African Pepper Chicken Soup Recipe – This spicy, brothy soup is a prized dish in West Africa for good reason. The flavors are intense, and the broth is tasty enough to drink straight out of the bowl. 🤩
African pepper soup is simple yet flavorful and an absolute delight to eat. You’ll also love how easy it is to make! You simply blend the spices, add it to a pot with water and chicken, and let it cook until the chicken is tender.
This delicious African chicken pepper soup is also easy to customize. You can make it more or less spicy, keep it simple with chicken and broth, or add vegetables and other add-ins. Feel free to take this recipe and make it your own.
Content…What Is It? |
What Is African Pepper Soup?
African hot pepper soup is a simple yet intensely flavored soup that’s a kitchen staple throughout West Africa, especially in Nigeria, Cameroon, and neighboring African countries. The soup always contains hot peppers, but past that, the variations are endless.
In fact, there are almost as many variations as cooks, with everyone insisting that Grandmother’s take on this peppery soup is the only authentic way. Obviously, my version is the only authentic way to cook African pepper soup. (I’m kidding, I’m kidding. 😜)
Ingredient List
- Chicken – A roughly 3-pound chicken cut into pieces works perfectly for this recipe. But you could use 3 pounds of thighs, legs, or leg quarters.
- Pepper Soup Spices – Onion, garlic, ginger, paprika, chicken bouillon, green onions, parsley, basil, and bay leaf provide the flavor base. But you can add lemongrass, allspice, cumin, curry, and fennel seeds for an exciting taste.
- Pepper – Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers are ideal for adding heat to this soup. Sweet peppers like Cubanelles will give you the flavor without the heat.
- Njangsa – This exotic spice usually goes in Cameroonian versions of this soup. It has a delectable, nutty flavor. It can be hard to find, so omit it if need be.
How to Make African Pepper Soup
- Puree the spices in a blender or food processor.
- Cook – Add the chicken and pureed spices to a pot with 7-8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the chicken is tender.
- Serve – Discard the bay leaf, taste and adjust seasonings, and add some water if necessary to adjust the thickness. Serve hot.
Recipe Variations
- Make it vegetarian. Swap out chicken bouillon for a vegetable bouillon and cook this soup with chickpeas or lentils instead of chicken.
- Add vegetables. Add just almost any vegetable to this soup for more flavor and nutrition. That’s your cue to get creative. 😉
- Use a different protein. Goat meat pepper soup is a popular option, but any meat works well here, from beef to fish and anything in between.
- Nigerian pepper soup enjoys an herb called scent leaf (also called clove basil). Add a few leaves if you can find them for even more flavor.
Tips and Tricks
- I like using a fresh hen (stewing chicken) to cook pepper soup as it yields more flavor.
- Use the whole chicken. I mean the whole chicken. I even include the feet and head. Even if you don’t want to eat them, they’ll add flavor and nutrients to your soup.
- Njansa can be hard to find. Look for it in African markets or online. And if you can’t get your hands on it, don’t sweat it because the soup will still taste great. 😋
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Make this soup up to three days in advance, let it cool, then store it in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat on the stovetop over medium until it’s nice and hot.
The same goes for leftovers. And yes, it freezes well for 3-4 months.
What Goes With African Pepper Soup
Serve African pepper soup with regular fufu or ugali (corn fufu). You could also serve a side of njama njama to keep the meal African-themed. Another option is to serve it up American-style with a side salad and a crusty loaf of garlic bread.
More West African Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
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African Chicken Pepper Soup
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Ingredients
- 3-3½ pound (1-1.5kg) chicken, cut into pieces
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon (12g) ginger, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (6-7g) paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon (10g) Maggi or bouillon powder
- 2 green onion, chopped (whites and green parts)
- 3-5 tablespoons (5-9g) parsley, basil, or other fresh herb
- 1-3 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers
- salt and white pepper to taste
- ¼ cup (60ml) njansa (optional)
Instructions
- Puree the spices in the blender or food processor, pulsing until everything is finely ground.
- Add the chicken and spices to a large pot with 7-8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the chicken is tender.
- Discard bay leaf, then adjust for seasonings and thickness (add more water if desired). Serve hot.
Tips & Notes:
- I like using fresh hen (stewing chicken) to cook pepper soup because it yields more flavor.
- Use the whole chicken, including the feet and head. Even if you don’t want to eat them, they’ll add flavor and nutrients to your soup.
- Njansa is available in some African markets, but you can also purchase online at Amazon.
- Basic ingredients for authentic pepper soup are hot peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger. After that, ethnic spices range from lemongrass to allspice, cumin, curry, and fennel seeds. I kept this recipe simple so anyone anywhere can easily make this soup. Use any protein of choice (goat meat, chicken, fish, beef, and organs.)
- Please remember the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Denis Brogan says
Can’t wait to try this recipe
Immaculate Bites says
Let me know how it turns out, Denis! Don’t forget to make some yummy dessert, too. You can take your pick from my list of 25 Insanely Good Summer Desserts. Enjoy!
