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Brown Stew Chicken

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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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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. 

chicken being browned in pan

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

peppers and onions being browned in pan

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.

chicken pieces cooking in pot

Serve and enjoy. 

Recipes to serve with:

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.

brown stew chicken in pan
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4.87 from 266 votes

Brown Stew Chicken

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.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Caribbean
Keyword brown stew chicken, jamaican brown stew chicken
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 6 people
Calories 626kcal
Author Tanya

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

Instructions

  • Add chicken, brown sugar, browning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, dried thyme, black pepper, allspice, onions, green pepper, red pepper, scotch bonnet, garlic cloves, and ginger to a bowl and mix, rubbing seasoning into the chicken. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  • Remove peppers, onions, garlic, ginger and thyme from chicken and set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat and add chicken, brown for about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove chicken and add reserved onions and peppers to the skillet 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.

Notes

  • Brown stew chicken is traditionally cooked with a whole chicken that has been chopped into smaller pieces. Feel free to skip this by using chicken thighs or legs.
  • With any stew, dark meat works best as chicken breast can overcook and dry out. Dark meat also has more flavor. I generally opt for chicken thighs, chicken legs, and chicken wings when it comes to this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 626kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 222mg | Sodium: 1154mg | Potassium: 633mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 818IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg
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Recipe Rating




Sarah

Sunday 3rd of September 2023

Absolutely delicious! I made this tonight for dinner with rice and peas. I let the chicken marinate overnight and used a habanero in place of a scotch bonnet. It was like a hug! I batched the chicken in the skillet so it all got properly browned. Definitely making this again!

Tanya

Monday 4th of September 2023

Thanks Sarah! So happy you liked the recipe :)

Caryl

Friday 1st of September 2023

I can’t believe I made such an amazing meal. The leftovers tasted even better. This is a delicious recipe.

Tanya

Friday 1st of September 2023

Thanks so much, Caryl! So glad you like the recipe :)

Grace

Thursday 10th of August 2023

Very good! We couldn’t find scotch bonnets so used habaneros instead. Flavor and spice were perfect. We will be making this again for sure.

Tanya

Friday 11th of August 2023

Thanks, Grace! So happy you liked the recipe :)

Amanda

Tuesday 4th of July 2023

This was amazing I added some potatoes at the end . The whole family enjoyed it . I also substitute for jalapeños peppers . Amazing and thank you for sharing this recipe with us.

Tanya

Wednesday 5th of July 2023

Thanks Amanada, so happy you all liked it :)

Gwendolyn Blackman

Tuesday 27th of June 2023

Tried your recipe for the brown stew chicken (minus scotch bonnets--just a tad too much heat. Used red pepper flakes instead) So very good. Thanks for sharing.

Tanya

Wednesday 28th of June 2023

Thanks Gwendolyn, so happy you liked the recipe :)