Nigerian Chin Chin Recipe – This sweet and savory snack delivers a delightful West African treat that’s crispy and utterly addictive. These small, fried dough pieces have a unique crunch and a hint of nutmeg, making them perfect for any occasion.
Whether enjoyed as a snack on their own, served at parties, or shared with friends and family during celebrations, chin chin is a beloved treat that brings joy. If any of your friends are from West Africa, it’s sure to make them a little nostalgic.
With basic pantry staples like flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, this easy-to-make recipe allows you to create a batch of these delicious bites right in your own kitchen. Perfect for munching on movie nights or a fun addition to dessert platters, Nigerian chin chin is sure to become a favorite in your home!
Content…What Is It? |
What Is Chin Chin?
Throughout West Africa and Nigeria, chin chin (small, crispy pieces of fried dough typically sweetened and flavored with nutmeg) was prepared for special occasions. While I was growing up, it was customary in most homes in Cameroon to make this delicious snack during Christmas. Each home has its own chin chin recipe. Some are soft to the point of falling apart, while others are so hard you feel like your teeth are going to break.
Some people shape them like small balls; others knead and cut them into small squares. The overall experience of slowly feasting on chin-chin is indescribable. I never tire of trying all the different chin-chin variations.
Even at this ripe old age, I still love it. The only issue is, “Once I pop, I cannot stop.” On one occasion, I had to hide my chin chin in the trunk of my car. It may have been a little extreme, but I wasn’t prepared to share! 🙈
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour – Some all-purpose flour with a little added baking powder is the base ingredient for these fun treats.
- Flavor Enhancers – Sugar sweetens while salt enhances the overall flavor of these snacks.
- Butter – Butter adds richness and flavor to chin chin.
- Eggs – Eggs bind the batter together and contribute to the overall texture of chin chin.
- Milk – Milk gives the batter the right consistency and helps give these fried snacks a cake-like flavor.
- Flavorings – Grated nutmeg and lime zest add the classic flavor to these addictive snacks.
How to Make Chin Chin
- Dry – Using a mixer (or by hand), mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, nutmeg, and lime zest. (Photo 1)
- Butter – Mix the butter into the flour mixture until well incorporated. (Photo 2)
- Liquids – Add the milk and egg into the mixture. Keep mixing until you form a sticky dough ball. (Photo 3-4)
- Knead – Dump the dough ball onto a floured surface and knead, incorporating more flour into the dough as needed, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and even in color and no longer sticky. You can create many shapes and sizes for chin chin.
- Divide the dough in half. On a floured board, roll each half out until it’s about ⅙ inch thick, just like linguine or fettuccine. A pasta machine works great if you have one. Then, cut the dough into any shape you desire. (Photos 5-7)
- Fry – Heat a deep cast-iron skillet, saucepan, or (my all-time favorite) a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add around 3 inches of oil and heat it to 375℉ (190℃). Fry chin chin in the hot oil until golden. (Photo 8)
- Serve – Remove them from the oil, drain, and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Make it chocolatey. Add a spoonful of cocoa powder to the dough for a chocolate-flavored version. You can also dip the fried chin chin pieces in melted chocolate for an extra indulgent treat.
- A nutty version. Mix finely chopped nuts (like peanuts, almonds, or cashews) into the dough for a crunchy texture. You can also sprinkle nuts on top before frying.
- Get spicy. Add a pinch of cayenne or ground chili powder to the dough for a spicy kick. The savory element offers a delightful contrast to the sweetness. ❤️🔥
Tips and Tricks
- If you like your chin chin softer, add 1-2 extra tablespoons of butter. Just don’t go overboard with the extra butter, or your finished chin chin will crumble.
- A pasta machine helps roll out the dough for shaping. Check out how to use it in my Ghana chin chin recipe.
- Keep an eye on your oil temperature as you fry to make sure it doesn’t overheat. In addition, don’t overcrowd the frying pan, which could make the oil temperature drop quickly, resulting in greasy chin chin.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
You can store chin chin in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month, so feel free to make them in advance.
What Goes With Nigerian Chin Chin
You can serve chin chin on its own or with dips (chocolate sauce and caramel sauce are particularly tasty). Or serve it with other savory snacks, like plantain chips.
You could also include Nigerian chin chin as part of a larger snack platter with other treats like puff-puff, meat pies, or sambusas for variety. Wash it all down with some sorrel drink. 🤤
More Celebration-Worthy African Foods to Try
Besides popular recipes we enjoy for celebrating Christmas, try out these recipes.
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”leWUmIP9″ upload-date=”Mon Aug 06 2018 20:14:42 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Chin Chin” description=”Chin Chin – West African Fried pastry enjoyed throughout the region especially in Nigeria- Crispy Crunchy and Addictive.”]
