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Chicken Yassa (Chicken with Onions Senegalese) — Senegalese Senegal recipe, 60 min, serves 4Senegalese

Chicken Yassa (Chicken with Onions Senegalese)

Published ·Updated ·by ·✓ Editorially Reviewed
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Gluten-freeDairy-freeHigh protein

The chicken yassa is the dish phare of the Senegal : chicken marinated with lemon and à the mustard, simmered in a généreuse quantité of caramelized onions. Served on of the white rice, he équilibre acidité, douceur some onions and spicy of the scotch bonnet.

60
min
20
prep
🔥
40
cook
👥
4
servings
520
kcal / serving
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Instructions

1

Mix jus of lemon, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Faites marinate the pieces of chicken 30 minutes minimum (until a night with fresh).

💡 The marinade is the signature of the yassa — ne the raccourcissez pas si possible.
2

Drain the chicken (réservez the marinade). Faites-the dorer à the pan in the oil hot, 3 minutes by côté. Remove.

3

In the same pan, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat 15-20 minutes until this qu'they soient dorés and fondants.

18:00
💡 The quantité of onions can sembler excessive — c'is normal. They fondent of half.
4

Add the marinade réservée, the bouillon cube, the bay leaf and the chili pepper whole (non percé for the arôme without too much of feu). Remettez the chicken.

5

Cover and simmer 25-30 minutes over low heat. The chicken must être tender and the onions as a confiture.

6

For this temps, cook the rice according to the indications of the paquet. Serve Yassa on the rice.

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Common Questions

Then-je utiliser of the boneless chicken ?
Oui, but the version traditionnelle use some pieces with os for more of flavor. Réduisez the temps of cuisson à 15 minutes.
The dish is-he very spicy ?
Non, si vous let the scotch bonnet whole. For more of spicy, piquez-the with a knife before cuisson.
Combien of temps reste-t-he good with fresh ?
3 jours with réfrigérateur in a contenant fermé. As much of dishes mijotés, Yassa is often better the lendemain.

What to drink with this

🍷
Wine
Côtes-de-Provence rosé — Mediterranean white pairs with rice-based mains.
🍺
Beer
West African Flag or Castel lager.
🍸
Cocktail
Bissap mojito (hibiscus mint).
🥤
Non-alcoholic
Bissap (hibiscus tea) or bouye (baobab fruit drink).

Ingredient substitutions

IngredientReplace withRatioNotes
scotch bonnethabanero1:1Same Capsicum chinense species — nearly identical heat and flavor.
Fresno or red jalapeño + 1/4 tsp cayenne1:1 + extraMilder. Adjust based on heat tolerance.
The story behind this recipe ▾
The appeal of chicken yassa (chicken with onions senegalese) comes from the combination of familiar ingredients and a straightforward method. In the senegalese tradition this recipe belongs to, senegal dishes are often distinguished by how well the main components are balanced rather than by complexity of technique. Here, whole chicken cut in pieces, onions jaunes émincés, citrons jaunes form the backbone of the flavour, supported by the remaining ingredients in the list of 10. Total timing is 60 minutes end to end — 20 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking. The yield of 4 makes it suitable for a family-sized portion.
This recipe is for inspiration only. We do not provide food safety, storage, or nutritional advice. Always follow your local food safety guidelines. Check all ingredients for allergens.
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