Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

Storing and Planning Ahead

Keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat gently.

How to Make Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

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1. Mix the chicken with the onion, garlic, thyme, allspice, pepper, salt and soy sauce. Cover and leave in the fridge for 1 hour.

   Mark done Start 1 hr timer

2. Heat the sugar and oil in a heavy pot until the sugar melts, foams and turns dark brown, about 4 minutes.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

3. Add the chicken and stir for 5 minutes until browned and coated. Add the tomatoes, carrots, scotch bonnet, ketchup and water.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

4. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender and the gravy is thick. Remove the scotch bonnet.

   Mark done Start 30 min timer

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Tips for Success

• Stand back when adding the chicken to the caramel.
• Do not burn the sugar.
• Keep the scotch bonnet whole.

Why the Method Is What It Is

The colour is from caramel, not from the soy sauce or gravy browning that cooks reach for. The authentic technique is to heat sugar in a dry pan until it melts and darkens to the colour of coffee, then stir in the seasoned chicken. The sugar clings to the meat and gives it a deep, rich brown colour and a faint bitterness that is the heart of the dish.

The chicken is marinated first with onion, garlic, thyme, allspice, black pepper, salt and a dash of soy sauce for at least 1 hour. It is then ready to go into the pot. Heat a heavy pot with 2 tablespoons of sugar and let it melt, without stirring, until it foams and turns dark brown, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken as soon as the sugar is a deep mahogany, and stand back: it spits.

Stir for 5 minutes until the chicken is coated and browned. Add onion, tomato, carrot, a whole scotch bonnet and a spoonful of ketchup, then water to half-cover the meat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

The gravy should be rich and coat a spoon. Serve with rice and peas.

Good Alongside

Rice and peas · Fried plantain · Steamed cabbage · Festival

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Jamaican Fry Dumplings, Fried Sweet Plantain.

Ingredient Swaps

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chilli. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken FAQ

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: weights that include bone are counted as if all of it were eaten, so the figures run high. How the figures are worked out.

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