Small Chops

Chin Chin

Name: Chin Chin
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 300 g plain wheat flour (plus 15 g for dusting); 60 g granulated sugar; 50 g unsalted butter (softened); 1 large egg; 80 ml milk; 20 ml additional milk (only as needed); 0.25 tsp baking powder; 0.25 tsp fine salt; 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg; 1 litre neutral frying oil (enough for 5 cm depth in a suitable pot)

Small golden pieces of lightly sweet dough that become crisp as they cool. Chin chin is a familiar Nigerian festive snack, made in batches for sharing and nibbling. Recipes range from very hard and crunchy to more tender, depending on fat, milk, egg, and raising agents. This version sits between those extremes and uses a small amount of baking powder rather than yeast. Cultural context: A widely shared Nigerian snack with related regional variations beyond Nigeria; this is a sweet, lightly nutmeg-scented version.

Chin chin cut into golden rectangular pieces

Photo by Kaldari · CC0

Image details

Resized proportionally to 900x675 pixels; converted to WebP at quality 87; no cropping or content edits.

30 minPreparation

25 minCooking

8Servings

Allow 15 additional minutes for resting / soaking. Total: 70 minutes.

What you’ll need

8 servings

Let’s get cooking

1
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Rub in butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks evenly sandy.
2
Beat the egg with 80 ml milk, then stir into the flour. Knead briefly until a firm smooth dough forms, adding the extra milk a teaspoon at a time only if it will not come together.
3
Cover and rest for 15 minutes. This relaxes the dough; no fermentation is needed.
4
Dust the work surface lightly. Roll dough to 4–5 mm thick and cut into small squares about 1 cm wide. Separate pieces so they do not stick together.
5
Heat the oil to about 165–170°C in a deep pan, keeping the oil level below halfway. Fry a small test batch for 4–6 minutes, stirring and turning, until pale golden.
6
Cool one piece before checking the texture: it should be cooked through and crisp, without a raw flour centre. Adjust the heat or cutting size if necessary.
7
Fry the remaining pieces in batches. Drain in a single layer and cool completely before serving or placing in an airtight container.

A little kitchen wisdom

The pieces darken after leaving the oil, so do not wait for deep brown. Do not crowd the pot; the dough expands and may make the oil foam. Keep raw dough off ready-to-eat surfaces and do not taste it. Timing: active preparation 30 min; cooking 25 min; additional passive time 15 min; conservative planning allowance 70 min. Some stages may overlap. For Recipe.ng display, prep_minutes includes the additional passive time; it is not all hands-on work. Recipe status: Research draft; not kitchen-tested. Allergens and checks: Wheat (gluten); Milk; Egg

Recipe notes & sources

Research draft; not kitchen-tested

Also known as: Fried dough bites

A widely shared Nigerian snack with related regional variations beyond Nigeria; this is a sweet, lightly nutmeg-scented version.

Allergens: Wheat (gluten), Milk, Egg

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Small Chops

Chin Chin

Photo by Kaldari · CC0

Image details

Resized proportionally to 900x675 pixels; converted to WebP at quality 87; no cropping or content edits.

30 minPreparation

25 minCooking

8Servings

Allow 15 additional minutes for resting / soaking. Total: 70 minutes.

What you’ll need

8 servings

Let’s get cooking

1
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Rub in butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks evenly sandy.
2
Beat the egg with 80 ml milk, then stir into the flour. Knead briefly until a firm smooth dough forms, adding the extra milk a teaspoon at a time only if it will not come together.
3
Cover and rest for 15 minutes. This relaxes the dough; no fermentation is needed.
4
Dust the work surface lightly. Roll dough to 4–5 mm thick and cut into small squares about 1 cm wide. Separate pieces so they do not stick together.
5
Heat the oil to about 165–170°C in a deep pan, keeping the oil level below halfway. Fry a small test batch for 4–6 minutes, stirring and turning, until pale golden.
6
Cool one piece before checking the texture: it should be cooked through and crisp, without a raw flour centre. Adjust the heat or cutting size if necessary.
7
Fry the remaining pieces in batches. Drain in a single layer and cool completely before serving or placing in an airtight container.