This Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken is generously seasoned with aromatic spices, then braised in a rich and savoury yard style gravy. Experience the epitome of Jamaican cuisine by sampling this succulent Caribbean-style chicken stew. Serve it on Sunday for a comforting meal that will transport you to an island vacation with every bite!
Stewed chicken is a favourite amongst English speaking Caribbean islands. It is traditionally eaten with Rice and Peas (or peas and rice).
Though times are changing and with cultural trends taking a different direction, don't be surprised if the masses pair this with plantain.
I absolutely love Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken and other variants of island-style stewed chicken.
Yes I am being biased, but there's reason for me to be partial to my roots.
This chicken dinner is SO flavoursome, I promise you it will impress your guests. Heck, it's the most delicious stew chicken recipe you will ever make!!
What is brown stew chicken?
It is a classic Jamaican stew made with chicken, vegetables and a heavy amount of aromatic spices.
The end result is rich, braised chicken in what we like to call a yard-style gravy. Very similar to what is featured in its cousin recipe called Brown Stew Fish.
The name brown stew derives from the distinctive dark hue that's created from browning the chicken with brown sugar.
I cannot emphasize the importance of yielding that detectable dark brown colour. It's crucial for that wonderful deep coffee coloured gravy to accompany the browned chicken.
The taste is heavenly, it's not too spicy it's more of a generously seasoned dish with deep flavour thanks to the gravy.
Sunday would be the day that we would serve brown stew chicken, although there's no reason why you cannot make this any day of the week.
Like most dishes, each Caribbean island has their own variation and some people like to include potatoes and carrots. For now, I'll be showing you how to make it the Jamaican way.
It's very simple to pull off! Once you master this the first time, you'll be making this Jamaican chicken dinner all the time!
The importance of using browning
I do recommend preparing the chicken overnight and leaving it to infuse the flavours. To begin, we need to create the marinade.
It's a simple concoction that includes some homemade browning and coconut sugar.
Browning sauce is crucial to achieving that depth of flavour/colour, so make sure not to skip this step.
Browning is used for that rich, deep colour and it is NOT the same as burnt sugar, which yields a dark colour and subtle sweet note.
Coconut palm sugar is a low glycemic index sweetener made from 'tapping' the sap of the coconut palm tree I like to use this marinating the chicken.
This is by far more superior to the overly processed brown sugar, albeit expensive. Keep in mind it's nutritional properties are retained through its minimal processing.
The best type of chicken to use
Jamaicans typically favour using meat that is on the bone with skin. Some people use a whole chicken and chop it up into smaller pieces and stew that.
While others will use thighs, drumsticks or even wings.
Generally speaking, lean meat such a chicken breast isn't used because it doesn't brown very well and it tends to be quite dry.
I personally prefer to use chicken thighs because they have a good amount of meat and give off a lot of flavour when cooked.
You can of course, remove the skin prior to serving to make the recipe leaner, if you want to.
Is brown stew chicken spicy?
No, it's not at all. Instead it will generously seasoned, mild and flavoursome. Even with the use of hot sauce, it gives it a very very mild kick which complements the dish.
You can of course, add a scotch bonnet or two, if you want a flaming hot brown stew chicken dinner.
The preparation
This recipe is very straight forward and a favourite of mine might I add. I have tweaked the recipe a little by adding a video and updating the pictures to make it more current.
The chicken needs to be washed and blotted dry. As explained in my other Caribbean recipes, this is a requirement and a cultural norm.
I have a post showcasing how to clean/wash meat and why we do it which I have posted the link to down in the "notes and tips" section.
Once the chicken is blotted dry, it's time to season the meat. I now add the dried version of onion granules, garlic granules, all purpose seasoning, coconut sugar, pink salt, black pepper and my homemade browning sauce.
This makes a signature dark rub that is used to permeate the meat. For best results, it is better to cover the meat with plastic wrap and let it marinate overnight however several hours works too.
