This Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe is a one-pot meal that is full of bold flavours and so hearty that you will feel like you are in the Caribbean. You can either marinate the meat, cook it in a slow cooker or follow the stovetop technique. Either method results in a tasty chicken dish.
If you have never tried a Caribbean curry, more specifically Jamaican curry chicken dish then you are in for a treat.
The flavours are quite bold with the overall meal being quite hearty.
There's a combination of rich chicken stewed with potatoes making it a filling dish for the entire family.
This recipe is the big sister to a number of Caribbean curry dishes that I already have on the blog, so it is guaranteed not to disappoint.
Unlike many Jamaican recipes, it's not overly complicated with some of the work being carried out during the preparation stage.
What is Jamaican curry chicken?
Curry chicken is a Jamaican dinner that is made from chicken that is stewed with potatoes (known as Irish potatoes or white sweet potatoes can be also used) and sometimes carrots are included too.
There are 2 ways that you can prepare this recipe;
- To marinate the meat with the seasoning
- To "burn the curry" powder in oil and sear the chicken then add the rest of the ingredients.
The ingredients that are used include - ginger, all purpose seasoning, black pepper, curry powder, onion, scallion, garlic, thyme, pimento and water.
Like many dishes, some people don't use all-purpose seasoning, a hint of ginger and allspice (pimento berries) and may use alternative ingredients instead.
Tomatoes and coconut milk aren't used in traditional curry chicken. Although I do have another recipe post with a version containing coconut milk.
My family make our curry chicken by seasoning the meat and leaving it to marinate (usually overnight).
Then we "burn the curry", sear the chicken, add the scallion, onion and garlic. Add the thyme, pimento berries and hot water and leave to simmer for a short period time before adding the potatoes.
The dish is usually served with white rice, rice and peas or turn cornmeal.
What does "burn the curry" mean?
This is exclusively Caribbean terminology which is used when the curry powder is adding to hot oil and cooked for a few minutes before adding any of ingredients.
You aren't actually burning the curry at all, instead, you are simply cooking the curry to help release the aroma and yield more flavour.
This method contributes to that deep hue of the curry sauce with some people even saying it helps to aid digestion too.
Burning the curry is a method that many island people do but others sometimes omit it.
I personally do it most of the time but there have been times (i.e in the video) where I have forgotten to do it and the results of the recipe are still fantastic.
It is a recommended but not a crucial step.
The type of chicken to use
There is no right or wrong chicken to use for this curry dish. Many Jamaican use assortment of meat that is typically on the bone.
This includes; wings, thighs, drumsticks, legs, a whole chicken chopped up and so fourth.
Chicken breast isn't really used because it tends to be quite dry however, boneless chicken thighs are often used instead.
I personally like to use chicken thighs on the bone (skin trimmed) because they are juicy and not too fatty with a good portion of lean meat.
In terms of leaving the skin on or off, this is debatable. Some people take it personal and get highly offended if the skin is left on, where others don't mind some skin.
The skin is typically trimmed or completely removed. Depending on who I am cooking I either trim it off or remove it all.
In the end, you are the person who is eating the dish so I believe you should prepare it how you want to.
The preparation
This curry dish is incredibly easy and very simple, yet tasty! However, every Jamaican curry starts with the perfect curry powder.
YOU MUST USE JAMAICAN CURRY POWDER! Don't just use regular or Indian curry powder because the results won't be the same.
Our Caribbean powder has a unique taste and this is due in part to the higher ratio of turmeric, use of pimento, nutmeg, cinnamon, thyme and scotch bonnet.
You can use my homemade version or a store bought one, if you want to do so.
For this recipe, you are adding the bulk of the ingredients when you are marinating the meat.
I add the dry ingredients first (in no particular order) the curry powder, all purpose seasoning, black pepper and ginger.
Then I follow up with the scallion, garlic and onion, some people add the vegetables separately and leave them for when the chicken is being seared but for this recipe in particular I usually add them with the dry ingredients.
I personally like to marinate the meat overnight (wrapped in a bowl and refrigerated) or at least several hours so the flavours can meld the chicken (that's very important).
Once the chicken is ready, I leave it to rest for a few minutes so its room temperature and then proceed to "burn the curry" in oil for a few minutes.
You can use a dutch pot or a large saucepan like I'm doing, as pictured, as long as it's non stick.
When searing the meat, don't rush this process, when the chicken extracts it's own juices, continue to sear the meat until the excess liquid is absorbed into the meat.
This will help to enhance the flavour and colour of the meat. I cannot emphasize how important is to NOT rush searing.
This is the part of the recipe that will make or break it, so please heed my advice!
I then add the remaining ingredients - onion, scallion and garlic and follow up with thyme (which I like to tie together as it is easier to remove the stems), pimento berries and hot water.
I add the sweet potato around 10 minutes into the simmering stage and some pink salt, to taste, just do a taste test and add accordingly.
You shouldn't need to add any thickener as the potato will help to thicken the gravy.
The steps
- Add the washed chicken to a large bowl and use a fork to pierce the flesh of each piece of chicken. This helps the seasoning to better penetrate.
- Sprinkle on the Jamaican curry powder, all-purpose seasoning, ginger, black pepper along with the onions, scallions and garlic.
