Poulet yassa
Yassa ginaar
Senegalese chicken marinated in lemon, onion and mustard, grilled, then braised in a heap of slow-cooked onions.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Yassa ginaar.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Rest
- 8 hr
- Total
- 9 hr 25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Yassa is chicken with a great deal of onion, sharpened with lemon and Dijon mustard. The chicken pieces marinate overnight in lemon juice, sliced onion, mustard, garlic and chilli. They are grilled or pan-seared until the skin colours, while the drained onions are cooked slowly in oil until soft and sweet, then the marinade is added and reduced. Chicken and onions finish together in the pot. The result is sour, sweet and faintly hot, with the onions almost a sauce. Served with plain white rice, which needs the gravy. A few green olives are a Dakar touch.
What you'll need
13 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Chicken, thighs and drumsticks, skin on1½ kg
- Onion, about 8 onions, thinly sliced1 kg
- Lemon, juiced, about 200 ml4
- Dijon mustard44 ml
- Garlic, crushed4 clove
- Scotch bonnet, left whole, or chopped for heat1
- Neutral oil74 ml
- Bouillon cubes, crumbled1
- Black pepper4.9 ml
- Salt7.4 ml
- Green olives, pitted (optional)50 g
- Rice, long-grain, to serve400 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Mix the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, crumbled stock cube, pepper, salt, bay and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large bowl. Add the onions and chicken and turn everything together. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
15 min
Step 2
Lift the chicken out and pat the skin dry. Drain the onions, keeping the marinade.
5 min
Step 3
Heat a frying pan or griddle over high heat with a tablespoon of oil. Sear the chicken skin-side down until deep golden, 5 minutes, then turn and colour the other side 3 minutes. It will not be cooked through yet.
10 min
Tip: Over coals, grill the pieces 5 minutes a side for the proper smoke.
Step 4
Heat the rest of the oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the drained onions and cook slowly, stirring now and then, until soft, translucent and starting to turn gold, 20 minutes.
20 min
Watch: Do not rush or brown the onions hard. They should melt, not fry.
Step 5
Pour in the reserved marinade and the whole chilli. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Nestle the chicken into the onions, cover and simmer 20 minutes until cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Add the olives for the last 5 minutes.
27 min
Step 6
Cook the rice while the chicken braises. Taste the yassa for salt and lemon. Serve the chicken buried in onions over the rice.
5 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 693 kcal
- Protein
- 82.6 g
- Carbs
- 43.2 g
- Fat
- 20.1 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.7 g
- Fibre
- 5.4 g
- Sugar
- 9.1 g
- Sodium
- 724 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- No major allergens flagged in the structured ingredients.
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Dijon mustard → Wholegrain or yellow mustard
Use a little more of yellow mustard; it is milder.
Tips
- The onions reduce by more than half. A kilo looks absurd in the bowl and is right in the pot.
- For yassa jën, use thick fish steaks, marinate 1 hour only, and simmer 10 minutes in the onions.
History & culture
Yassa is the Casamance region's gift to the rest of Senegal, and the second most-cooked dish after thieboudienne. It is Sunday lunch and party food, and the one Senegalese dish most restaurants abroad put on the menu. Fish yassa (yassa jën) is as common at home as chicken.
The dish is Diola, from the Casamance in the south, where lemons and onions grow well. Mustard is a French colonial addition that is now considered essential. It spread north with migration to Dakar in the twentieth century and out to Paris with the diaspora.
Traditional — Seared in a pan rather than over charcoal. Mustard quantities vary wildly between households; this is a moderate amount.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Poulet yassa take?
9 hr 25 min all in — 25 min prep, 1 hr cook, 8 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What equipment do I need?
Mixing bowl, Frying pan, Dutch oven, Tongs.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.
What can I use instead?
Dijon mustard → Wholegrain or yellow mustard. Use a little more of yellow mustard; it is milder.
What should I watch for?
Do not rush or brown the onions hard. They should melt, not fry.
Any tips from this recipe?
The onions reduce by more than half. A kilo looks absurd in the bowl and is right in the pot. For yassa jën, use thick fish steaks, marinate 1 hour only, and simmer 10 minutes in the onions.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Mix the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, crumbled stock cube, pepper, salt, bay and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large bowl. Add the onions and chicken and turn everything together. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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