Description
Chicken Yassa is a flavorful Senegalese dish featuring bone-in chicken legs marinated in a vibrant mixture of lemon, lime, onions, and Scotch bonnet peppers, then braised slowly with caramelized onions, garlic, and mustard in chicken stock until tender and juicy. This classic West African recipe is traditionally served over rice, couscous, or fonio with a citrus wedge to brighten each bite.
Ingredients
For Marinating the Chicken:
- 2 pounds (900g) bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
- ½ cup (120ml) fresh lemon juice (from about 2 large lemons)
- ½ small (6-ounce; 170g) yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) neutral oil (vegetable or peanut oil)
- 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, stemmed and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon (4g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or half volume table salt or equal weight)
For the Yassa:
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) neutral oil (vegetable or peanut oil)
- 3 medium (8-ounce; 225g) yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3 medium cloves garlic (15g), minced
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) Dijon mustard (optional)
- 3 cups (710ml) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium store-bought broth
- 1 whole Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, pierced with a fork
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Cooked long- or medium-grain rice, couscous, or fonio, for serving
- Lime or lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl or zipper-lock bag, combine chicken legs with lemon juice, diced onion, lime juice, neutral oil, finely chopped Scotch bonnet pepper, and kosher salt. Toss well to coat completely. Cover or seal and refrigerate to marinate for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours for deep flavor infusion.
- Prepare the chicken for cooking: Remove chicken from marinade, scraping off excess onions and pepper. Discard marinade. Pat chicken dry thoroughly with paper towels to ensure good browning in the next step.
- Brown the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place chicken skin-side down and cook undisturbed until deeply browned, about 6 minutes. Flip and brown the other side for about 5 minutes more. Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a platter.
- Caramelize the onions: Lower heat to medium and add the thinly sliced onions to the Dutch oven. Stir frequently and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring and scraping often, until onions turn dark brown and richly caramelized, roughly 15 minutes.
- Add garlic and mustard: Stir in minced garlic and Dijon mustard. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant and softened.
- Add liquids and aromatics: Pour in the chicken stock, add the whole pierced Scotch bonnet pepper, bay leaf, and return the chicken pieces along with any accumulated juices to the pot, nestling the chicken into the onions. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Braise the chicken: Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Gently stir occasionally, scraping the bottom to prevent sticking. Cover partially and simmer until chicken is cooked through and very tender, approximately 1 hour. Adjust seasoning with salt as needed.
- Serve: Remove bay leaf and whole pepper before serving. Serve the chicken and rich onion sauce over cooked long- or medium-grain rice, couscous, or fonio. Offer lime or lemon wedges on the side for a bright, fresh finish.
Notes
- Marinating overnight or for at least 8 hours enhances the depth of flavor deeply.
- Patting the chicken dry before browning is crucial for a crisp, golden skin and a good caramelized crust.
- You can adjust the heat level by removing the seeds from the Scotch bonnet peppers or substituting with milder peppers if preferred.
- If Dijon mustard is unavailable, traditional recipes sometimes omit it; it adds slight tang and complexity but is optional.
- Homemade chicken stock will give best flavor, but low-sodium store-bought broth works well too.
- Serve with a starch like rice or couscous to soak up the delicious onion sauce.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot like a Dutch oven for even heat distribution during braising.
