Chicken Yassa is a popular chicken dish originating from Senegal. This meal is the epitome of comfort food: marinated roasted chicken with onions, lemon juice, olives, garlic, and broth served over rice. It has a subtle heat to it as well that really makes for a flavorful meal.
This recipe makes quite a bit of food, a good 8 servings. However, in my house, leftovers this good don’t last very long!
Ingredients:
- 6 cups sliced onion (about 3 pounds)
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 lb chicken drumsticks
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Cooking spray
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced carrot
- 1 1/2 cups less-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
- 1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed olives
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, pierced with a fork
- 4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice (optional)
Combine the sliced onions, lemon juice, salt, pepper and jalapeno pepper in a large bowl.
Divide evenly between 2 (1-gallon) heavy-duty zip-top plastic bags. Add the chicken to the bags and seal.
Toss each bag well to coat. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, turning bags occasionally. When ready to cook, preheat your broiler.
Remove chicken from bags, reserving the marinade and onion mixture. Add the chicken to a broiler rack coated with cooking spray.
Broil for 6 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
While the chicken cooks, strain the marinade through a sieve over a bowl, reserving both the marinade and onion mixture.
Heat the peanut oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
Add reserved marinade and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broiled chicken, carrot, chicken broth, olives, water, mustard, and Scotch bonnet pepper.
Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is done. Discard the Scotch bonnet and serve over rice.
The lemon is the star of the show in this dish without being tart.
The combination of the chicken, broth, and very subtle heat made for a super comforting dish that tasted like it was cooked all day.
We ate this for a few days because there was so much of it, so thankfully it was delicious!
Ingredients
- 6 cups sliced onion (about 3 pounds)
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 lb chicken drumsticks
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Cooking spray
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced carrot
- 1 1/2 cups less-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
- 1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed olives
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, pierced with a fork
- 4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
Instructions
- Combine the sliced onions, lemon juice, salt, pepper and jalapeno pepper in a large bowl.
- Divide evenly between 2 (1-gallon) heavy-duty zip-top plastic bags. Add the chicken to the bags and seal.
- Toss each bag well to coat. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, turning bags occasionally. When ready to cook, preheat your broiler.
- Remove chicken from bags, reserving the marinade and onion mixture. Add the chicken to a broiler rack coated with cooking spray.
- Broil for 6 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
- While the chicken cooks, strain the marinade through a sieve over a bowl, reserving both the marinade and onion mixture.
- Heat the peanut oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add reserved marinade and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broiled chicken, carrot, chicken broth, olives, water, mustard, and Scotch bonnet pepper.
- Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is done. Discard the Scotch bonnet and serve over rice.
I love cooking things like shish kabobs with my kids (sweet and savory) so they can actively participate and use things they like!