Search no further, this is it. The Nigerian chin chin recipe you have been searching for. Sounds cocky right? But this really is it. Try it and see. Chin chin is a very common Fried West African snack. It is a delightfully tasty crunchy snack.
WARNING: Once you start munching, you would have to be restrained to stop.
Even as this snack is commonly enjoyed in Nigeria, not all chin chins are made equal. Some are overtly sweet, or tasteless, while some are just an oil soaked mess.
Growing up I helped my mom make chinchin a lot during the Christmas season. We always looked forward to making this delightful snack during the Christmas holidays.
Table of Contents
Why does my chinchin soak up oil?
One of our readers asked this question in the comments so I decided to update the post to include the answer. Thank you Yemi for taking out time to drop your comment. You are appreciated ❤️
Sometimes you find that your chin chin is soggy or has soaked up a lot of oil here are a few reasons why?
- The Oil wasn’t hot enough.
- The Oil wasn’t enough for the amount of chin chin dough being fried.
- The Oil was Overcrowded. Overcrowding the oil lowers the oil temperature and we are back to no 1 point above
How to prevent chinchin from soaking up a lot Oil when frying.
- The oil wasn’t hot enough: Before you frying the chin chin. Always test the heated oil by putting a piece of chin chin in the oil . If oil bubbles and the piece of chin chin comes up immediately then the oil is ready for frying.
- The Oil wasn’t enough for the amount of chin chin dough being fried:
Always fry your chin chin with enough oil. Frying chin chin requires deep frying which requires enough oil. - Overcrowding the oil with dough: Make sure you have enough oil to fry your dough. Too much dough overcrowds the and doesn’t allow adequate frying by lowering the temperature of the oil and making the dough soak up oil.
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How do I stop the oil used to fry chin chin from bubbling over and spilling?
Most time this happens when you are frying a second batch of the chin chin dough. I have observed that this happens only when my dough is made with butter. When I make chin chin with magerine , i can fry the whole batch with the same batch without having the oil bubble up and spill over.
But since I prefer the texture and taste of chin chin made with butter here are a few tips
- If you are making a large quantity, use a large pot to fill in oil to accommodate large chin chin dough for each batch then Change the oil after each batch.
- If you are making a small quantity, Use a large pot to accommodate the amount of oil needed to fry the chin-chin in one batch.
It was part of our travel package. We travelled home to our village (country home) every Christmas. So this chin chin served as our snack and also as gifts to visitors. Trust me we never got tired of munching on these and you too will not. Read warning above.
These are soft and almost crumbly on the inside and crunchy on the outside. So not to worry no jaw breakers here. ?. These little delights are ‘CROFT’ in my son’s words meaning Crunchy and Soft You get the drift right. The young man is a foodie at heart creating a portmanteau for food lol. But if Kamso says this is good, Believe me it is ?
Now let’s get to this amazing ‘CROFT’ chin chin recipe ?
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Recommended Products for making best chin chin
1. Pottella deep square 9.5″ copper pan: it has a frying basket, a steamer tray plus you get a free cookbook with it.
2. Frying spoon: This one comes in a set of three. Best value.
3. 32 oz clear plastic storage jars: These come in a set of 6. I reserve 2 for chin-chin and use the rest for storing other pantry staples like oats.
4. Oggi four piece acrylic canister set: Also great for storage.
5. Paper Towel: To absorb excess oil after frying and before storage.
6. Serving bowls: These are perfect to serve your chinchin with.
PIN FOR LATER
Nigerian Chin chin
Ingredients
- 280g (1 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp) all purpose flour
- 82g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
- 57g (4 Tbsp) salted butter
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup evaporated milk
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Measure and Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Measure and mix wet ingredients together except butter.
- Add butter to the dry ingredients and mix with your fingers until just combined.
- Pour in the other wet ingredients and mix together until dough forms. it should form a perfect dough but if its feels a bit stiff, add a Tbsp of water or milk. if it feels too tacky, add a Tbsp or 2 of flour no more. DO NOT over work the dough.
- Wrap in a saran wrap and allow to rest on the counter for about 5 mins. this allows flavors blend in and develops the gluten which makes it easier during the cutting process
- Unwrap rested dough, you can roll out all the dough at once since dough is small or you can divide into 2 portions and roll individually. Roll out dough to about a quarter of an inch thick because dough will rise when you fry them.
- With a knife or pizza cutter or even a dough divider cut dough across vertically and horizontally forming little squares.
- Put little squares in a bowl and sprinkle a little flour on them and shake to prevent sticking.
- Heat up oil. Fry till light golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and spread on a paper towel lined tray to cool. Chin chin will be soft when hot but hardens as it cools.
Notes
Please I made a chin chin and it was very soft, and some were even scattering. What’s the cause
Hi Sonia,
You may need to add more flour to the dough. Did you use the correct measurements?
Hello pls what makes chinchin crunchy
Hi there, just wondering how long these would last in an airtight container? Thx
Hi Sarah,
These could last up to 3 weeks or more in an air tight container but to be honest it finishes so quickly in my home! Hope that helps.
– Chichi
Hello, thanks for the recipe, I haven’t made it yet, but just a quick question, does it come out really hard? I like it hard back but soft inside…like bread…not the regular crunchy feel. How do I get that?
Hi Tony,
If you want it really hard, skip the egg and replace it with 1/4 cup of water or milk. Let me know how you fare.
– Chichi
Wow how can i leave my chinchin and what tyqe of milk should i use
Hello.
This is really great! Thank you.
I want to ask how many cups of an evaporated milk tin level cup of all purpose flour is equal to the 280g of all purpose flour you stated here…and that of sugar too.
Thank you!
Thanks for this recipe
Please can I make use of dry milk (measured milk in quote) instead of the evaporated milk
Hi Yetunde,
You can use powdered milk. To use powdered milk for This recipe it will be 1 Tbsp of milk to 1/4 cup of water. Use the recipe below to guide you
https://www.mydiasporakitchen.com/reconstituting-powdered-milk/
can I leave my chin chin dough overnight?
Hi Zobo,
Yes you can refrigerate overnight and for up to 2 days. Let it come to room temperature before using.
– Chichi
Hi ma’am Chichi.
Awesome recipe. Really tasty. Despite the fact that I am watching my weight, I still can’t help but long for that crunchy taste.
But I’d like to know, if I were to make chinchin for sale, what recipe should I use. I mean to sell this will cost me a great fortune!
☺
Hi AJ,
This recipe can be used for a commercial quantity. Simply double or triple the recipe as you see fit.
If you are looking for a healthier version, make it in the air fryer or oven. Hope that helps.
Chichi
Hi, this was really helpful. Quick question can you recommend any chin chin cutter or machine. So I sell chin chin from the comfort of my home and cutting correct sizes without sticking together is a hassle, I will be glad if you can help me out
Hi Belinda,
Happy you found it helpful. What country are you located so I can know what to recommend.