Entree: Guinea-Bissau – Northern Culinary Region – Galinha à Cafreal (Herb- and chili-marinated grilled chicken in a cilantro-garlic piri-piri sauce)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 40 min

Additional 2 hrs

Total 2 hrs 55 min

Ingredients

- 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, approx. 3.5 lb (1.6 kg)
- 2 cups (50 g) packed fresh cilantro leaves and stems
- 1/2 cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4–6 fresh piri-piri or bird’s eye chilies (adjust to heat preference)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 6 tbsp (90 ml) olive oil
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) ground cumin
- 1 tsp (6 g) smoked paprika or sweet paprika
- 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) black pepper
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey or brown sugar (optional, balances heat)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) water if needed to loosen paste
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil for grilling or pan-roasting

Instructions

1. Make the cafreal marinade: In a blender or food processor, combine cilantro, parsley, garlic, piri-piri chilies, white wine vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, ground coriander, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and honey if using. Pulse until a coarse-green paste forms, adding up to 2 tbsp (30 ml) water if needed to reach a thick sauce consistency.
2. Prepare the chicken: Pat chicken pieces dry. Place in a large bowl or resealable bag and pour half the marinade over the chicken, massaging to coat. Reserve the remaining marinade for basting and finishing.
3. Marinate: Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight for best flavor (4 hours recommended).
4. Preheat grill or oven: If grilling, heat to medium-high. If using oven, preheat to 425°F (220°C) and have a rimmed baking sheet ready.
5. Cook the chicken: For grill — brush grates with oil and cook skin-side down 6–10 minutes, turn and continue cooking, basting occasionally with reserved marinade, until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and skin is charred in spots, about 25–35 minutes total. For oven — place chicken skin-side up on a rack over a baking sheet, roast 35–45 minutes, basting once or twice, finishing under broiler 2–3 minutes if you want extra charring.
6. Rest: Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.
7. Serve: Spoon any warmed reserved marinade over the chicken, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve with rice, fried plantains, or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.