Benin | Recipe

Poisson au Moyo

Beninese grilled fish with a bright raw-style tomato, onion, lemon, herb, and chili moyo sauce.

Country
Benin
Region
West Africa
Time
55 min
Serves
4
Level
easy
Start cooking Explore Benin recipes
01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 4

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

Jump to methodMy cookbook

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

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

Back to Benin
4 steps 35 min prep 20 min cook (check method) 55 min total easy
1
Season the fish
Rub fish with oil, paprika, salt, and pepper, including the cuts along the sides.
season 10:00
2
Make the moyo
Mix tomatoes, onion, chilies, lemon juice, herbs, oil, and salt. Let it stand while the fish cooks.
moyo rest 15:00
3
Grill the fish
Grill or broil the fish until the skin chars lightly and the flesh flakes cleanly.
grill 14:00
4
Spoon and serve
Top the fish with moyo and serve immediately while the sauce is fresh.
finish 02:00

Some cooks keep moyo raw and sharp, while others briefly warm the tomato-onion mixture with oil or smoked fish.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas
Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for weekend grills, beach-style lunches, and quick seafood dinners.. Plan on a easy cook. Allow about 55 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Atassi, ablo, akassa, fried plantain, or steamed rice.

Regional lane

Benin national table. A structured Benin dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs
  • Skipping the resting time after grilling.
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
  • Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
How you know it is ready
  • The surface should be deeply colored while the center stays juicy.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Poisson au Moyo recipe from Benin
Poisson au Moyo finished dish
Poisson au Moyo recipe from Benin
Poisson au Moyo additional recipe photo
Chef board

Build the table around Poisson au Moyo

Atassi, ablo, akassa, fried plantain, or steamed rice.

Best route from here

Benin national table

Collections to keep cooking
Explore Benin recipes
Explore more recipes
Keep exploring

Cook around Poisson au Moyo

Find a side dish or your next recipe from the same country or collection.

Amiwo recipe from Benin Benin Main dish Amiwo A savoury red corn porridge cooked in a rich tomato and crab sauce. The cornmeal absorbs the tomato colour and flavour, tur... Time60 min ServingsServes 6 DifficultyMedium DietGluten Free RegionWest Africa Open recipe Kuli-Kuli recipe from Benin Benin Snack Kuli-Kuli Crunchy groundnut crackers made by extracting the oil from peanut paste, then shaping and deep-frying the remaining cake. A... Time45 min ServingsServes 8 DifficultyMedium DietVegan RegionWest Africa Open recipe Dakouin recipe from Benin Benin Main dish Dakouin Mono-region Beninese fish, tomato, and gari dish where cassava granules thicken a deeply seasoned fish broth. Time65 min ServingsServes 5 DifficultyMedium DietGluten Free RegionWest Africa Open recipe Grilled Wagasi recipe from Benin Benin Snack Grilled Wagasi Beninese soft white cheese grilled until golden and served with a spicy piment sauce. A unique West African cheese snack wi... Time20 min ServingsServes 4 DifficultyEasy DietGluten Free RegionWest Africa Open recipe
Browse AfroKitchen Explore Benin recipes