Poulet Yassa Recipe – Authentic Senegalese Chicken Recipe

Make this authentic Poulet Yassa tonight! This Senegalese chicken is marinated in lemon and lots of onions for a deep, tangy flavor your family will love. It’s easy, bold, and perfect for dinner.

This delicious Poulet Yassa is so tasty and is sure to become your favorite African recipe!

🧡 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You will absolutely love the spiciness and flavor of this dish! The chicken is cooked to perfection, and the onions add a sweetness that takes this dish to the next level.

This recipe is perfect for those who love African food or want to try something new. You will absolutely love this easy chicken dish!

💭 What is Poulet Yassa?

Poulet Yassa, also known as Chicken Yassa, is a popular Senegalese dish made with chicken, caramelized onions, dijon mustard, and other spices. It has a tangy, smoky taste that is so finger-licking good!

The chicken is usually grilled, seared, or baked in the oven before sauteeing in a sauce rich in caramelized onions and other spices.

🧾 Ingredients I Use

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• Chicken thighs: I prefer to use chicken thighs because they have more flavor. You can also use other chicken parts like chicken breasts or chicken legs.
• Olive oil: This will be used to cook the chicken and onions. You could also use avocado oil.
• Dijon mustard: This adds a great depth of flavor to the dish.
• Garlic cloves: I like to use freshly peeled garlic cloves, but you can also use pre-peeled garlic.
• Onions: You will need large onions for this recipe! I prefer to use yellow onions, but you can also use white onions.
• Lemon juice: This adds acidity and brightness to the dish.
• Chicken broth: This will be used to cook the chicken and add flavor. You could also use chicken stock.
• Spices: I like to use smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, bouillon powder, and salt. You can adjust the spices to your liking.

🔪 How To Make Poulet Yassa

1. Wash and pat dry the chicken, then cut the onions and mince the garlic. Then, place the chicken in a large bowl.
2. Add the garlic, onions, lemon juice, mustard, and spices. Mix together and place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours or overnight. Take the chicken out of the marinade and scrape off the onions and marinade, but don’t toss it.
3. Add some olive oil to a skillet or large dutch oven and place the chicken on it. Brown it for 4-5 minutes on both sides on medium-high heat.
4. Take the chicken out, add the onions, and pour in the remaining marinade. Cook on low to medium-low heat for about 10 minutes till it is caramelized.
5. Add the browned chicken pieces to the sweet caramelized onions. Then, pour in the chicken broth and cook for 15-20 minutes, till the chicken is fully cooked. Taste for salt and adjust if needed.

♨️How To Store and Reheat

You can store this tasty dish in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Just be sure to keep it in an airtight container with a lid or wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

When you’re ready to reheat, simply place the leftover Senegalese chicken Yassa in a skillet over medium heat and cook until heated through. You may need to add a splash of chicken broth if the dish seems too dry.

💡 My Expert Tips

• Mustard swaps: If you don’t have Dijon mustard, don’t worry about it. You can use whole-grain or spicy brown mustard instead.
• Add some color: I like to add chopped bell peppers to this dish. it adds a nice bit of color and a little sweetness.
• Turn up the heat: If you want a real kick, you can add fresh habanero or hot chile peppers. You can also just add more or less cayenne pepper to get the spice level right where you want it.
• Get a good sear: Make sure you brown the chicken nicely before you add the onions.
• Use fresh lemons: Fresh lemon juice always gives the best results. If you can’t find any fresh lemons, you can use bottled lemon or lime juice.
• Extra flavor: You can try adding other spices like black pepper or bay leaves if you want to add more flavor.

🍽️ What to Serve With It

This Poulet Yassa Chicken recipe is traditionally eaten with rice, but I eat mine with cauliflower rice since I’m on a low-carb diet.

It also pairs wonderfully with some delicious side dishes such as Keto Mashed Cauliflower, Air Fryer Green Beans, or some simple Instant Pot Steamed Vegetables.

👩‍🍳 Questions You Might Have

Originally published in Sept 2022, this post was updated in May 2026 for accuracy and to include more helpful content.

📖 Recipe

Poulet Yassa – Authentic Senegalese Chicken

Make this authentic Poulet Yassa tonight! This Senegalese chicken is marinated in lemon and lots of onions for a deep, tangy flavor your family will love. It’s easy, bold, and perfect for dinner.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: African

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Marinate: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 403kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Wash and pat dry the chicken, then place it in a large bowl.

  4 chicken thighs

• Add the garlic, onions, lemon juice, mustard, and spices.

  2 large onions, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoon dijon mustard, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon bouillon powder, ½ teaspoon salt

• Mix together and place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours or overnight.

• Take the chicken out of the marinade and scrape off the marinade and onions, but don’t toss it.

• Add some olive oil to a skillet or large dutch oven and place the chicken on it.

  3 tablespoon olive oil

• Brown it for 4-5 minutes on both sides on medium-high heat.

• Take the chicken out, add the onions, and pour in the remaining marinade.

• Cook on low to medium-low heat for about 5 minutes till it is caramelized.

• Add the browned chicken pieces to the sweet caramelized onions.

• Add the chicken broth to the hot pan, and cook for 15-20 minutes, till the chicken is fully cooked.

  1 cup chicken broth

• Taste for salt and adjust if needed.

Notes

• Mustard swaps: If you don’t have Dijon mustard, don’t worry about it. You can use whole-grain or spicy brown mustard instead.
• Add some color: I like to add chopped bell peppers to this dish. it adds a nice bit of color and a little sweetness.
• Turn up the heat: If you want a real kick, you can add fresh habanero or hot chile peppers. You can also just add more or less cayenne pepper to get the spice level right where you want it.
• Get a good sear: Make sure you brown the chicken nicely before you add the onions.
• Use fresh lemons: Fresh lemon juice always gives the best results. If you can’t find any fresh lemons, you can use bottled lemon or lime juice.
• Extra flavor: You can try adding other spices like black pepper or bay leaves if you want to add more flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1104mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 342IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Tayo Oredola is the founder of Low Carb Africa, where she shares healthy, low carb dishes with global flavors. She is passionate about teaching people how to cook drool-worthy dishes while losing weight and living their best lives. Tayo’s recipes have been featured on MSN, Women’s Health, Parade, Yahoo News, Pure Wow, Essence, and other online publications.