Yassa Poulet
Senegalese grilled chicken marinated in lemon and mustard, then braised with mountains of slowly caramelised onions — a deeply satisfying West African classic.
5 recipes using chicken — Thieboudienne, yassa, mafé — bold, aromatic dishes from Senegal's rich culinary tradition.
These 5 senegalese chicken recipes are ready in about 98 minutes on average, with 440–580 kcal per serving, and 0% are rated easy enough for a weeknight. Every recipe includes exact ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions and full nutrition per serving.
Senegalese cuisine — Thieboudienne, yassa, mafé — bold, aromatic dishes from Senegal's rich culinary tradition — brings its own distinctive techniques and seasonings to every ingredient it touches. When Senegalese cooks work with chicken, they reach for its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends, and the techniques that come up most across these recipes are simmering, grilling, marinating and braising.
The world's most-cooked protein — mild, lean and endlessly adaptable to almost any spice profile or cooking method. In this collection it's most often cooked with dijon mustard, large onions, garlic, bay leaves, onions and green olives. The dishes here span senegalese classics ready in as little as 80 minutes to slower, more involved cooking that rewards a relaxed afternoon.
Reader favourite: Yassa Poulet is the highest-rated dish in this collection at 4.9★ from 812 ratings.
Senegalese grilled chicken marinated in lemon and mustard, then braised with mountains of slowly caramelised onions — a deeply satisfying West African classic.
A Senegalese one-pot rice dish — the Wolof ancestor of the West African jollof rice, cooked in spiced tomato broth with chicken, vegetables, and whole scotch bonnet peppers.
Senegal's most internationally celebrated dish — chicken marinated and grilled in mustard and lemon, then simmered in a vast quantity of caramelised onions. The everyday feast of Dakar.
Senegalese lemon-marinated chicken with caramelised onions — one of West Africa's most celebrated and accessible dishes.
Chicken marinated in a flood of lemon juice, Dijon mustard and slow-cooked onions, then braised until the onions become a silky, tangy gravy poured over white rice — the proudest dish of Senegal's Casamance.
Look for plump, pinkish flesh with no grey patches and a clean smell. Thighs stay juicier than breasts and forgive overcooking; bone-in, skin-on pieces deliver the most flavour.
Pat dry before searing for proper browning, and bring it to room temperature for 15 minutes so it cooks evenly. Marinades with acid or yoghurt tenderise lean breast meat.
Cook to an internal temperature of 74°C / 165°F — the juices should run clear and there should be no pink at the bone.
A lean, high-protein choice: a skinless breast delivers roughly 31 g of protein per 100 g with very little saturated fat.
Most of these 5 Senegalese chicken recipes are ready in around 98 minutes from start to finish. The quickest, Yassa Poulet, takes about 80 minutes, while the slower-cooked dishes run up to 105 minutes.
Across this collection they range from about 440 to 580 kcal per serving, averaging 510 kcal — Yassa Poulet (Senegalese Chicken in Caramelised Onion Sauce) is the lightest option at 440 kcal.
Yassa Poulet is a great place to start — it's rated medium and comes together in about 80 minutes. 0% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.
In these recipes, chicken is most often paired with dijon mustard, large onions, garlic, bay leaves, onions and green olives. Senegalese kitchens also lean on its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends.
Cook to an internal temperature of 74°C / 165°F — the juices should run clear and there should be no pink at the bone.