Senegalese Chicken Yassa (Stewed Chicken)
One of the quickest and easiest Senegalese dishes to prepare is chicken yassa. The chicken is marinated in a mixture of groundnut oil, onions, lime juice, vinegar, mustard, and mustard seeds, and served with a simple white rice.
This dish is particularly satisfying accompanied with freshly squeezed orange juice.
Enjoy this classic chicken yassa recipe below!
Senegalese Chicken Yassa
A lot of onions are used in this Senegalese Chicken Yassa (Yassa Poulet). Onions are the life of the party in this main meal, so if you're not a fan, please make sure you chop or blend them first.
Ingredients
- 10 chicken breasts/drumsticks whichever you prefer
- 2 large red onions
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp ground red pepper
- 1 tsp crushed black pepper
- 1 tsp chicken seasoning powder
- 2 carrot sticks
- 2 stock cubes
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp iodized salt
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 3 tbsp regular yellow mustard
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper
- 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp vegetable (peanut) oil
- 1 Knorr seasoning cube (Or any seasoning powder of your choice)
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken. Drain and rub all pieces with 1/2 a lemon and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Set aside.
- Slice the onions, scotch bonnet pepper, grate the ginger and garlic and set aside.
- Put 1/2 cup peanut oil, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, mustard, 1 Knorr seasoning cube, white vinegar, and the other dry spices in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Add the onions, garlic, and ginger to the marinade. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the chicken pieces to the marinade with the lemon and salt and mix.
- Make sure the chicken is completely covered by the onion mix. Cover with foil or cling film and let marinate in the fridge for 1 hour 45 minutes or overnight if you have the time.
- Remove from the fridge. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 Celsius). Remove the chicken pieces, removing any ingredients sticking to the chicken. Place the chicken in a baking pan line with foil and let brown for 25 minutes.
- Drain the liquid from the onions using a sieve. Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in a pot or large frying pan. Add the onions and let cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Add the strained liquid to the onions and let cook over low-medium heat for another 15-20 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the oven and add to the simmering sauce. Let cook another 15 minutes over medium heat till the chicken juices run clear when pierced (at the 5-minute mark, taste for seasoning, if needed, add remaining Knorr seasoning cube). Turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with white rice.
Notes
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