When it comes to cooking the chicken, traditionally the chicken is fried in a generous amount of oil and seared.
I skip this step by roasting it in the oven which drastically cuts out the use of oil.
Oven roasting the chicken yields a nice crispy brown exterior and juices from the chicken.
I recommend saving some of the chicken juice/drippings and using it for the stew, it will only enhance the taste even further.
The foundation ingredients - onion, garlic, ginger, scallion, bell peppers are sauteed until soft.
Then the remaining ingredients are added - pimento berries, thyme, tomato puree (I don't use tomato ketchup), hot sauce and splash of browning and the drippings.
When adding the water, it is very important to use HOT WATER, this will help to retain the temperature levels and keep the chicken nice and succulent.
The chicken is carefully added to the skillet, I like to keep the chicken resting on top of the base ingredients, although you can baste it a few times with the gravy.
Allowing the chicken to braise for at least 30 minutes is essential as this gives enough time for the flavours to meld and develop quite nicely.
As always, please do a taste test prior to removing from the stove, the majority of the time you will need to add additional black pepper and pink salt.
The steps
- Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl along with the onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, pink salt, all purpose seasoning, coconut sugar and browning sauce.
- Rub the entire marinade into the chicken, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (preferably) or for several hours.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Place the chicken on the baking tray, ensuring they are spaced out and not overcrowded.
- Roast the chicken for 25-30 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy, turning half way through.
- Once browned, remove from the oven and set aside (reserve the drippings).
- In a large frying pan or skillet, heat the olive oil on medium heat.
- Add the onion, scallion garlic, ginger and bell peppers and saute until soft and translucent.
- Add the pimento, thyme, tomato puree and hot pepper sauce, stirring and folding the entire contents.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved drippings along with the hot water to the frying pan (add a splash more browning, if you want to).
- Carefully lower the chicken into the pan using tongs.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with the lid and allow to slowly simmer for 30-40 minutes to form a rich brown gravy (check the pan to see if any oil is suspended on the surface. If so, skim this off with a spoon). Add ½ cup of hot water, if you want to increase the amount of gravy.
- Do a taste test and add additional pink salt and black pepper to taste.
- Remove the thyme sprigs before serving.
Boneless, vegan and slow cooker options
Looking for alternative ways to make this dish? No problem.
If you make this chicken thigh version of brown stew chicken using a slow cooker or crock top.
You don't really need to tailor the recipe too much to accommodate this method.
Though, you will need to slow cook the recipe for 4 hours on the "high" setting. You can also make an optional slurry using 2 tablespoon of water to 1 tablespoon of starch.
Add this slurry 45 minutes before the finishing time.
I already, have a slow cooker version of this recipe using boneless chicken thighs! Here is the recipe link.
If you want to make this recipe on the stovetop using boneless chicken thighs.
Follow the instructions and sear the meat on the stovetop using 2 tablespoon of olive oil instead of roasting it in the oven.
Since boneless chicken thighs are skinless and doesn't need crisping up, the stovetop works best.
The chicken will need to be removed from the skillet once seared and then the base ingredients are cooked as per recipe instructions below.
I also have a veganised version for all of my plant based readers, trust me this one is a must try! Please check out my Jamaican Jackfruit Stew recipe.
Notes and tips
- I recommend making this recipe for homemade browning sauce. If you are short on time, a good store-bought brand is Grace which is labelled as "Browning". Note that browning sauce is not the same as Worcestershire sauce.
- The longer you marinate the chicken for the deeper the flavour and better the taste.
- You can prepare the base ingredients and season the chicken the day before to save time.
- Feel free to use chicken stock, but the stew is so flavoursome that you won't need it.
- DO A TEST TASTE! Very important to do a test test as you go along.
- You can use any type of chicken for this recipe but chicken thighs are highly preferred.
- You can trim the chicken skin off after you have braised it to reduce fat levels further.
- You can freeze the chicken in a freezer friendly container for up to 3 months.
