A tangy, flavorful West African dish featuring chicken and onions marinated in lemon, mustard, and scotch bonnet hot sauce. The chicken is browned, baked with a rich onion–olive–carrot sauce, and traditionally served over fluffy white rice.
Total time: 15 h 43 min • Active: 2 h 15 min • Inactive: 13 h 28 min
Combine sliced onions, chicken pieces, and the marinade mixture in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 3–24 hours.Preheat oven to 177°C (350°F).Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large oven-safe pan over medium heat until shimmering.Remove chicken pieces from the marinade, reserving the marinade for later.Season drained chicken pieces with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper.Brown seasoned chicken in the hot oil, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides.Transfer browned chicken to a plate and set aside.Add marinated onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized.Slice 1 cup of green olives.If using carrots, peel and dice 2–3 medium carrots into small cubes.Add sliced olives and diced carrots (if using) to the caramelized onions and stir to combine.Pour 1½ cups chicken broth into the pan and scrape up browned bits to deglaze.Stir the reserved marinade into the deglazed sauce until combined.Return browned chicken to the pan and pour enriched sauce over it.Spoon the onion-carrot-olive mixture over the assembled chicken in sauce.Cover the pan and bring the contents to a boil over medium heat.Transfer the covered pan to the preheated oven and bake for 80 minutes, until chicken is tender.Rinse 1½ cups long grain white rice under cold water until the water runs clear.Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a pot; add the rinsed rice and a pinch of salt, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until water is absorbed (about 18 minutes).Fluff the cooked rice with a fork.Whisk together ½ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, 3 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp scotch bonnet pepper hot sauce, 4 crushed garlic cloves, and 1 tsp salt until smooth.Serve the baked chicken yassa over the fluffed cooked rice.Peel, halve, and thinly slice 4–5 large onions.
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