Name: Senegalese Chicken Yassa
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 500 g Chicken Thigh, bone-in pieces preferred; 2 Onion, thinly sliced; 3 tbsp Lemon Juice, fresh; 1½ tbsp Dijon Mustard, label-check if needed; 3 clove Garlic, minced; 2 tbsp Neutral Oil; ¼ Habanero Pepper, finely chopped, optional; 1 Bay Laurel Leaf; ½ cup Chicken Stock, warm; ¾ tsp Salt, adjust to taste; ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper

55 mintotal

30 min hands-on25 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild

Add to your week

Method

Mix the chicken with lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, black pepper, and the optional habanero. Coat well while the onions are sliced.
Heat the measured oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Lift the chicken from the marinade and brown it on both sides, keeping the marinade aside.
Transfer the browned chicken to a plate. Add the onions to the same pan and cook until soft and reduced, scraping up the browned bits.
Return the chicken to the pan with the reserved marinade, bay leaf, and warm chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover and simmer on low heat until the chicken is fully cooked and the onions form a soft sauce.
Uncover and reduce the sauce until glossy and lightly thick. Remove the bay leaf and adjust salt before serving.

How to tell it's done

The onions should be soft and jammy, the sauce glossy and tangy, and the chicken fully cooked and tender.

Getting it right

Tip

Take time to soften the onions; the yassa sauce should come from cooked-down onions, not from extra liquid.

What to serve it with

Serve over steamed rice with cucumber slices or a simple tomato salad.

Substitutions

Chicken breast can be used, but simmer gently and avoid overcooking because it dries out faster than thigh pieces.
Yellow mustard may replace Dijon mustard if needed, but the flavor will be sharper and less rounded.
Omit habanero for a mild family version.

Bobotie (South African Spiced Minced Beef Bake)

Bobotie is a South African spiced minced beef bake with raisins, apricot sweetness, and a gently set egg-milk topping.

1 hrnon vegetarian

Cachupa (Cape Verdean Hominy Bean Stew)

Cape Verdean Cachupa is a hearty hominy and cowpea stew with smoky sausage, cabbage, sweet potato, pumpkin, and a slow-cooked body.

1 hr 35 minnon vegetarian

Mafé (Malian Peanut Beef Stew)

Malian Mafé is a slow-simmered beef, peanut, and tomato stew with soft vegetables and a thick groundnut sauce made for rice or couscous.

1 hr 10 minnon vegetarian

Matoke (Ugandan Green Banana Peanut Stew)

Ugandan Matoke turns firm green bananas into a tender peanut-tomato stew with onion, ginger, and a softly creamy sauce.

50 minvegan

Misir Wat (Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew)

Misir Wat is a thick Ethiopian red lentil stew built on sweet cooked onions, berbere spice, and lentils simmered until they collapse into the sauce.

40 minvegan

Moamba de Galinha (Angolan Chicken Muamba)

Angolan chicken muamba simmers chicken with red palm oil, okra, pumpkin, tomato, garlic, ginger, and chili for a glossy orange-red stew.