Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe
This authentic Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken recipe is delicious!
When it comes to comfort food in Jamaica, Brown Stew Chicken is a dish that instantly brings warmth and happiness to anyone who tries it.
This iconic Jamaican dish is known for its savory, rich gravy, tender chicken, and a delightful blend of spices.
If you’re searching for a delicious and authentic Jamaican dish that’s easy enough for beginners yet impressive enough for special occasions, Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken is the ideal choice!
What is Brown Stew?
In Jamaica, “brown stew” refers to a traditional method of cooking where meat—usually chicken or fish—is first seasoned and lightly pan-fried (“brown”) to achieve a brown caramelized exterior.
After browning, the meat simmers slowly in a savory sauce made from herbs, spices, vegetables, and broth or water.
This cooking technique infuses the meat with incredible flavors, creating a dish that is hearty, rich, and comforting.
What is Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken?
Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken is one of Jamaica’s most cherished dishes.
Authentic Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken starts with marinated chicken seasoned with a combination of garlic, onion, thyme, scallion, ginger, and allspice (also known as pimento berries).
The chicken pieces are then “brown” (lightly fried) until they develop a lovely brown color.
The chicken is then gently simmered in a savory sauce of browning sauce (or browned sugar), fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices, creating a deep, rich gravy that coats every tender bite of chicken.
Why You Will Love This Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe
You will love this Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken recipe for the following reasons:
1. Bursting with Flavor: The combination of spices and vegetables gives the stew an unforgettable savory, slightly sweet, and subtly spicy taste.
2. Easy to Prepare: Despite its impressive flavors, the preparation is straightforward and achievable even for beginner cooks.
3. Comforting and Satisfying: The dish offers warmth and comfort, making it perfect for family dinners or gatherings.
4. Authentic Experience: Making Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken at home provides a taste of authentic Jamaican culture and cuisine.
Ingredients for Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
To prepare authentic Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Chicken: You can use a whole chicken cut into pieces, or choose your favorite parts like thighs, legs, wings. If you’re a beginner cook or prefer convenience, opt for boneless chicken pieces.
Powdered Seasoning: Use chicken seasoning for the best flavor, or substitute with all-purpose seasoning.
Carrots: Fresh carrots are nutritious and color to the stew.
For Flavor: Fresh onion, scallion, thyme, Scotch bonnet pepper, bell pepper, tomato, garlic, pimento (allspice), brown sugar, and optionally, ketchup.
Cooking Oil: Use vegetable (or your preferred cooking oil) for browning the chicken.
Water: To create the stew’s rich gravy.
Essential Kitchen Tools
- Large Dutch oven or deep frying pan with a lid
- Cutting board and sharp knife
- Mixing bowls for seasoning chicken
- Wooden spoon or spatula for stirring
- Measuring cups and spoons
How to Make Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
To make Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken, start by cleaning your chicken—remove the skin, excess fat, and wash it thoroughly with water, vinegar, and lime or lemon juice.
Next, season the chicken with chicken seasoning, browning sauce, and flavorful Jamaican spices like onion, scallion, garlic, thyme, allspice, bell pepper, tomato, and Scotch bonnet pepper. Rub these spices into the chicken and let it marinate to develop a deeper flavor.
After marinating, separate the vegetables and spices from the chicken, saving them for later.
Heat oil in a large pot and brown the chicken lightly on all sides until brown. Once browned, add water, the reserved vegetables and spices, and simmer gently.
Add carrots and ketchup (optional), continuing to simmer until the chicken is tender and the gravy rich and flavorful.
Serve warm, and enjoy your Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken!
🍴✨ You can view the step-by-step instructions and the full recipe below.
What to Serve Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken With
Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken pairs deliciously with:
- Rice and Peas or Steamed White Rice: Traditional Jamaican rice dishes perfectly absorb the rich gravy.
- Boiled Dumplings or Ground Provisions: Enjoy your Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken with traditional Jamaican boiled dumplings or hearty ground provisions such as boiled yam, green bananas, or potatoes.
- Roast or Fried Breadfruit: Adds sweetness and texture that complements the savory stew.
Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe: FAQs
1. Why does my Brown Stew Chicken have a bitter taste?
Your Brown Stew Chicken can taste bitter if you used too much browning sauce or if the chicken was browned for too long, causing it to burn.
Browning sauce is made from caramelized sugar, and overusing it can cause bitterness. Similarly, if you used brown sugar instead of browning sauce, burning or overheating the sugar will result in a bitter taste.
To prevent bitterness, use browning sauce sparingly, and brown the chicken lightly, just enough to achieve color without burning.
2. Can I make Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken without browning sauce?
Yes! Browning sauce helps give the chicken its signature dark brown color, but you can definitely make Brown Stew Chicken without it. Instead, you can use brown sugar.
Browning sauce is essentially caramelized brown sugar, so you’re making your own version at home. Just add a small amount of brown sugar to the hot oil before adding the chicken.
As it heats, the sugar will melt and darken—just be careful not to burn it, as this can create a bitter taste.
If you prefer to avoid sugar altogether, you can use thick soy sauce or oyster sauce, but keep in mind your stew won’t have the authentic Jamaican flavor.
3. How spicy is Brown Stew Chicken?
Authentic recipes usually include Scotch bonnet peppers, which can be quite hot. You can reduce heat by leaving the pepper whole or removing seeds, or simply omit it for a mild stew.
Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- 3 pounds Chicken pieces: thighs, legs, (boneless optional)
- ½ tablespoon Chicken seasoning (or All-purpose seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon Browning sauce
- 2 medium Carrots, sliced
- 1 medium Onion, chopped
- 1 small Tomato diced
- 2 stalk scallion, chopped
- 2 gloves garlic sliced
- ½ medium Red bell pepper, sliced
- ½ medium Green bell pepper, sliced
- ½ small Scotch Bonnet Pepper, seeds removed and chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice powder
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 cups Water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons Ketchup (optional)
- 3 medium Potatoes (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Clean and prepare the chicken pieces by removing the skin, excess fat, and washing it in water with vinegar and lime or lemon juice.
- Season the chicken pieces with chicken seasoning, browning sauce, onion, scallion, garlic, thyme, allspice powder, bell pepper, tomato and Scotch bonnet pepper. (Add salt if your seasoning doesn't already contain salt).
- Rub the seasoning thoroughly into the chicken to coat every piece evenly. Marinate for at least 45 minutes for a deeper flavor.
- Remove the onion, scallion, garlic, thyme, allspice powder, bell pepper, tomato and Scotch bonnet pepper from the chicken and set them aside separately.
- Heat the cooking oil in a large pot. Add the chicken to the hot oil and lightly brown all sides for about 1-3 minutes per side. Turn occasionally to avoid burning.
- Remove excess oil from the pot, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
- Add water, brown sugar and all the previously separated seasoning ingredients back into the pot.
- Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
- Check the pot occasionally and add more water if needed. Add ketchup (optional), potatoes, carrots to the pot.
- Cover and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and tender. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and tender. Also, check that the carrots and potatoes are cooked
- Serve and enjoy your authentic Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken!
NOTES
- Adjust the amount of Scotch bonnet pepper based on your preferred spice level.
- If your chicken or all-purpose seasoning contains salt, adjust the additional salt accordingly.
- Browning sauce gives the stew its deep brown color, but you can use brown sugar instead. Add a small amount of brown sugar to hot oil before browning the chicken, but avoid burning it, as this can cause bitterness.
- Using potatoes is optional. If adding them, put them in the pot at the same time as the carrots
If you enjoyed this Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe, please scroll down and leave a 5-star rating and a comment! Thanks so much!
