Kedjenou Chicken
Kedjenou is a magnificent chicken dish that is astoundingly easy to make. It is chicken that is basted in its own juice in a “canary,” or earthenware jar, on a wood fire.
This method ensures terrifically moist, succulent results. For most western kitchens, deep casserole with a tight-fitting lid can be used in place of the “canary” like a dutch oven
This tasty chicken is a very popular dish in Ivory Coast. It is believed to have originated from Baoulé; an ethnic group in Ivory Coast. According to several sources the word kedjenou comes from the Baoulé language which means to move or shake. While braising the chicken the pot is frequently shaken, vigorously, so that the chicken or sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Any quick and easy recipe that tastes great is my friend, and if it tastes anything like this chicken, then it’s a home run!. This recipe is so good without you laboring in the kitchen all day. Just put all the ingredients – garlic, ginger, onions, green onions, fresh thyme -in the pot, mix, and place it in the oven. How easy is that? You could even watch your favorite show while the chicken is slowly braising in the oven.
Traditionally, this recipe calls for shaking the pot every 5 to 10 minutes during cooking. However, I usually shake kedjenou only once or twice during the cooking process and it does not stick to the pot. I added about 1/4 cup of chicken broth. To add some more sauce.
Serve warm with atieke a side dish which is comparable to garri – fermented food made from cassava root with a distinct sour taste. Or with rice like I did. It could also be eaten with any starch.
Enjoy
Kedjenou Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 4 to 5 pounds skin on, cut into medium pieces
- 2 medium onions
- 2 green onion
- 1 fresh red or green peppers
- 4 to matoes
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic puree
- 1 fresh sprig thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 Tablespoon chicken bouillon or more optional
- 1 whole habenero pepper optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees F
- Trim chicken of excess fat and pat dry with a cloth or paper napkin and salt , place in the Dutch oven
- You may season chicken with garlic , ginger , thyme, paprika, green onions , chicken bouillon and onions. At at least 2 hours or preferably overnight in the fridge for optimal flavor.
- Slice tomatoes, onion, green onions and green pepper.
- Combine all the ingredients in a Dutch oven or any oven safe pot and stir until everything is fully combine
- Cover it with its lid.
- Place in the often and shake the pot once or twice during cooking without opening the pot.
- Bake for about 1 hour until chicken is tender depending on which chicken you use and how you like your chicken.
- Serve with atieke or white rice
Didn’t use thyme, green onion, red/green pepper, paprika. Used fresh ginger (thumb sized portion grated or finely cut). Added habanero as suggested.
Used Maggi cube instead of salt.
Thank you for the feedback, Deron!
I’m from Cyprus and I cooked Kedjenou Chicken for my Ivorian friend… It was my first Ivorian dish and he liked it a lot…. My next will be peri peri chicken I think
Hello Kat.
I am glad your friend liked it! Do let me know how your peri peri chicken turns out for you.
Just found your website and am pretty sure that I am going to try lots of them. They look delicious!!
I can’t wait to hear which ones you try it out!!!
Yeah! An Ivorian dish:-) I love your website because it builds an amazing visual and culinary bridge between Africa and the Americas.
PS: À cause de votre site, j’ai envie d’aller au Cameroun… juste pour manger
I am so happy I found your site! My significant other is African and these recipes are delightful. Thank you so much for all the great info and the recipes.
Hi Omega!
Glad to have you here. Thanks for taking the time to let me know .
Have made this twice since now since weekend. Once on weekend and this morning before work dinner was done. Though didn’t follow exact recipe in detain as yours, I followed the spirit of it just dicing up various aromatics and herbs that I had, most similar to recipe and whatever else I choose to add. Even diced up and apple and threw that in too for a little sweetness and handful of Cilantro. And have to say, I really love this dish! It surely made more liquid sauce than I would have thought and in both times I didn’t add any extra liquid beyond the marinade and diced veggies. For the first time I removed chicken after oven and just reduced liquid sauce on stove on low then immersion blend the veggies with my hand blender about half of it. 2nd time used less veggies and still had a bit of liquid sauce which was still ok. It’s one the easiest fix and forget dish I’ve ever made. But anyway delicious dish, so huge thumbs up on a nice oven stewed dish. I guess if can do it with Chicken, then can likely as well do it with meat like beef for stewing. Will have to try that out too.
Awesome! Love all your variations… especially the addition of apples.It’s truly an easy dish to put together. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us. I never taught of reducing the liquid.
Wow. This looks really good!
Have never heard of the name of the dish before. But I do very much know of the Ivory Coast and its direct historical impact/influence on my Caribbean history. I would say culture as well very much. Thus I can also clearly see possibly where the idea of Stewed Chicken possibly came from in some way or influence on Caribbean Stewed Chicken though this dish has a traditional root and is done in a Clay Oven Pot. Also, this is done with less liquid cooking in its own juice for more flavor. When I make Stewed Chicken it’s very much similar as that’s how I learned it in the islands, so it doesn’t go unnoticed looking at this dish. However, I’ve never this gorgeous dish and have never quite thought of seasoned chicken just stewing in its own juice in the oven as is this. Awesome dish and cultural roots. It’s so easy to make that I’ll repurpose that chicken I have right now in the refrigerator and use for this with some chicken thighs.
Do you need to marinade the chicken prior to making?
By the way just discovered your site and spent the last 45 minutes engrossed in your reciepes. Great job on writing and photography. Everything sounds and looks delicious! Looking forward to trying a few of your reciepes. The hard part is deciding where to start 🙂
Sue, you really do not have to. However, if you have the time to marinate go for it. I am so happy you are here. Let me know if you have any questions and how the recipes worked for you. Thanks for taking the time to comment.