- Any leftovers can be stored for 2 days in the refrigerator.
- If you are using store bought browning then you will need 1-11/2 tsp as it more concentrated and bitter then my homemade version.
- If you cannot find pimento berries, use ¼ teaspoon ground allspice instead.
- I substituted tomato ketchup for tomato puree, which doesn't compromise the taste at all.
- Use hot water to keep the temperature consistent - a slow simmer will create a deep, enriched brown gravy.
- Feel free to use dried thyme if you can't buy it fresh.
Serving suggestions
More chicken recipes to try
- Jamaican Chicken Soup
- Jamaican Brown Stew Turkey Neck
- Jamaican Curry Chicken
- Jamaican Curry Beef
- Jamaican Coconut Curry Chicken
- Caribbean Stewed Fish
- Jamaican Curry Goat
- Jamaican Oxtail Stew
- Ninja Air Fryer Whole Chicken
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Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
To marinate the chicken
- 6-8 chicken thighs (roughly 2lb-2½ lbs) washed and cleaned as instructed in the post
- 1 tablespoon onion powder (7g)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder (8g)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (2g)
- 1 teaspoon all purpose seasoning (2g)
- 2 teaspoon pink salt (12g)
- 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (1.25g)or use raw organic cane sugar
- 3 tablespoon browning sauce (45g)only use this amount if using my homemade version, use 1-1½ teaspoon if using store bought
For the yard style gravy
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (14g)
- 1 medium sized onion chopped
- 3 medium-sized scallions chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tablespoon ginger (3.5g)minced
- ½ red bell pepper chopped
- ½ green bell pepper chopped
- 1 tablespoon pimento berries (15g) or ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 6 sprigs of thyme (16g) tied together or ½ tablespoon dried
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree (4g)
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (4g)
- 2-3 tablespoon chicken drippings (28g)optional
- a splash of browning
- 1½-2 cups hot water (355ml)
- additional black pepper and pink salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl along with the onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, pink salt, all purpose seasoning, coconut sugar and browning sauce.
- Rub the entire marinade into the chicken, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (preferably) or for several hours.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Place the chicken on the baking tray, ensuring they are spaced out and not overcrowded.
- Roast the chicken for 25-30 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy, turning half way through.
- Once browned, remove from the oven and set aside (reserve the drippings).
- In a large frying pan or skillet, heat the olive oil on medium heat.
- Add the onion, scallion garlic, ginger and bell peppers and saute until soft and translucent.
- Add the pimento, thyme, tomato puree and hot pepper sauce, stirring and folding the entire contents.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved drippings along with the hot water to the frying pan (add a splash more browning, if you want to).
- Carefully lower the chicken into the pan using tongs.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with the lid and allow to slowly simmer for 30-40 minutes to form a rich brown gravy (check the pan to see if any oil is suspended on the surface. If so, skim this off with a spoon). Add ½ cup of hot water, if you want to increase the amount of gravy.
- Do a taste test and add additional pink salt and black pepper to taste.
- Remove the thyme sprigs before serving.
Notes
- I recommend making this recipe for homemade browning sauce. If you are short on time, a good store-bought brand is Grace which is labelled as "Browning". Note that browning sauce is not the same as Worcestershire sauce.
- The longer you marinate the chicken for the deeper the flavour and better the taste.
- You can prepare the base ingredients and season the chicken the day before to save time.
- Feel free to use chicken stock, but the stew is so flavoursome that you won't need it.
- DO A TEST TASTE! Very important to do a test test as you go along.
- You can use any type of chicken for this recipe but chicken thighs are highly preferred.
- You can trim the chicken skin off after you have braised it to reduce fat levels further.
- You can freeze the chicken in a freezer friendly container for up to 3 months.
- Any leftovers can be stored for 2 days in the refrigerator.
- If you are using store bought browning then you will need 1-11/2 tsp as it more concentrated and bitter then my homemade version.