This blog post was originally published in November 2012 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Nigerian Chin Chin
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Ingredients
- 3½ cups (420g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150g) sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2-3g) salt
- ¼ teaspoon (1-2g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon (1-2g) lime zest, grated
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons or 60g) butter (or margarine)
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup (175-180ml) milk
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Using a mixer (or by hand), mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, nutmeg, and lime zest.
- Mix the butter into the flour mixture until well incorporated.
- Add the milk and egg to the mixture. Keep mixing until you form a sticky dough ball.
- Dump the dough ball onto a floured surface and knead, incorporating more flour into the dough as needed, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and even in color and no longer sticky. You can create many shapes and sizes for chin chin.
- Divide the dough in half. On a floured board, roll each half out until it's about ⅙ inch thick, just like linguine or fettuccine. A pasta machine works great if you have one. Then, cut the dough into any shape you desire.
- Heat a deep cast-iron skillet, saucepan, or (my all-time favorite) a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add around 3 inches of oil and heat it to 375℉ (190℃). Fry chin chin in the hot oil until golden.
- Remove them from the oil, drain, and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- If you like your chin softer, add 1-2 tablespoons more butter. But please be careful not to use too much butter, or it will become too soft and crumble
- A pasta machine helps roll out and shape the dough
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe
chidinma says
Please with this ingredients can it be soft cos I want to fry soft chin chin tomorrow, I need your answer pls
ImmaculateBites says
Chidinma, it depends on how soft you want your chin chin. This is not too soft nor hard.
Ije says
This is such a great recipe! Thank you so much for this! This was the first recipe I have used to make chinchin and i’m so happy that it works! I changed it a little by adding more sugar and didn’t add lime zest but everything else is perfect. My friends all love my chinchin. Thank you for this!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for the feedback so glad it was a hit with your friends.
Elizabeth says
Hi immaculate. U rock. I have never felt this confident before. My chin chin cameout superb tthanks to you. I also made puff puff and it did not soak oil even one bit. Thanks a lot. My doughnuts had no oil but in d inside it was not fried
That’s not bad cos it was my first trial. Thumps up. Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
Hey Elizabeth, thanks for reporting back. It is good to know you are becoming a pro in the kitchen. Next time make sure the oil is not too hot. Reduce heat if doughnuts are browning too fast. Happy New Year.
Tasha says
These tasted so good. Making more of these for the holidays . Thanks again
ImmaculateBites says
Glad you liked them . Happy holidays
Rose T says
Thanks Imma for this recipe.i grew up in a home where chin chin was made every December but I must say that this is the best and straight to the point chin chin recipe I have ever seen.i just did it and it came out superb.my hubby n kids loved it.i’m indeed thankful for your blog
ImmaculateBites says
Rose, thanks for taking the time to say thanks. Happy thanksgiving!
Femo says
I love your website, it is clean and the photos are good.
More importantly, keep the simplicity with the recipes, they make life easier for bachelorettes and other learners.
This is great, keep it up, sis!
ImmaculateBites says
Aww,thanks Femo. Really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Don’t forget to subscribe! Spell check keep changing your name when I input it. Now its fix.
Hope says
I tried this recipe last night and my kids and my husband think that I am a chin chin goddess or something. I’ve been looking for a good chin chin recipe for a long time and this is it. Thanks so much and thanks for including detailed measurements, helps a lot.
ImmaculateBites says
Hope, so happy to hear this.! Thanks for taking the time to comment – it means a lot to me.
ImmaculateBites says
Aww ,Thanks Ayla. The lime Zest packs a lot citrus flavor into this chin-chin without the bitterness. If you prefer you can omit the zest and double the nutmeg flavor. Thanks for stopping by!
Ayla says
Love your blog so much. Tried a few of your recipes already and the finished products were fab. I’ll be trying this one out but just wondered about the inclusion of the lemon zest.
Gift says
Lovely, i will try this method, but ma is there no simple way to cut the chin chine.
ImmaculateBites says
You might try using a pasta machine
Adeola says
Hi, pls is it self rising flour or plain flour to be used? And how can I increase the quantity for my son’s birthday.
Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
Adeola , I used plain flour. Just double or triple recipe.Let me know how it works out for you.
liz says
Thanks a lot. Will do so and give you and others details!!!!
Liz says
How much butter should I add? 1/8th of a cup more???
ImmaculateBites says
Liz, start with a 1/8 the cup. Too much butter will make the chin chin full apart when frying . If you do not like the texture increase with 1 to 2 more spoons .
Nicole says
What is the name of the mixer (food processor) u are using.I need one like that.
ImmaculateBites says
KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer
Liz says
Today marks my 18th wedding anniversary and my hubby LOVES chinchin. His friend who loves it also is coming over too!!! Your recipe never fails. Some of my friends want a softer version. Any thoughts???
Cheers
ImmaculateBites says
Liz ,add a little bit more butter – it will do the trick!