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Senegalese · West African

Fish yassa

Non-vegetarian

Grilled lime-and-mustard-marinated fish served over a heap of soft, tangy caramelised onions. The fish version of Senegal's famous yassa, eaten with white rice.

Fish yassa is a Senegalese main course, ready in about 2 hours 5 minutes and made with white fish fillet, onion and lime juice. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Fried fish with red onion yassa sauce and rice
Photo: Kalamuh 045 / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
20 min
Cook
45 min
Rest
1 h
Total
2 h 5 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
374

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the onions (opens in a new tab), lime juice (opens in a new tab), mustard, garlic (opens in a new tab), chilli, black pepper (opens in a new tab), 2 tbsp oil and the salt. Score the fish and coat it in the marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

    • 10 min

    Food safety: Marinate fish in the fridge, not at room temperature.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Lift the fish out of the marinade and grill over high heat until charred and just cooked through, 4–6 minutes per side.

    Food safety: Fish is done when it flakes easily and is opaque at the centre.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a heavy pot and cook the onions (opens in a new tab) from the marinade (keep the liquid) with the bay leaves (opens in a new tab) until soft and golden, about 20 minutes.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Add the marinade liquid, water and olives and simmer 8 minutes. Lay the grilled fish on the onions (opens in a new tab), cover and warm through for 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

    • 13 min
    • low heat

About this dish

Origin
Casamance, Senegal · Commonly attributedYassa is generally traced to the Casamance region of southern Senegal; it is also popular in the Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.Also popular in The Gambia, GuineaMore food from Senegal
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Grills & kebabs
Cooking method
Marinated / cured, Grilled, Braised
Taste
tangy, citrusy, sweet & sour, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead
Cook more with
White fish fillet · Onion · Lime juice · Prepared mustard · Garlic · Fresh red chilli
Techniques
Grilling · Charcoal grilling · Simmering · Braising · Marinating

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom white fish fillet
  • Contains: Mustardfrom prepared mustard
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom prepared mustard

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

374 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 439 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 37%
  • Carbohydrate 19%
  • Fat 44%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy374 kcal85 kcal
Protein34.9 g8 g
Carbohydrate17.8 g4.1 g
Net carbohydrate14.8 g3.4 g
Sugars6.5 g1.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.1 g0.7 g
Fat18.4 g4.2 g
Saturated fat1.5 g0.3 g
Trans fat0.1 g0 g
Cholesterol108 mg25 mg
Sodium1394 mg317 mg
Salt equivalent3.5 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
850 mg
Calcium
78 mg
Iron
1 mg
Magnesium
65 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
36 µg
Vitamin C
23 mg
Vitamin D
1 µg
Vitamin B12
3.7 µg
Folate (DFE)
55 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: green olives, long-grain white rice.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Let the onions take colour slowly — the sweetness balances the sharp lime.

Common mistakes

  • Rushing the onions over high heat — they burn before they soften and lose their sweetness.
  • Marinating fish longer than about 3 hours: the lime starts to 'cook' it and the flesh turns mushy.

Serve with

  • Serve with white rice and extra lime wedges.

Food safety

  • Keep marinating fish in the fridge and discard any unused raw marinade unless it is boiled (as in step 4).

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 2 days.

Reheating

  • Warm gently, covered, so the fish doesn't dry out.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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