- If you cannot find pimento berries, use ¼ teaspoon ground allspice instead.
- I substituted tomato ketchup for tomato puree, which doesn't compromise the taste at all.
- Use hot water to keep the temperature consistent - a slow simmer will create a deep, enriched brown gravy.
- Feel free to use dried thyme if you can't buy it fresh.
Nicholas Cox says
Hello, I’m looking forward to cooking this delicious recipe. I’ve already made the brown sauce in preparation now. Just need to wait for time off work to cook the stew. Thank you.
From Bath uk and then home to Haile Selassie
Charla says
Aww that's wonderful to hear Nicholas. You won't be disappointed, I promise!
Nicholas Cox says
I cook a lot of Jamaican Caribbean food as my stepfather was from Saint Elizabeth Jamaica Plus, I make pepper sauce thank you for your reply
Tara says
Such a fantastic and comforting stew Charla! I absolutely love all those flavors from the spices.
Charla says
Thank you so much Tara
Shantay says
Really delicious recipe. Seasoned to perfection. Thank you.
Charla says
Thank you Shantay.
Kushigalu says
What a flavorful and delicious recipe to try. Thanks for sharing.
Charla says
Thank you!
Ned says
Not only did this recipe make my kitchen smell amazing, but it also tasted incredible! Thank you for this yumminess!
Charla says
You are very welcome Ned.
Kate says
This was utterly delicious! I love all of the spices and the rich gravy. Just heaven!
Charla says
Thanks Kate
TJ says
OMG...I used whole wings and was only able to let the chicken marinate for 6hrs I also added shredded carrots for a bit more color..BUT...My 8yr old doesn't really do meat but with this recipe she had 3 whole wings and wanted more but I didn't cook enough for that..This is a must keep kid friendly meal for the picky eaters..I served it over yellow rice with sweet peas and dinner rolls.
Charla says
Hi TJ. No problem! You are more than welcome to modify the recipe to suit. I'm just glad that your 8 yr old enjoyed the recipe too. It
s always a win when I hear that my recipes are child friendly too.
Tayo says
Hi I was wondering what type of black pepper you use, the one you grind from peppercorns or the one that comes like a fine ground powder. Thanks
Charla says
Hi Tayo. I use coarse ground pepper. It's not a powdery more like a coarse grain to be precise.
Atena says
I am not sure what is browning sauce.
Charla says
Browning sauce is made from cameralised/burnt sugar and water. Jamaicans use this concoction to yield that brown colour when cooking meat. Here is the recipe link in how to make it from scratch https://thatgirlcookshealthy.com/homemade-browning-sauce/
Li says
Hi Charla, I'm making this in thr slow cooker, would you still say to use 2 cups of water ?
Charla says
Hi Li, I would advise that you start with 1 cup and have another cup on water on standby. I hope that helps!!
SHANIKA says
Now this reminds me of the old days when I would have my aunt's Jamaican stew chicken! This looks amazing! Yum!
Charla says
Thanks Shanika
Jemma says
This became my most cooked recipe
in lockdown, so thank you! Delicious every time 🙂 xxx
Charla says
I'm sooooooo glad you liked this recipe Jemma.
Marwin Brown says
I want a bowl, plus the leftovers!
Charla says
Coming up!!
Immaculate Oniyere says
Jamaican stews have always been a fave, love the spice mixtures with just the right hint of sweetness. Absolutely lush
Charla says
Thank you!!
Immaculate Ruému says
Jamaican stews have always been a fave, love the spice mixtures with just the right hint of sweetness. Absolutely lush!
Charla says
Thank you! Glad you are a fan 😉
Jazz says
This turned out wonderfully! Another delicious recipe.
Charla says
Thank you!
Edwina Nicholls says
Followed your recipe to the letter. Made my own browning from your recipe and also your Jamaican steamed cabbage to go along with. It was absolutely delicious. Had a amazing depth of flavour and the smell roaming through the house on a snowy winter day smelt lush.
