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jamaican brown stew chicken recipe
- Total Time: 120 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Halal
Description
This classic Jamaican brown stew chicken features bone-in chicken braised in a rich, savory gravy, elevated with a unique creamy coconut-lime infusion added just before serving.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 3 tbsp browning sauce, divided
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp fresh lime juice, divided
- 1 tsp fresh lime zest
- 4 tsp grated fresh ginger, divided
- 6 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme, divided
- 1.5 tsp ground allspice (pimento), divided
- 1 small scotch bonnet pepper, whole
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cored and chopped
- 400 g (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 200 ml (0.75 cup) full-fat coconut milk
- 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: In a large bowl, combine the chicken pieces with 2 tablespoons browning sauce, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 0.5 teaspoon black pepper. Toss thoroughly to coat and marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving any excess liquid. Sear chicken pieces in batches until deep golden brown on all sides (about 4-5 minutes per side), then remove to a separate plate.
- Sauté Aromatics and Spices: Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion, red bell pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon grated ginger, and 2 minced garlic cloves to the pot (along with the whole scotch bonnet pepper). Sauté, scraping up any browned bits, until vegetables soften (5-7 minutes). Stir in the remaining 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme and 0.5 teaspoon ground allspice and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Deglaze and Simmer Base: Pour in the diced tomatoes (undrained), chicken stock, remaining 1 tablespoon browning sauce, and brown sugar. Stir well to combine, incorporating any reserved marinade. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Braise the Stew: Return the browned chicken pieces (and any accumulated juices) to the pot, ensuring they are mostly submerged in the sauce. Bring back to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. The chicken should be very tender and fall off the bone easily. If the sauce is too thin after 60 minutes, remove the lid and reduce for an additional 10 minutes over low heat.
- Prepare Creamy Coconut-Lime Infusion: While the stew simmers, gently warm the full-fat coconut milk in a small saucepan over low heat; do not boil. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 teaspoon lime zest. Keep warm off the heat until serving.
- Finish and Serve: Taste the stew and adjust seasoning as needed. Carefully remove the whole scotch bonnet pepper before serving if desired. Ladle the brown stew chicken onto plates and drizzle generously with the warm Creamy Coconut-Lime Infusion just before serving; garnish with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Don’t rush searing or braising; longer braising time makes the meat melt-in-your-mouth tender and thickens the sauce. If sauce is too thin after 60 minutes, remove lid and reduce for 10 minutes. For a milder flavor, remove the scotch bonnet pepper before serving; for more heat, prick it gently before adding to the stew.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Jamaican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (~350 g)
- Calories: 330 calories
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg