Name: Brown Stew Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 3 lbs chicken thighs (boneless, skinless); 1 Tablespoon brown sugar; 2 teaspoons browning; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste); 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; ½ teaspoon black pepper; ¼ teaspoon allspice; 1 yellow onion (chopped); 3 spring onions (chopped); ½ green bell pepper (chopped); ½ red bell pepper (chopped); 1 scotch bonnet pepper (seeds removed and chopped); 4 garlic cloves (chopped); 1 inch ginger (chopped); ¼ cup oil; 2 Tablespoons ketchup; 1 cup chicken broth; ½ cup water

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This Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken is full of Caribbean flavor and a perfect main dish for any day of the week. It’s the perfect stewed chicken dish when you want to have a taste of the islands.

brown stew chicken in pot with blue towel behind it

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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.

We had brown stewed chicken quite often growing up and it quickly became one of my favorite stew recipes. It was on a weekly rotation in our house and we would have it more often than we had these amazing oxtails.

Brown stew chicken takes a little more time than most traditional stew recipes you will find. The meat is washed and then marinated in “seasoning” which includes chopped aromatics and a few dry seasonings. The meat is then lightly browned on the stovetop or in the oven, and then stewed for about 30-40 minutes until the meat is fall off the bone tender.

I’ve ventured from my parent's recipe by using boneless and skinless chicken, mainly because I’m not a fan of chicken skin in stew. You could use chicken with skin and bone on it, just expect to cook it longer.

How to Make Brown Stew Chicken

First, rinse your chicken with some vinegar and water. I’m sure some will wonder why. This is just a rule from my mom and almost anyone from the Caribbean. So I do it. No questions asked.

Place your chicken pieces in a bowl along with the brown sugar, browning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, dried thyme, black pepper, allspice, garlic cloves, ginger, onions, and peppers. That's a lot, but oh so necessary if you want those deep flavors. Mix ingredients, making sure the chicken is fully covered. Cover and place in the fridge and allow the meat to marinate for at least 1 hour. If you can, allow it to marinate overnight.

raw chicken with peppers, onions, and other seasonings in glass bowl

When ready to cook, remove the onions, peppers, garlic, and ginger from the chicken and place in a separate bowl.

two glass bowls, one with peppers and onions and the other with raw chicken

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add oil, and then add chicken pieces and brown on each side, for about 2 minutes.

Remove chicken and add reserved seasonings to the pot and sauté until softened, for about 5 minutes.

Add chicken back to skillet along with chicken broth, water, and ketchup. Bring mixture to a simmer and cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, to reduce the gravy.

Serve and enjoy.

close up photo of brown stew chicken in pan with thyme leaves on top

Recipes to serve with:

Jamaican Rice and Peas (Pressure Cooker)
Steamed Cabbage

Other Jamaican Recipes to Try:

or have a look at all my Caribbean inspired recipes.

Watch this video tutorial and see how I make this brown stew chicken from start to finish.

Tanya