Chicken, Plantains, and Vegetables – Super flavorful African Chicken meal featuring fried plantains and vegetables in a herb sauce inspired by French Cuisine.
Parlez vous francais? Mes Amis, today, I present a French-inspired chicken dish. Not just any chicken dish; this one is extra special. Cameroonians (my peeps) call this the ultimate chicken dish—better than any other chicken meal.
You see, this one-pot meal, well, isn’t technically cooked in a single pot, but who’s checking? Here, bite-sized chicken is smothered in a flavorful herb sauce, paired with vegetables, and topped with crispy fried plantains. Oui, merci!
What Is Poulet DG?
Poulet DG is a French-inspired dish – a cross between stir-fried chicken and fricassee (a classic chicken and vegetable French stew). It enjoys indigenous African spices, chicken, plantain, and vegetables—truly comforting and délicieux. I love how visually appealing it is. Non?
Can you believe this deliciousness was reserved for important people? It literally means chicken director general, and it’s delicious. Vraiment? Not anymore. It’s enjoyed in restaurants and on special occasions in ordinary households.
Ingredient List
- Chicken – While it’s traditionally made with skin-on, bone-in, whole chicken cut up in bite-size, I prefer boneless skinless chicken.
- Seasonings – Onion, parsley, celery, basil, tomatoes, garlic, smoked paprika, and white pepper deliver rich flavor.
- Vegetables – Carrots, green beans, and green or red bell pepper are traditional ingredients.
- Plantains, peeled and fried right before serving, make a delicious carb addition. So you’ll need a little cooking oil, too.
How to Make Poulet DG
- Herb Blend – Chop the onions, parsley, celery, and garlic into a coarse paste in a food processor or blender.
- Season Chicken – Salt and pepper chicken, add 2-3 tablespoons of the herb blend to the chicken. Set aside. You can do this step ahead of time and let it marinate.
- Sear Chicken – Heat a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to pot. Then add the chicken and sauté for 5-7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Sauce – Pour the rest of the herb mixture into the pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Add about ½ a cup of chicken stock if needed.
- Add Veggies – Mix the carrots, green beans, and bell peppers into the pot. Simmer for 2-3 minutes—adjust seasonings to taste. Turn off the heat.
- Peel Plantain – Cut both ends off the plantain using a sharp knife. That will make it easier to peel the plantains. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain only as deep as the peel. Remove the peel by pulling it back.
- Slice plantain into rounds about an inch thick.
- Heat a large or cast iron skillet with ½ inch of oil on medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
- Fry the plantain slices until golden brown, then toss them with the chicken and vegetables. Hold off on this part until you are ready to serve.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Add the fried green plantains right before serving so they retain their crunchiness. I cook everything else and then fry the plantains when everyone is ready to eat. It sure makes a difference and tastes 100% better when it’s hot. Bon appetite!
More Delicious African Recipes to Try
Poulet DG
Ingredients
- 1-1½ pounds (450-700g) boneless chicken cut into small chunks
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1½ cups (80g) fresh herbs (parsley, celery, basil, etc.)
- 2-3 tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon (1g) smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon (1g) white pepper
- 1 pound (450g) vegetables (carrots, green beans, green pepper, etc.)
- 1 green plantain
Instructions
- Chop the onions, parsley, celery, and garlic into a coarse paste in a food processor or blender.
- Salt and pepper chicken, add 2-3 tablespoons of the herb blend to the chicken. Set aside. You can do this step ahead of time and let it marinate.
- Heat a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to pot. Then add the chicken and sauté for 5-7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Pour the rest of the herb mixture into the pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Add about ½ a cup of chicken stock if needed.
- Mix the carrots, green beans, and bell peppers into the pot. Simmer for 2-3 minutes—adjust seasonings to taste. Turn off the heat.
- Cut both ends off the plantain using a sharp knife. That will make it easier to peel the plantains. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain only as deep as the peel. Remove the peel by pulling it back.
- Slice plantain into rounds about an inch thick.
- Heat a large or cast iron skillet with ½ inch of oil on medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
- Fry the plantain slices until golden brown, then toss them with the chicken and vegetables. Hold off on this part until you are ready to serve.
- Serve immediately.
Tips & Notes:
- Add the fried green plantains right before serving so they retain their crunchiness.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Suh Nebasi says
Hey Imma,
Step 5 has me a little confused, you saaid to ” pour all the mixture” whats this mixture in question?
ImmaculateBites says
The blend of garlic , onions , tomatoes and herbs.
ImmaculateBites says
Hello! It’s 2-3 green peppers , 2 fresh tomatoes and it’s 1 1/2 – 2 lbs of boneless chicken. Happy Cooking!!!
Keith @ How's it Lookin? says
Looks delicious, and so flavorful, thanks for sharing
crystal says
hi immaculate!
thanks for the recipe just a quick question. I see that the recipe calls for tomatoes when do i add that in. Do i blend them and make it like stew. Also do i only use a little of the herb paste to marinate the chicken and then pour the rest into the pot.
thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, you blend the tomatoes with rest of the ingredients before blending. Yes, if you can, marinate chicken with herb paste. If not you can make it without marinating.
kelsey says
Made this last weekend. Delicious!!
Olga Menang says
Girl! you rock! Thank you for these amazing dishes. I normally cook poulet DJ, but would directly steam the chicken with blended spices. Will try frying first. Cooking for some colleagues on Friday, will let you know how it goes.
Cecile says
Oui Oui Oui Je parle francais. Just love the combination of plantains and chicken smothered in sauce – Delicieux!
ImmaculateBites says
Me too!
Nagi@RecipeTin Eats says
And this is why I love your blog. A simple short list of ingredients that would make an otherwise ok dish, but then you add the step of turning the herbs into a paste which turns this into a stellar dish. I imagine that giving it some marinating time makes a huge difference. I would love to use this recipe for a simple grilled fish too. Thanks for sharing this Imma!
ImmaculateBites says
Aww, thanks Nagi
ImmaculateBites says
Charlene, let me know how you like it. It is a tastebud explosion.
Charlene @ That Girl Cooks Healthy says
I’m giving this five stars before I even cook the meal. Thank you for sharing this wonderful Cameroonian cuisine. I cannot wait to sample this dish over the coming weekend.