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Senegalese Braised Chicken with Onions and Lime (Fast & Slow)

Senegalese Braised Chicken with Onions and Lime (Fast & Slow)

By Julia RackowApril 7, 2020

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    1¼ hours
  • Slow Cook Time
    6 to 7 hours
  • Active time plus cooling
    35 minutes active
  • Rating

This dish, inspired by a recipe in “Yolele!” by Pierre Thiam, gets big, bold flavor from just eight easy-to-find ingredients. Lightly caramelized onions deliver savory-sweet notes, lime zest adds fruitiness and lime juice gives the braising liquid bracing tartness. We use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs but remove the skins before cooking so they don’t render fat and make the sauce greasy and slick. Serve the braise with steamed rice.

Tip

Don't omit the habanero chili, as it adds subtle spiciness and unique fruity notes to the dish. But don't leave in the seeds, which contain the bulk of the heat; make sure to remove them before mincing (if you have rubber gloves, wear them to protect your hands from the heat-containing capsaicin). Don't forget to remove the skin from the chicken.

Ingredients
  • 2

    tablespoons grated lime zest, plus ¼ cup lime juice

  • 1

    habanero chili, stemmed, seeded and minced

  • 3

    tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 2

    medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced

  • 3

    pounds bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, skin removed and discarded

  • 1

    tablespoon cornstarch

  • Chopped fresh chives, to serve

Step 1

In a small bowl, mix together the lime zest, habanero, 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Measure out 1 tablespoon of the mixture into another small bowl and set aside.

In a 6-quart Instant Pot select Medium/Normal Sauté and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the onions and cook without stirring until golden brown on the bottom, about 7 minutes.

Stir and continue to cook, stirring only occasionally, until the onions are evenly golden brown, another 7 to 10 minutes. Press Cancel.

Add the lime juice, 2 tablespoons water and remaining zest-habanero mixture, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle in the chicken in an even layer, turning to coat the pieces and slightly overlapping them if needed.

Step 2

Lock the lid in place and move the pressure release valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 10 minutes.

When pressure cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then release any remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.

Step 3

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a serving dish. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and ¼ cup of the cooking liquid until combined, then stir into the pot.

Select Normal/Medium Sauté and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, then cook, stirring, until lightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Stir in the reserved zest-habanero mixture, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with chives.

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