Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken (Printer-friendly)
Tender chicken in a rich, deeply spiced gravy bursting with vibrant Jamaican island flavors.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken & Marinade
01 - 2 lbs bone-in, skinless chicken pieces
02 - 2 tbsp lime juice
03 - 1 tbsp vinegar
04 - 2 tsp sea salt
05 - 2 tsp black pepper
06 - 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning
07 - 1 tbsp browning sauce
08 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 2 sprigs fresh thyme
10 - 2 scallions, chopped
11 - 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and chopped
12 - 1 small onion, chopped
13 - 1 tsp paprika
→ Sauce & Vegetables
14 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
15 - 1 large bell pepper, sliced
16 - 2 medium carrots, sliced
17 - 1 large tomato, chopped
18 - 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
19 - 1 cup chicken broth
20 - 1 tsp soy sauce
# How To Make It:
01 - Rinse the chicken pieces with lime juice and vinegar, then rinse thoroughly with water and pat dry with paper towels.
02 - Combine the chicken with sea salt, black pepper, all-purpose seasoning, browning sauce, minced garlic, fresh thyme, chopped scallions, deseeded Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped onion, and paprika. Massage the marinade into every piece, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight for best results.
03 - Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Shake off excess marinade from the chicken pieces, reserving the marinade. Sear the chicken in batches until deeply browned on all sides, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch.
04 - Remove the browned chicken and set aside. Add the sliced bell pepper, carrots, and chopped tomato to the same pot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly softened.
05 - Return the chicken to the pot along with the reserved marinade, tomato ketchup, chicken broth, and soy sauce. Stir everything together until well combined.
06 - Bring the stew to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 45 to 55 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened into a rich gravy.
07 - Taste the stew and adjust seasoning if needed. Discard the thyme stems before serving alongside steamed white rice, rice and peas, or fried plantains.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The gravy alone is worth making it because it is the kind of sauce you will want to spoon over everything in your kitchen
- The browning sauce gives it that deep color most home cooks think only restaurants can achieve
02 -
- Crowding the pot during the sear step will steam the chicken instead of browning it and you will lose that deep caramelized flavor entirely
- The sauce looks thin when you first cover it but it thickens dramatically in the last fifteen minutes of cooking so resist the urge to uncover it too early
03 -
- A splash of dark rum stirred into the sauce during the last five minutes adds an incredible layer of complexity that most people will not be able to identify but will definitely notice
- Using boneless thighs cuts the cooking time nearly in half but you will need to reduce the liquid by about a quarter to keep the sauce thick enough