Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 bay leaves
For the Dish
- 3.5 pounds bone-in chicken pieces
- 5 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 scotch bonnet peppers (optional)
- 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives (optional)
Make the Marinade
In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, avocado oil, mustard, garlic powder, ginger, salt, pepper, and paprika. The whole grain mustard will look lumpy at first; keep whisking until the mixture is emulsified.
Marinate the Chicken and Onions
Add the chicken pieces and all of the sliced onions to the bowl. Use your hands to get everything coated. Every piece of chicken and every slice of onion needs to be covered in the marinade.
Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but overnight is much better. The acid from the lemon juice tenderizes the chicken while the onions soak up the marinade.
Brown the Chicken
Pull the chicken pieces from the marinade, letting any excess drip off. Set the onions and remaining marinade aside.
Heat the canola oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, place the chicken in the pot. Brown the chicken for ~6 minutes per side until it’s golden brown. It won’t be cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Cook Down the Onions
Add all the marinated onions and their liquid to the same pot. Drop the heat to medium-low and let them cook for ~20-25 minutes, stirring every so often.
The onions will release a lot of liquid at first. Just let them keep cooking down until they soften and start to caramelize into a jam-like consistency.
Braise Everything Together
Pour in the reserved marinade and the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Nestle the browned chicken pieces back into the onions. If you’re using them, add the whole scotch bonnet peppers now for a background heat.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for ~30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reads 165F at the thickest part.
Finish the Sauce
If the sauce reduces too much, you can add a splash of water or more chicken stock. You want a saucy consistency – not a soup, but not dry.
If you’re using olives, stir them in during the last 5 minutes of cooking. They add a briny saltiness, so taste the sauce before adding any more salt yourself.
Fish out the peppers and bay leaves before serving. This is best served over plain rice to soak up all of the onion gravy.
Chicken Yassa
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 bay leaves
For the Dish
- 3.5 pounds bone-in chicken pieces
- 5 medium onions thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 scotch bonnet peppers optional
- 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives optional
Instructions
- Whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, avocado oil, mustard, garlic powder, ginger, salt, pepper, and paprika in a large bowl until emulsified.
- Add the chicken pieces and sliced onions to the marinade, coating everything thoroughly.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the onions and liquid.
- Heat the canola oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Brown the chicken for 6 minutes per side until golden. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the marinated onions with their liquid to the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Cook the onions for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they caramelize and become jam-like.
- Add the reserved marinade and chicken stock, scraping up the browned bits.
- Return the chicken to the pot. Add the scotch bonnet peppers if using.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes until chicken reaches 165F.
- Add water or stock if sauce becomes too thick.
- Stir in the olives during the last 5 minutes if using.
- Remove the peppers and bay leaves before serving.
