Spicy Peppered Snail

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A beloved Nigerian delicacy featuring tender giant African land snails simmered in a fiery pepper sauce built on scotch bonnets, bell peppers, and aromatic ginger. The snails soak up the bold, oily pepper mix while staying snappy and juicy. Best served as a starter with cold drinks or alongside plantain chips.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 275 kcalCalories
• 14 gFat
• 2.5 gSaturated Fat
• 12 gCarbs
• 3 gFiber
• 5 gSugar
• 26 gProtein
• 720 mgSodium
• 480 mgPotassium
• 90 mgCalcium
• 6 mgIron
• 85 mgVitamin C
• 180 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For boiling the snails

• 2 lbs cleaned giant African snails (about 12 large)
• 4 cups water
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

For the pepper sauce

• 5 scotch bonnet peppers, seeded for less heat
• 2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 Maggi seasoning cube, crumbled

Directions

1. Place cleaned snails in a pot with the water, quartered onion, salt, and baking soda; bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce and simmer for 12-15 minutes to tenderize before draining and setting aside.
2. While the snails boil, add scotch bonnet peppers, bell peppers, garlic, and ginger to a blender and pulse to a coarse paste; set aside.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the sliced onion for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent.
4. Add the blended pepper paste and fry for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture deepens in color and oil begins to pool at the edges.
5. Stir in the crumbled seasoning cube, dried thyme, and a pinch of salt, then cook 1 minute more to bloom the spices.
6. Toss in the drained snails and stir well to coat every piece in the pepper sauce; simmer for 5-6 minutes so the snails absorb the flavors.
7. Taste and adjust salt and heat, then remove from the heat and let rest 2 minutes before serving hot.
8. Serve in a small bowl with toothpicks or alongside chilled drinks, beer, or sweet fried plantains.

Cook’s Notes

• Always buy pre-cleaned snails or scrub them vigorously with salt and lime to remove slime before cooking.
• Baking soda is the key to tender snail meat; do not skip this tenderizing step.
• Adjust the number of scotch bonnet peppers based on your heat tolerance, and remove the seeds for a milder sauce.
• The pepper sauce should reduce until oil separates from the paste; this concentrates the flavor.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat gently on the stove.

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