Senegalese · Main

Chicken yassa

Lemon, mustard and a generous amount of onion make a deeply savory sauce for golden chicken. The onions soften slowly, bringing sweetness that balances the bright citrus marinade and gentle chili warmth.

FlexibleModerate4 servings

Ingredients

Original recipe: 4 servings. Ingredient amounts scale below; the method is written for 4 servings. For larger amounts, use separate batches and check doneness.

  • 1000 gBone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 600 gOnions, thinly sliced
  • 100 mlLemon juice
  • 2 tbspDijon mustard, gluten-free
  • 4 cloveGarlic, minced
  • 3 tbspSunflower oil, divided
  • 1 tspFine salt
  • ½ tspBlack pepper
  • 1 eachScotch bonnet chili, left whole
  • 200 mlWater

Make it

  1. Mix the onions, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, 1 tablespoon of oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken, coat thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  2. Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Lift the chicken from the marinade and pat its skin dry, reserving all the onions and liquid. Heat the remaining oil in an ovenproof skillet and brown the thighs skin-side down for 6–8 minutes; turn and brown for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Add the reserved onions and marinade to the skillet. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the water and whole chili, bring to a full simmer and nestle the chicken on top, skin-side up.
  4. Transfer to the oven and cook for 25–30 minutes, until the thickest chicken meat reaches 74°C/165°F without touching bone. Remove the chili and serve the chicken with the soft onions and sauce.
Ingredients, recipe context & sources

Ingredient flags: None of the nine major allergens identified in the specified ingredients. Check packaged ingredients and cross-contact.

This is an original Livura home-cooking interpretation, not yet independently kitchen-tested. Source links provide dish and cultural context; the recipe wording and quantities are Livura’s.

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