Poulet Yassa – Senegalese Chicken in a Tangy Onion and Lemon Sauce Recipe
Poulet Yassa is a flavorful Senegalese chicken dish marinated in tangy lemon juice, mustard, and spices, then slowly cooked with caramelized onions to create a rich, savory meal perfect for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes (including marination)
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Senegalese
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 chicken thighs
Marinade and Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp bouillon powder
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken and aromatics: Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs to ensure they are clean and ready for marination. Thinly slice the onions and mince the garlic cloves to prepare for the marinade.
- Combine chicken and marinade ingredients: Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add the minced garlic, sliced onions, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, bouillon powder, and salt. Mix everything thoroughly to ensure the chicken is fully coated.
- Marinate the chicken: Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to deeply penetrate the meat.
- Remove chicken from marinade: Take the chicken out, gently scraping off excess marinade and onions but do not discard the marinade or onions—they will be used later for cooking.
- Brown the chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs in the hot oil and brown them for about 4-5 minutes on each side until a golden crust forms.
- Caramelize the onions: Remove the browned chicken and add the reserved onions along with the marinade to the skillet. Cook over low to medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and caramelized, developing a sweet and rich flavor.
- Combine chicken and onions: Return the browned chicken pieces to the pan, nestling them into the caramelized onions.
- Add chicken broth and simmer: Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through and tender.
- Adjust seasoning and serve: Taste the sauce and adjust salt if necessary. Serve hot with your choice of rice or side dishes.
Notes
- For best flavor, marinate the chicken overnight.
- You can use bone-in skin-on or skinless chicken thighs as preferred.
- Adjust cayenne pepper to control the spice level.
- This dish pairs wonderfully with white rice or couscous.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and often taste better the next day.
Keywords: Poulet Yassa, Senegalese chicken, marinated chicken, caramelized onion chicken, West African recipe
