If I could describe a chicken recipe that feels and tastes like home, no matter where you are from, then it would be chicken yassa (poulet au yassa).
Featuring marinated chicken braised in an onion sauce along with olives, it is delicious over rice, couscous, bread, and so much more!
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ingredients
We are going to be using two sets of ingredients: to marinate the chicken, and to make the onion sauce.
to marinate the chicken
Here are the marinade ingredients:-
- 4 to 5 whole chicken leg quarters, divided into drumsticks and thighs, or 1 small whole chicken (about 1.1 kg or 2,2 lb), cut into large pieces.
- Juice of 1 lemon.
- cooking oil.
- sprigs spring onions.
- parsley.
- 3 to 4 cloves of garlic.
- 1 to 2 scotch bonnet peppers, use more or less, to taste.
- green bell peppers.
- a small piece of ginger.
- 1 crumbled chicken stock cube, such as Maggi.
- Salt to taste
to make the onion and mustard sauce
The ingredients for the onion sauce are:-
- cooking oil.
- onions.
- smoked or sweet paprika.
- thyme.
- salt and black pepper to taste.
- mustard.
- lemon juice.
- olives.
how to make it
- Prepare chicken: Clean, trim, and add lemon juice.
- Make marinade: Make the marinade and coat the chicken.
- Bake, grill, or fry the chicken: Reserve any remaining marinade.
- Make sauce: Season and cook the onions in a pan until soft and caramelized.
- Simmer: Add the cooked chicken, reserved marinade, and water if needed. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Serve: Add olives, simmer for about 5 minutes, then serve.
top tips
Feel free to adjust the heat to your taste. If you don’t have scotch bonnet peppers, cayenne or red chili powder work just as well.
Keep your leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for 4-5 months.
serve it with
- Plain white basmati rice, yellow rice, or your favorite rice dishes.
- Couscous.
- Mashed or roasted potatoes.
- Fufu.
- Fried plantain.
other tasty African recipes
Try these other tasty African recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Yassa Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
To Marinate the Chicken
- 4-5 whole chicken leg quarters, divided into drumsticks and thighs, or 1 small whole chicken (about 1.1 kg or 2.4 lb), cut into large pieces.
- juice of one lemon
- water in a large bowl
- 1-2 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 small bunch parsley
- 5 sprigs spring onions (scallions)
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic
- 1 to 2 scotch bonnet peppers to taste
- 2 green bell peppers
- 3.5 cm ginger about 1 inch
- 1 crumbled chicken stock cube such as Maggi
- Salt to taste
To Make the Sauce
- 5 onions sliced
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1.5 teaspoon paprika
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1-2 tablespoon cooking oil
- up to ½ cup water (optional)
- ½ cup olives pitted
- a handful of chopped parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- Clean the chicken by rinsing it in water with lemon juice, then pat it dry with paper towels. See note 1 below for recommended practises. Trim off excess fat.
- Make the marinade by combining 1 tablespoon of oil, spring onions, parsley, garlic, scotch bonnet peppers, bell peppers, ginger, stock cube, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Make slits in the chicken and rub the marinade all over, under the skin, and into the cuts.
- Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight then transfer the chicken to a baking tray.
- Bake at 200°C or 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Reserve any remaining marinade. The internal temperature should reach at least 165°F. See note 2 below.
Make the Sauce
- While the chicken bakes, mix the onions, Dijon mustard, black pepper, thyme, paprika, and lemon juice in a bowl.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion mixture, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and caramelized.
- Add the baked chicken and reserved marinade. Add water if preferred (optional). Simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and the chicken is tender.
- Add the olives, cover, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Garnish with some chopped parsley, serve with rice, couscous, or your favorite dishes.
Notes
- Food safety guidelines, including those from the USDA, advise against washing raw chicken to prevent the spread of bacteria. To truly represent how this dish is made in Senegal and Gambia, I have included this step. Skip this step if preferred.
- You can also fry, grill, or air fry the chicken instead of roasting it in the oven.
- Store leftover chicken airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 4-5 months.
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