Cameroonian Poulet DG

A familiar pairing, dressed up

For a reader who knows fried chicken served alongside something sweet — think chicken and waffles, or jerk chicken with sweet plantain in Caribbean cooking — poulet DG follows a related logic: savory browned chicken set against fried plantain’s caramelized sweetness. What makes the Cameroonian version distinct is that both elements are simmered together at the end in one vegetable-rich tomato sauce, rather than served side by side on the same plate.

History

Poulet DG (“Directeur Général,” or “General Manager’s Chicken”) is a Cameroonian dish whose playful name reflects its relatively upscale, festive origins: historically associated with meals prepared for or by company executives and other well-off professionals, at a time when chicken combined with plantain and vegetables in a rich sauce represented a more special and costly meal than the ordinary across much of Cameroon.

The dish has since far outgrown any executive association to become a fixture of Cameroonian celebrations, weddings, and family meals across the country.

Ingredients — for 4-6 people

• 1 chicken, cut into pieces
• 4 ripe plantains, cut into cubes and fried
• 2 bell peppers, 2 carrots, 1 onion
• 2 tomatoes, garlic, ginger
• Bouillon cube, palm oil or neutral oil
• Parsley, salt, pepper

Cameroonian poulet DG recipe, step by step

1. Marinate the chicken with garlic, ginger, and a little salt, then brown it in hot oil.
2. Fry the plantain cubes separately until golden, and set aside.
3. In the same oil, sauté the onion, bell peppers, and carrots cut into strips.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer until a smooth sauce forms.
5. Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer, covered, until very tender.
6. Fold in the fried plantain cubes right at the end, mix gently, and serve hot.

Cooking method

Technique: chicken and plantain fried separately before being combined in a simmered tomato-vegetable sauce.

Traditional equipment: a large pan or pot, frying the plantain separately to keep its crispness.

Tips: add the fried plantain only at the very end of cooking so it holds its shape instead of breaking down in the sauce.

Nutrition, per serving

Calculated from the raw ingredient quantities, divided by five servings.

Fried plantain contributes most of the 39 g of carbohydrate per serving, alongside the natural sugars in the vegetables. Chicken with its skin keeps protein high (47 g) but also drives much of the fat figure, with the frying oil adding a further layer on top of what the skin itself contributes.

Economic context

A whole chicken plus four plantains and a tomato-vegetable sauce sits above the ingredients of everyday Cameroonian cooking, consistent with poulet DG’s history as a dish tied to celebration and relative prosperity rather than routine weeknight meals.

Source: World Bank / FAO, Food Prices for Nutrition database (Cost and Affordability of a Healthy Diet) v4.0, 2024 data, CC BY 4.0, DOI 10.57966/41AN-KY81. Retrieved 29 July 2026. This figure describes the cost of a healthy diet in Cameroon generally — it is not a costing of this specific recipe.

Who this dish suits

What about you?

In your opinion, what’s the best place or restaurant to enjoy great poulet DG?

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