Ivory Coast | Stew

Kedjenou

A slow-cooked chicken stew made without any added water — the chicken and vegetables steam in their own juices with aromatic herbs and spices.

Country
Ivory Coast
Region
West Africa
Time
80 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
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Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Kedjenou is the signature dish of the Baoulé people. Traditionally cooked in a sealed canari (clay pot) over low heat, the chicken releases its own juices creating an intensely flavoured broth without adding any water.

What the dish tastes like

A slow-cooked chicken stew made without any added water — the chicken and vegetables steam in their own juices with aromatic herbs and spices.

When to cook it

Best for Family meals and gatherings, with a medium cooking level and about 80 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Attiéké or white rice

Regional lane

Akan and Baoule slow table. Sealed-pot chicken and guinea fowl dishes where steam and patience make the sauce.

Chef watch-outs
  • Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
  • Thinning the pot before the body of the soup or stew has developed.
  • Opening the pot too often or adding water before the ingredients release their own juices.
How you know it is ready
  • The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
  • The pot should smell concentrated and steamy, with vegetables collapsed into their own sauce.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Pantry lane

attieke, plantain, palm oil, scotch bonnet, eggplant

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.

Kedjenou recipe image
Kedjenou finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Kedjenou

Attiéké or white rice

Best route from here

Akan and Baoule slow table

Collections to keep cooking
Swallow and Soup Table One-Pot Family Meals Across Africa Showstoppers
Social plate

Why Kedjenou gets people talking

Kedjenou wins attention because the method is the story: no added water, tight seal, slow shake, deep sauce.

#4 Showstopper
Hook

The sealed-pot magic trick.

Caption starter

No water, no rush, just the pot doing the work.

Hosting move

Open the pot at the table if you can; the steam and aroma are part of the drama.

Photo angle

Shoot the opened pot with glossy sauce clinging to chicken and vegetables.

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Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Ivory Coast
5 steps 80 min total medium
1
Layer the pot
Place chicken in a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add tomatoes, onions, eggplant, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, and whole scotch bonnet. Season with salt and pepper.
Do not add any water — this is the key to kedjenou.
2
Seal and cook
Cover the pot tightly with foil and then the lid to create a perfect seal. Cook on the lowest heat possible for 45 minutes.
Do not open the lid during cooking — shake the pot occasionally instead.
Slow cook 45:00
3
Check doneness
After 45 minutes, carefully open the lid. The chicken should be falling off the bone in a rich, concentrated broth of its own juices.
4
Simmer if needed
If the chicken needs more time, reseal and cook another 15 minutes. The sauce should be thick and deeply flavoured.
Extra simmer 15:00
5
Serve
Serve hot with attiéké or fluffy white rice. The concentrated sauce is incredibly flavourful.

Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.

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