Ghanaian Warm Spice Groundnut Chicken Casserole

About This Recipe

Groundnut soup, a rich stew built on a base of blended peanuts, tomato and warm spice, is one of Ghana's most treasured dishes, traditionally served with chicken or goat and often eaten with fufu or rice balls. This casserole reworks that same groundnut soup flavor profile into a baked format, layering chicken pieces with the peanut-tomato sauce and finishing it in the oven rather than simmering everything on the stovetop, which concentrates the sauce further as it bakes. Smooth, unsweetened natural peanut butter stands in for the traditionally ground raw peanuts, whisked into the tomato-onion base until fully incorporated and simmered gently so it doesn't split or turn grainy. Chicken pieces are browned first for flavor, then nestled into the peanut sauce and baked covered until tender, absorbing the rich, nutty sauce the whole time. Warm spices like ginger and a hint of cayenne round out the dish, echoing the balance of richness and heat that defines Ghanaian groundnut soup.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8 piecesbone-in chicken thighs(skin on)
• 2 tbspneutral oil
• 1onion(chopped)
• 3tomatoes(blended)
• 0.75 cupnatural peanut butter(smooth, unsweetened)
• 1.5 tbspfresh ginger(grated)
• 0.25 tspcayenne pepper(or to taste)
• 2 cupschicken stock
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 3 tbspfresh cilantro or parsley(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the chicken

   Season the chicken thighs and sear skin-side down in oil in an ovenproof pot over medium-high heat, 6-7 minutes, until deeply golden. Remove and set aside.

2. 2

   Build the sauce base

   In the same pot, cook the onion 6 minutes until soft. Add blended tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes until reduced and thickened.

3. 3

   Add the peanut butter

   Whisk in the peanut butter, ginger, cayenne and salt until fully smooth, then gradually whisk in the chicken stock.

4. 4

   Nestle in the chicken

   Return the browned chicken thighs to the pot, spooning sauce over the top.

5. 5

   Bake covered

   Cover and bake at 180C (350F) for 40-45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (74C internal) and the sauce is thick and glossy.

6. 6

   Serve

   Scatter with fresh cilantro or parsley and serve over rice or with fufu.

Variations

• •

  Traditional stovetop version: skip the oven and simmer everything together in a pot on the stovetop for about 45 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.

• •

  Goat meat version: substitute bone-in goat meat for chicken, extending the cooking time to 1.5-2 hours until tender.

• •

  Extra vegetables: add diced eggplant or okra to the sauce for a more traditional groundnut soup texture.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often, since peanut sauces can scorch if reheated too quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions