Jamaican Brown Chicken Stew Recipe Is a Taste of the Caribbean You Won't Soon Forget by Donna John

People who love to cook usually love trying new cooking vessels and cooking equipment. A Jamaican dutch pot was my latest challenge, so of course I had to make an authentic Jamaican recipe in it. This Jamaican brown chicken stew recipe was so rich and flavorful! Tender boneless chicken thighs are simmered in a sauce with some very interesting ingredients. The result was a hard-to-stop-eating stew that will be on dinner repeat.

To make this rich high-protein chicken stew recipe you need the following Caribbean-inspired ingredients: boneless/skinless chicken thighs, an onion, green onions, fresh garlic, dark brown sugar, browning sauce, fresh thyme, sweet paprika, ground ginger, chili powder, vegetable oil, low-sodium chicken broth, carrots, a fresh tomato, ketchup, ground allspice, bay leaves and a hot pepper if you like things spicy. My husband doesn't like spice, so I didn't use the hot pepper when cooking the stew, but added it to my bowl as a garnish. 

Never cooked with browning sauce? Browning sauce is a staple ingredient in Jamaican cooking. It's a rich, dark liquid that's made by caramelizing brown sugar with water, and other ingredients depending on the brand you buy. The sauce adds a depth of flavor to dishes like stews, sauces, soups and gravies.

Traditionally this brown chicken stew is served over rice and peas, which is the perfect bed for this chicken stew. The sweet peas are a wonderful contrast to the stew. You could also serve it over potatoes, plain rice or your favorite grain. 

If you 're interested in trying a Jamaican dutch pot in your own kitchen, I got mine at Sam's Caribbean Marketplace, which also has lots of authentic Jamaican ingredients. It's so much fun exploring, cooking and tasting cuisines around the globe!

Cuisine: Jamaican
Prep Time: 10 minutes plus 2 hours to marinate
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes plus time to marinate
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 - 5 green onions (1 bunch), chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, packed 
• 2 teaspoons browning sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 habanero or jalapeno pepper, minced (optional, for heat)

Here's how to make it: 

1. Put the onion, green onions, garlic, dark brown sugar, browning sauce, thyme, black pepper, salt, sweet paprika, ground ginger and chili powder into a plastic zipper bag. If using a hot pepper, add it now or you can wait and add it during the simmering time. You could use bone-in chicken pieces, but it may affect cooking time.
   
2. Add the chicken and squish to coat well. Marinate the chicken in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. I marinated mine overnight.
   
3. When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Tongs make this job easy. Shake the chicken to release all the marinade bits into the bag.
   
4. Heat the oil in a Jamaican dutch pot, dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.
   
5. Pour the chicken broth into the food storage bag with the marinade. This helps get all of the marinade out of the bag and into your pot.
   
6. Add the broth and reserved marinade, carrots, tomato, ketchup, allspice and bay leaves to the pot. If you are adding a hot pepper and didn't put it into the marinade, add it now.
   
7. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover the pot and cook until the liquid has absorbed by half, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. If you want the stew thicker, remove the lid during the end of cooking time. Chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees F internal temperature on a food thermometer.
   
8. Serve over rice and peas or whatever you like. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepot on the stove.
   

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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