> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://thefoodiekitchen.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Yassa Chicken — Senegalese Caramelised Onion Chicken in Butter - URL: https://thefoodiekitchen.net/yassa-chicken/ - Published: 2026-03-27T16:45:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-15T04:23:11.000Z - Description: Senegalese yassa chicken — caramelised onion, lemon, and mustard braised low and slow in butter. One of West Africa's great dishes. - Author: Savannah Ryan - Tags: Chicken Recipes, African Recipes Yassa is Senegal's most widely travelled dish — braised chicken in a deeply caramelised onion and lemon sauce that is simultaneously simple and completely distinctive. It originated with the Diola people of Casamance in southern Senegal and spread across West Africa and the diaspora. The flavour is built on three things: long, slow onion caramelisation, lemon acid, and Dijon mustard. The fat is groundnut oil traditionally — this version uses ghee, which deepens the caramelisation without competing with the sauce's brightness. ## Caramelising the Onions Yassa's flavour is fundamentally about the onions. They are not just softened — they are cooked slowly for 30-40 minutes until deeply golden, sweet, and reduced to about a third of their original volume. This long caramelisation converts the onions' sugars and creates hundreds of new flavour compounds through the Maillard reaction and caramelisation. Rushing this step — cooking on high heat to speed it up — produces bitter, unevenly coloured onions that lack the sweetness the dish requires. ## The Marinade Marinating the chicken in lemon juice, garlic, and chilli overnight serves two purposes. The acid partially denatures the proteins on the surface of the chicken, which allows the marinade flavours to penetrate. It also seasons the meat from the outside inward. Rinse the marinade off before grilling or searing — you want to cook the chicken skin first in hot fat, not steam it in marinade liquid. ## Serves 4 · Prep 20 min + marinade · Cook 1 hour Serves 4 Prep 20 min + overnight Cook 1 hour ### Ingredients - 1.5kg chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks) - Marinade: juice of 3 lemons, 4 garlic cloves minced, 1 scotch bonnet sliced, 1 tsp salt - 4 tbsp ghee - 6 large onions, thinly sliced - 3 tbsp Dijon mustard - 200ml chicken stock - 1 bay leaf - Salt and pepper ### Method 1. Combine marinade ingredients. Add chicken, coat well, and refrigerate overnight. 2. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Reserve the marinade. 3. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy pot over high heat. Brown chicken pieces in batches until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside. 4. Add remaining ghee and all the onions. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 35-40 minutes until deeply golden and sweet. 5. Add mustard and strained marinade liquid. Cook 2 minutes. 6. Add stock, bay leaf, and browned chicken. Bring to a simmer. 7. Cover and cook 25 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through. 8. Taste for seasoning. Serve over rice. ## Serving Yassa is served over white rice — specifically broken rice in Senegal, which has a slightly starchy, absorbent quality that soaks up the lemon-onion sauce perfectly. Regular long-grain rice works well. The sauce should be generous — make sure there is enough to drench the rice as well as the chicken. Frequently Asked Questions Can I use whole lemons instead of juice? The marinade and sauce are built on lemon juice. Whole lemon can be added to the pot during braising for additional complexity but the juice is essential. Is Dijon mustard traditional? Yes — French Dijon mustard is a legacy of Senegal's French colonial history. It is now a standard ingredient in yassa and contributes a tangy, sharp note that balances the sweet onions. Can I use fish instead of chicken? Yassa au poisson (fish yassa) is common along the coast. Use firm white fish — thiof (grouper) is traditional in Senegal. The fish needs much less cooking time — 15 minutes in the sauce is sufficient. Shop This Recipe Fourth and Heart Ghee Grass-fed ghee, USDA certified. The ghee used across The Foodie Kitchen. [Get on Amazon →](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B48Y2D7?tag=thefoodieki0f-20&ref=thefoodiekitchen.net) Savannah Ryan · Amazon Savor Chicken Every chicken technique seed oil free — piccata, confit, tallow thighs, compound butter roast and global preparations. [Get on Amazon →](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXLDJ3F8?tag=thefoodieki0f-20&ref=thefoodiekitchen.net) Related Recipes - [Nigerian Jollof Rice in Ghee](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/jollof-rice-ghee/) - [Senegalese Thiéboudienne](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/senegalese-thieboudienne/) - [Moroccan Lamb Tagine](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/moroccan-lamb-tagine/) - [African Food Culture Guide](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/african-food-culture-ancestral-fats/) 📌 **Follow on Pinterest:** [Seed Oil Free Chicken Recipes on Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/theefoodiekitchen/chicken-recipes/?ref=thefoodiekitchen.net) Shop on The Foodie Kitchen - [Seed oil free pantry — every fat, every brand](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/seed-oil-free-pantry-staples-amazon/) - [All 25 cookbooks by Savannah Ryan](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/cookbooks/) 📌 **Follow on Pinterest:** [African Seed Oil Free Recipes on Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/theefoodiekitchen/african-recipes/?ref=thefoodiekitchen.net) --- Follow Savannah: [@theefoodiekitchen](https://www.instagram.com/theefoodiekitchen/?ref=thefoodiekitchen.net) · [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572217094296) · [All Links](https://linktr.ee/theefoodiekitchen?ref=thefoodiekitchen.net)