Made with a mixture of chicken thighs and breast meat(using up freezer finds) it fell of the bone, the peppers are sweet and the gravy is amazing.
Charla says
Hi Edwina, Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and the pictures of the recipe that you shared with me on Instagram.
s.w. says
absolutely delicious, my family loved every bite....thanks so much. Looking forward to trying your other recipes!!
Charla says
Thank you so much. I'm sooooo glad your family loved the recipe. You should try the Haitian stewed chicken, it's equally as tasty!
Tanya says
I grew up eating brown stew chicken. This recipe looks delicious and I love that you baked it. You are bringing back some great memories for me with this recipe.
Charla says
Thanks Tanya. Glad it brings back some good memories too.
Shawntell says
This looks so yummy
Charla says
Thanks Shawntell
JAYNE RAIN says
I am sure this would be a Hit in my home. Hands down AMAZING!!! Give me some rice, I am hungry. Thank you!
Charla says
Thank you!!
Miss D says
Hi -
I made this recipe today. It was a huge hit! I haven’t had Caribbean food since going gluten and refined sugar free a few years ago. And I’ve never made Caribbean food — only dined out. I really missed the flavors and decided that I would have to find brown stew recipe that fit all of my criteria.
I came across this recipe and your browning sauce too. Made both! My husband and I both had seconds and I have enough left over for dinner tomorrow. I also sautéed cabbage and made jasmine brown rice and black beans. Next time I will make plantains too.
The taste and flavors and aroma were everything I was missing! I will most definitely be adding the brown stew recipe to my repertoire.
Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Charla says
Hi Miss D, Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. I'm glad to hear that you and your husband loved the brown stew chicken along with the browning sauce.
Kim says
Can you tell me how long to cook in the crockpot after browning the chicken in the oven please?
Charla says
Approximately 3-4 hours should be fine.
1happyhomemaker says
Thank you for the amazing recipe! I made it for dinner and it was super yummy!!!mine didn't thicken as much so it was a bit soupy but loved flavourful broth! ?
Charla says
Hi there. I love when my readers provide positive feedback. Glad you enjoyed the chicken, if you want the stew to thicken up some more mix about 1-2 tsps of tapioca starch and simply add that to the pan, it's perfectly neutral and won't disturb the flavour
Rachel says
Hi I'm looking at making this but I was wondering about the hot pepper sauce, for some reason I can't find the recipe for it.
Charla says
Hi Rachel, there is no recipe for hot pepper sauce. You can buy it from any Caribbean supermarket. It's not absolutely essential, only adds a slight kick.
Carla A. says
Charla, I am so happy I have found your website! I loved this recipe. The browning sauce with coconut sugar adds an amazing taste with so little to add to the recipe. I had a hankering for baked beans one day and used your browning sauce. Wow! I used Northern Beans, sauteed onion and red bell pepper, just a few drops of browning sauce, ketchup (sugar free), maple syrup (just a few drops - I guess molasses could be used), onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and a little of "Slap Ya Momma" spice. Whew!
I look forward to making your other recipes.
Charla says
Hi Carla. Thank you for your feedback so glad you liked the browning sauce and yes it's so diverse, you can make endless recipes with it. I look forward to receiving more feedback from you.
Ceil says
Hi Charla,
I don't know where I went wrong with the browning sauce recipe, but once I added the water to the sugar syrup, it hardened quickly,,,Despite this failing, the chicken still turned out decent.
Wishing you even more success in 2017, I'm highly looking forward to the release of your cookbook this summer.
Blessings,
Ceil
Charla says
Hi Ceil. I'm sorry to hear that. Let's see if we can remedy it for next time. Did you ensure that the sugar completely dissolved before adding the water?
Ceil says
Hi Charla,
I'm positive that the sugar had completely dissolved...does it matter whether I use hot or cold water?
I used cold...
Have a wonderful day. 🙂
Charla says
Hi there Ceil.
