Cameroon's beloved 'Director General's chicken' — a lavish one-pot dish of fried chicken and plantains stir-fried with vegetables in a fragrant tomato and herb sauce.
Poulet DG — short for Poulet Directeur Général (Director General's Chicken) — earned its name from its association with wealth and celebration; this was the dish ordered at upscale restaurants by the country's elite. Today it is a staple of Cameroonian households and restaurants worldwide, its rich combination of crispy fried chicken, golden plantains, and a bright, vegetable-laden tomato sauce making it irresistible to everyone. The dish showcases the French-influenced cuisine of urban Cameroon — a vibrant blend of African ingredients with French cooking technique. Despite the grand name, it is a dish of pure joy and abundance.
Serves 4
Season chicken pieces with salt, white pepper, paprika, half the garlic, and ginger. Marinate 15 minutes. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and fry chicken in batches until deep golden on all sides, about 6–8 minutes per batch. Set aside.
In the same pan with remaining oil, fry plantain slices for 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, sauté onion until translucent, 4 minutes. Add remaining garlic and cook 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, and celery. Crumble in the bouillon cube. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 10 minutes until vegetables soften.
Return fried chicken to the pan, nestling pieces into the sauce. Add a splash of water if needed to prevent sticking. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Gently fold in the fried plantains in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Adjust seasoning and stir in fresh parsley.
Serve directly from the pan with white rice or baguette on the side.
Use ripe (yellow with some black spots) but firm plantains — overripe ones will fall apart.
Do not skip the frying step for the chicken; the colour and crust are essential to the dish.
Add a splash of chicken broth if the sauce reduces too quickly.
Taste and adjust salt at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky salt sharpens the whole dish.
Substitute chicken with whole prawns for a seafood DG version.
Add mushrooms and courgette to the vegetable mix for extra bulk.
For a spicier version, add a diced Scotch bonnet with the tomatoes.
Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of water to prevent sticking.
Poulet DG emerged in the restaurants and hotels of Douala and Yaoundé during Cameroon's post-independence economic boom of the 1970s and 80s, when a growing professional class created a new urban food culture that blended French culinary technique with abundant local ingredients. The 'DG' nickname stuck because ordering this dish at a restaurant was a marker of status — it remains a symbol of generosity when served to guests.
Bone-in pieces are traditional and give better flavour, but boneless thighs work and reduce cooking time by about 10 minutes.
Yellow plantains with some black spots — ripe enough to be sweet but still firm enough to hold their shape during frying and simmering.
Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.
Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for onion, lime for lemon), and keep the fat-acid-salt balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.
Per serving (500g / 17.6 oz) · 4 servings total
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