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Chicken yassa served on a bed of white rice

Chicken Yassa

Abi Olayiwola
Delicious Chicken Yassa from Senegal and Gambia regions is an iconic dish and one of the most popular dishes from West Africa.
4.84 from 6 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Marinating Time 12 hours
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Gambian, Senegalese, West African
Servings 4
Calories 509 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Onions
  • 2 Lemons
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ teaspoon Black pepper
  • 4 Chicken thighs
  • ¼ cup Oil
  • 2 Scotch bonnet pepper
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 cup Mixed olives
  • 1 Sweet Red pepper big

Instructions
 

  • Pat the chicken dry and slash
  • Peel and slice the onions thinly.
  • Finely Mince the garlic and juice the lemons. Slice the red pepper and keep aside.
  • Add the minced garlic and lemon into a bowl. Combine with the mustard, one teaspoon salt and one tablespoon oil. Mix well with a spoon.
  • Add the onions into the bowl. Mix well with the other ingredients, then place the chicken thighs in the bowl. Combine with the onion marinade, making sure the onions cover the chicken.
  • Cover the bowl with a cling film and keep it in the fridge overnight.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade. Grill in the air-fryer at 190°C for 10 mins to brown. You can also do this in an oven or by frying in a pan. If you’re frying in oil, turn over the chicken after a few minutes to get both sides nicely browned.
  • Pour the onion marinade into a colander to separate the liquid from the onions.
  • Heat the remaining oil in a pan under medium heat, then add the onions. Stir occasionally until the onions start to brown. Reduce the heat and stir more often for even browning and prevent sticking. Remove from heat when the onion has turned a golden brown colour.
  • Add a cup of water to the pan, taste for salt and add more if needed. Then add the liquid that was earlier separated from the onions. Next, add the bay leaves and place the chicken into the pot with the scotch bonnet peppers. Cover the pan and bring the heat back to medium.
  • Cook for 15 mins, then mix in the olives. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking and cook for 10 mins before adding the peppers. Stir again and leave to cook for another 5 mins. Remove from heat and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 509kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 21gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 735mgPotassium: 584mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1230IUVitamin C: 83mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Chicken yassa, Yassa chicken
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