Yes the water would make a huge difference to the end result. I'm almost certain that using cold water was the culprit. Next time when making browning sauce I would suggest using hot water so the sugar does not harden due to the cold temperature level. The water needs to remain warm/hot at all times in order for the sugar to turn into a smooth syrup.
Ceil says
Thanks so much, Charla! I'll heed your advice...Your sorrel is currently being steeped. I was pleasantly surprised to see sorrel at the supermarket earlier this week. I'll be in touch again tomorrow with the outcome.
Until then, keep well.
Charla says
Looking forward to the feedback as usual Ceil
Rose says
Hello,
I was hoping to give your recipe a go today as it looks and sounds delicious! I was wondering about the browning sauce, could you please tell me the ingredients for this and how to make it.
Thanks a lot 🙂
Rose
Charla says
Hi Rose. I actually submitted a separate recipe for the homemade browning sauce. You can find it here https://thatgirlcookshealthy.com/how-to-make-homemade-browning-sauce
Rose says
Thanks Charla! 🙂
Thankfully I found your browning sauce recipe the same day on Google and made the stew chicken. It was one of the best stew chickens I've tasted! I've made it twice already! 🙂 The only thing I did different was remove the chicken skin as it can add quite a bit of fat to the recipe. Thank you for this tasty & healthy recipe, it's a keeper! 🙂
Best Wishes,
Rose
Charla says
Loving the feedback, so glad you enjoyed my brown stew chicken recipe.
Lyndsey R. says
I HAVE GOT to try this!! Man this looks so amazing. I can smell it now.
Charla says
I promise you will be amazed, do let me know if you try this wonderful chicken dish.
Lu says
Hi, this looks great but can I substitute these exact steps with fish instead?
Charla says
Yes, that would be brown stew fish instead. Both recipes are very identical to one another so it should turn out just fine.
Blessing Amadi says
Hi Charla,
Do I triple the amount of ingredients if i'm using 18 pieces of chicken?
Thank you for this recipe.
Charla says
Hi Blessing. Yes, I would strongly advise that you triple the ingredients to ensure the flavours are still bold.
Richard says
Thank you for this simple but oh so delicious recipe.
Charla says
You are very welcome
Kyle says
How long can you leave it for once cooked?
Charla says
Hi Kyle, store the cooked chicken in a container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days maximum. You can also freeze any of the remaining pieces of chicken, just make sure to defrost before use.
Jeffrey says
Can I make the brown chicken in a crockpot
Charla says
Yes Jeffrey. This is a crockpot friendly recipe ;).
Tara says
Y put sugar what do it gives it
Charla says
Hi Tara, the sugar is used to help caramelise the meat and add flavour. This is a very popular technique in Caribbean cooking, it adds a lovely rich brown hue as well as enhances the taste.
Westly says
Do you have to use tomatoes? I cant eat any, so can i use something else to substitute it? Also what are pimento balls?
Thanks!
Charla says
Hey Westly, Tomatoes do create a rich base for the sauce. I think you might be able to get away with pureeing a small amount of red bell peppers instead, that should be a viable substitute.
Pimento balls derive from the Caribbean/Mexico, they have a sweetish aroma and provide some warm to your dish. It's also known as allpsice you can purchase it in ball or powder form. You should be able to pick some up from Amazon or an ethnic supermarket. I hear you can make a replica using clove, nutmeg and cinnamon. I need to research this more before submitting the formula on my blog.
Christie says
This looks delicious! I think pimento balls would be called allspice berries in the States?
Charla says
Thank you. Yes pimento and allspice berries are the exact same thing.
Tastesspicy says
Hmmmm looks yummy. I do love a good Stew Chicken Caribbean style!
Charla says
Thank you, it's a favourite for me too.
Immaculate says
You've got it going on girl! Can never turn down a plate of brown stew chicken- The flavor combination is finger licking good! Love it!
Charla says
Thank you!