of ingredients to create a complex, yet balanced and comforting flavor. When trying to recreate it at home, I did a few things that simplified the process without sacrificing the flavor:

  • Whole pieces of bone-in skin-on pieces are used: This makes prep easier and still retains the texture of the original dish.
  • The chicken is pan fried until crispy, then baked: It makes the process more streamlined without using a grill. It also guarantees the chicken skin to be crispy, and keeps the meat juicy.
  • Plenty of potatoes and peppers are cooked together, making it a great one-pot dinner.
African Chicken (Macanese One-Pan Chicken Curry, 非洲鸡)

Ingredients

The ingredient list might look long, but most of the ingredients in African chicken are pantry staples:

  • Chicken and spice rub – curry powder, paprika, salt: It creates a smoky coating that’s full of flavor. 
  • Aromatics – onion, ginger and garlic: Frequently used in Chinese cooking, these fresh aromatics add a lot of fragrance to the dish.
  • Curry base ingredients – Mild curry powder, paprika, chili flakes, bay leaves, peanut butter, chicken stock, oyster sauce, coconut milk: All the ingredients work together to make a rich sauce that’s creamy, nutty, fragrant and slightly spicy. 
  • Vegetables – potatoes and pepper: Add texture and color to the dish.
Ingredients for the curry

How to make African chicken

  1. Rub the spice mix all over the meat side of the chicken and sprinkle salt over the skin. I avoid using the spice mix on the skin of the thigh pieces, because the pan frying process can easily burn the spices without getting the skin crispy. 
Rubbing spice mix over chicken pieces
  1. Pan fry the chicken until the skin is crispy. On the spiced sides, you should only gently cook it until the spices are toasted, to avoid burning. 
Sear chicken in the pan
  1. Saute the aromatics to release fragrance, then toast the curry spices.
Stir fry the aromatics and curry powder
  1. Add the sauces and potatoes, then braise on the stovetop for five minutes. Then add the pepper and chicken. Bake for 45 minutes.
Make the stew

Once done, the skin on the chicken pieces remains crispy and the meat juicy and flavorful. The vegetables are tender, soaked in the super rich peanut coconut curry sauce. It tastes so good!

Different variations of African chicken

  1. Recreate a more authentic flavor using the grill

This is the most authentic way to cook African chicken, to create a nicely charred surface and a smoky flavor. If you use a grill, you can rub the chicken pieces with the spice mix without avoiding the skin. The skin will cook nicely on the grill, even with spices on. 

  1. Use boneless chicken pieces to reduce cooking time

If you prefer to use boneless chicken, that is totally fine! In this case, cut the chicken into large bite-sized pieces so it absorbs more flavor. You will also need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. In this case, bake it in the oven for 30 minutes. 

  1. Braise everything together on the stovetop only

No matter whether you use bone-in skin-on chicken pieces or boneless skinless chicken, you can cook this dish over the stove by braising everything together. The benefit of cooking in the oven is to create a crispy chicken skin. If crispy skin is not important for you, feel free to finish cooking the dish on the stove. In this case, you can add all the braising ingredients together and simmer covered over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through. It takes 30 minutes or so for bone-in pieces, and 15 minutes for boneless pieces. 

How to serve African chicken

You can serve African chicken by itself as a main dish. With the potato and pepper, it makes a great one-pan dinner. In Macau, this dish is often served with steamed white rice. The rice soaks up the rich curry sauce and tastes great. For me, the dish also tastes great over boiled noodles. 

If you have leftovers, the flavors will develop further and the dish will taste even better the next day!

African chicken served with white rice

Other one-pan recipes

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African chicken features juicy chicken with crispy skin, tender potato, and colorful peppers elevated by a peanut butter and coconut based curry sauce. Sweet, savory, nutty, and spicy! And it all comes together in one pan, fuss-free. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

African Chicken (Macanese One-Pan Chicken Curry, 非洲鸡)

By Maggie Zhu
4.96 from 22 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Print
African chicken features juicy chicken with crispy skin, tender potato, and colorful peppers elevated by a peanut butter and coconut based curry sauce. Sweet, savory, nutty, and spicy! And it all comes together in one pan, fuss-free. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Ingredients 

  • 2 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and/or legs (*Footnote 1)

Spice mix

  • 1/2 tablespoon Madras curry powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt (and extra for sprinkle)

Curry

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil , divided
  • 1 onion , sliced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger , minced
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 tablespoon paprika powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes , for spiciness (Optional)
  • 2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 can coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup unsalted natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup oyster sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 russet potato , peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
  • 2 bell peppers , roll cut into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces
  • Parsley for garnish , chopped (Optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • Combine the 1/2 tablespoon curry powder, 1/2 tablespoon paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. For thigh pieces, rub the spice mixture over the chicken meat, leaving the skin. Generously sprinkle salt over chicken skin. Sprinkle the spices evenly over the leg pieces. Let marinate while preparing the other ingredients.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12” oven-safe skillet (*Footnote 2) over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add chicken, skin side down. Cook over medium heat until the skin turns golden crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Then flip to cook the spiced side until just toasted, 1 minute or so. For the leg pieces, cook, rotating occasionally, until all sides are toasted but not burned, about 1 minute per side. Turn off the heat. Transfer chicken to a plate.
  • Add the remaining of the 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the same pan and turn to medium heat. Add the onion. Cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ginger and garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds, to release the aroma.
  • Add paprika and curry powder. Stir until the ingredients are well coated with spices, 20 to 30 seconds.
  • Add chicken stock, coconut milk, peanut butter, oyster sauce, bay leaves and potato. Stir with a spatula to dissolve the peanut butter until it’s well blended with the sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes (*Footnote 2). Add the pepper and top with the chicken without overlapping the pieces, skin side up. Transfer to the oven. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the skin crispy, about 45 minutes. Garnish with parsley. Serve hot by itself or over steamed rice as a main dish.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

  1. Boneless skinless thigh or chicken breast will work too. In this case, change baking time to 30 to 35 minutes, until the inner temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
  2. If your pan is not oven safe: After braising the potato, turn off the heat and transfer everything to a 2 qt baking dish.
  3. To make this dish gluten-free: Make sure to use a gluten-free oyster sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 389kcal, Carbohydrates: 18.8g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 21.1g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 655mg, Potassium: 659mg, Fiber: 5.1g, Sugar: 4.3g, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 3mg

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