Abby storrs says
I love pepper soup… and I love this recipe!!!
Abigail Storrs says
I love pepper soup!! Using this recipe I no longer get my soup have to go out and get it I make it at home!!! Thank you!!!
Bridgette says
Hi! Can this be made in the crockpot? It sounds like a good soup to let slow cook. Thanks!
Toni Allen says
Hi. Just a quick question. Can this recipe be frozen for later consumption?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes it can. I do it all the time . Enjoy!
Eileen says
Hello. A girlfriend of mine is Nigerian and adds Plantain to her’s. Is it possible to add with this recipe? Thank you. Big Fan!
imma africanbites says
Hi, Eileen. Yes, you can add slightly ripe or unripe plantains.
Eileen says
Hi Imma, I made this and I believe I should have used less cups of water (I used 7 as advised) or perhaps a different pot. Is there any specific pot guidelines to follow?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Eileen,
No not really. It also depends on type of chicken used . The hard chicken takes more than an hour to cook , so it needs a lot of water .If using young chicken then I suggest you start with 4 cups and add as you go.
Eileen says
A girlfriend of mine is Nigerian and adds Plantain to her’s. Is it possible to add with this recipe? Thank you.
Lauren says
Oh my goodness, Imma, this is A FANTASTIC dish! I’m in love. I made it last night with my husband. I used chicken and added some extra spices that were optional (curry, cumin, allspice). I didn’t have the njangsa but will order for next time. I also added plantains and used habaneros from our garden. Yum! I have been sick with a cold and this put life back into me! Thank you, I love all of your dishes! This one was easy and pretty quick. 🙂
Jona says
I’m going to make this dish today! It looks amazing. What did you use to edit your videos? I started my youtube channel ( jona lorza) about 6 months ago. Do you have any tips or advice?
Thanks !
imma africanbites says
Hi, Jona. Congrats on your channel. I have my videos edited by a third-party. What I can advice though are: natural light is a gem and try to work on your videos in bulk ( like make 3 videos a day) so you’ll have couple of videos to schedule and gain momentum. Hope that helps.
allie says
hi! I’m planning to make this tomorrow for a client but I don’t have njansa – what would the equivalent amount of spice mix be? a quarter cup of ground spices?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Allie, if you don’t have Njangsa that could work. Adjust to taste as you cook. Do let me know how it works out for you. Thanks.
allie says
I have berbere spice – so you think that could work??
Desola says
Please what njansa called in either igbo or yoruba language
ImmaculateBites says
Can someone help me out here?
Bunmi says
Njansa is called Erinmado in Yoruba language and Okwe in Igbo.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for taking time out to share this with us .
Mayah Bess says
I love this recipe. It’s delicious I added some cumin in mine and made a side of rice and sweet plantain. Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Oh, nice! So glad you liked it!
Martine says
Love the recipe. In my hometown Cameroon Djansang is an ideal spice. I used goat instead of chicken which I believe is what you used. I didn’t hav scotch bonet and made it without it and it tastes exceptionally well.
Chandra Smith says
How long did it take to cook with goat meat
ImmaculateBites says
It usually takes about about an 1 hour 30 minutes , less or more depending on the size and desired tenderness.
Ayngel says
Hello thank you for this recipe. I do have 1 question. Do I fully cook the chicken 1st and then once it’s done add the water and seasonings? Or do I boil the chicken until half down…..pour the water out and then refill with new water and continue boiling with added seasonings so that im not actually ingesting the original.water from the raw chicken? Thanks;-)
ImmaculateBites says
Hello there ,
Is there are a particular reason you do not want to ingest the water from the chicken? I boil everything together and it cooks until chicken is fully cooked and tender I never cook the chicken fully.
Vennetta Eugene says
This recipe sounds very nice im looking forward to making it. I think its a good option as the weather is getting cold and the food is hot and spicy. Thanks immaculate
Victoria says
I am going to make this my first meal when I get my first apartment. It looks great.
imma africanbites says
Can’t wait for you to try it, Victoria! Let me know how it goes.
Ryn Greaves says
We love this recipe. We add cumin and fennel and used Serrano Peppers it’s wonderful
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you, Ryn! 🙂
Kristina says
This was so amazing. I couldn’t find njansa, so I added some African pepper soup spice mix. I couldn’t believe how flavorful this was. My boyfriend is Nigerian and he definitely approved it. Next time I’d like to add some potatoes. I think it will work great. Thank you so much for all the recipes. Anything I make from your website it comes out unbelievably delicious.
imma africanbites says
Awww, thank you so much for all the kind words, Kristina and for that handy tip.
CiCi says
I would rather boil the chicken and drain it first before adding the spices. I don’t want to get sick from ingesting bloody chicken water.
Lilly says
Made this soup today. Especially easy recipe! I added okra for a thicker broth. This is definitely a filling soup!