Yassa chicken - African Chicken Stew
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Additional Time
12 hrs
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Total Time
13 hrs 30 mins
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Servings
4 servings
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Calories
804 kcal
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Cuisine
African
Yassa chicken - African Chicken Stew
Description
Yassa chicken begins with a marinade of fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, bay leaves, salt, onions, and habanero or Scotch bonnet pepper. The chicken legs are cut at the joint and marinated with onions for 4 to 12 hours, allowing the citrus and spices to infuse and tenderize the meat. Before cooking, the chicken is brought to room temperature.
The chicken is browned in canola oil to develop a golden crust, enhancing flavor and texture. The habanero or Scotch bonnet is removed to moderate heat. The onions, infused with marinade flavors, cook into a richly flavored sauce complemented by chicken stock, black pepper, and sea salt. The resulting stew is tender, tangy, and mildly spicy, traditionally served as a hearty main.
If habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers are unavailable, regular chili peppers may be used but adjust the quantity to taste due to differing heat levels. Whole chicken legs can be substituted with thighs or a mix of thighs and bone-in breasts based on preference and portion size.
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 1 onion about 5
- 125 lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 60 canola oil
- 2 tablespoons mustard I used Dijon mustard, hot
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt fine sea salt
- ½ -1 habanero pepper See note 1, or Scotch bonnet
Stew:
- 4-6 chicken leg depending on size (See note 2, whole
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 125 chicken stock See note 3
- sea salt fine
- black pepper fine
Instructions
Marinade:
- Halve the onions and slice the halves. Set aside.
- Mix the fresh lemon juice, oil, mustard, grated garlic cloves, bay leaves, and salt together. Halve and deseed the chili and add it to the marinade.
- Add the sliced onions to the marinade.
- Cut the chicken legs at the joint (if using whole chicken legs) dividing them into thighs and drumsticks.
- Place half of the onions in a large glass casserole dish (or another large non-metallic container, large enough to hold the chicken and the onions).
- Place the chicken on top and cover with the rest of the onions. Cover the dish with cling film/plastic foil and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours.
Chicken stew:
- Take the chicken out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan. Fry the chicken on both sides until golden, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan. Remove the habanero/ Scotch bonnet from the marinade and discard it.
- Place the onions and the marinade in the pot and cook the onions for about 5 minutes.
- Cover the pot and continue cooking the onions for about 15-20 minutes or until the onions are soft and start to caramelize.
- Return the chicken to the pot, making a place for it between the onions, turn it a couple of times into the sauce to coat, and add the chicken stock.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook the chicken for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.
- If you stick a toothpick into the thickest part of the chicken thigh the juices should run clear. If the juices are still pink, continue cooking the stew, checking again from time to time until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve with rice.
Notes
- Substitute habanero or Scotch bonnet with regular chili peppers, adjusting quantity to control spiciness.
- Whole chicken legs are often divided at the joint into thighs and drumsticks before cooking; alternatively, use thighs or a mix of thighs and bone-in, skin-on breasts.
- Chicken stock cubes, such as Maggi, can be used when homemade stock is unavailable, aligning with common African cooking practices.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 804 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1/4 of the dish | |
| Calories | 804kcal | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 32g | 11% |
| Protein | 67g | 134% |
| Fat | 45g | 69% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 34g | 200% |
| Cholesterol | 329mg | 110% |
| Sodium | 812mg | 34% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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