- Use your hands to thoroughly work in the seasoning, cover with saran wrap (cling film) and refrigerate overnight or for a few hours.
- On medium heat, add the oil to a large pot/dutchpot
- Add the 1tbsp of curry powder to the pan and proceed to cook it for about one minute until fragrant.
- Scrape off the excess seasoning (i.e onions, scallions and garlic) and place the chicken pieces into the pot, being carefully to not overcrowd.
- Proceed to seal and sear the both sides of the chicken until brown (the chicken will extract its own juices, be sure to cook this off as this will help to enhance the taste by locking in the flavour).
- Once the chicken is seared, stir in the onions, scallions and garlic and saute until translucent.
- Add the sprigs of fresh thyme, pimento berries and stir the pot.
- Pour in the hot water, then bring to a rolling boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes
- Add the sweet potato and pink salt, to taste, stir, then simmer for another 20 minutes.
- Add a splash of water if the gravy reduces too much and/or becomes too thick.
- Remove the thyme stems before serving.
The slow cooker method
- Marinate the chicken with the curry powder, all purpose seasoning, black pepper, ginger, onion, scallion and garlic.
- Leave to infuse overnight or a few hours in the refrigerator (wrap the bowl with saran/cling film)
- Scrape off the excess seasoning from the chicken.
- Add the oil to a pan on medium heat and 1tbsp of curry powder and proceed to "burn the curry" until fragrant.
- Sear the chicken until brown then add the garlic/onion/scallion and saute until soft and translucent.
- Transfer the chicken etc.. to your crockpot/slow cooker,.
- Add the pimento, thyme and 1 ½ cups of hot water.
- Cover with lid and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
- Add the potatoes 45 minutes before the finishing time and make a slurry with (1tbsp tapioca starch and 2 tablespoon water) mix together then add that to the unit.
- Add pink salt to taste and serve.
Notes and tips
- This dish isn't incredibly spicy, I don't add scotch bonnet so it's not crucial if you don't have any to hand.
- Feel free to add carrots as well as potato if you want to.
- You can add the potato at one time (see YouTube video) if you want to instead of adding them after 10 minutes (this is optional)
- If you want to try this recipe using coconut milk be sure to check out my most popular recipe called Jamaican Coconut Curry Chicken.
- Any leftovers can be stored in a container in the refrigerator (when cool) for up to 3 days.
- This is freezer friendly recipe, freeze for up to 3 months.
- When searing the meat, don't rush this process, the meat will extract it's own juices, cook this liquid off as it will help to enhance the flavour and colour of your curry.
- If you want the gravy to thicken some more then cook for longer than 20 minutes (30-40 minutes) or mix 2tbsp of tapioca starch with 2tbsp water together and stir it in.
- For best results, I highly recommend marinating the chicken with the curry and other listed ingredients overnight. This gives the spices plenty of time to penetrate the chicken, making it tastier.
- If you are pushed for time, marinate the meat for a few hours instead.
- When adding the water, make sure to use hot water to keep the temperate levels consistent.
- Scrape off any of the excess seasoning (i.e scallion, onion) before searing the chicken or the little bits will burn.
- Don't add the potatoes too early or they will breakdown too quickly. We want them to thicken the gravy, but not completely breakdown.
- I used Jamaican sweet potatoes, but you can use any other white potato or even orange sweet potatoes.
- Feel free to use any part of the chicken - chopped drumsticks, wings,
- As per Caribbean culture, meat is cleaned with lemon/lime/vinegar prior to seasoning.
- Use 1 tablespoon dried thyme and ¼ teaspoon allspice if you can't obtain fresh thyme or pimento berries.
Serving suggestions
- Callaloo
- Cassava Dumpling
- Brown Rice
- Rice and Peas
- Curried Roast Potatoes
- Green Banana
- Mixed Vegetables
- Roast Breadfruit
- Jamaican Steamed Cabbage
Other curry dishes to try
- Caribbean Coconut Curry Salmon
- Jamaican Curry Shrimp
- Slow Cooker Curry Goat
- Curried Chickpeas
- Caribbean Pumpkin Curry
- Caribbean Curry Sauce
- Broad Beans Curry
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Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken (907g) chopped into small-medium pieces
- 3 tablespoon Jamaican curry powder (18g)
- 1½ tablespoon all purpose seasoning (7.5g)
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger (0.5g)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (2g)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 scallion sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (28g)
- 1 tablespoon curry powder (8g)
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried
- 8 pimento berries or ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup hot water 250 ml
- 1 medium sweet potato or 2 small ones, chopped
- pink salt to taste
Instructions
- Add the washed chicken to a large bowl and use a fork to pierce the flesh of each piece of chicken. This helps the seasoning to better penetrate.
- Sprinkle on the Jamaican curry powder, all-purpose seasoning, ginger, black pepper along with the onions, scallions and garlic.
- Use your hands to thoroughly work in the seasoning, cover with saran wrap (cling film) and refrigerate overnight or for a few hours.
- On medium heat, add the oil to a large pot/dutchpot.
- Add the 1tbsp of curry powder to the pan and proceed to cook it for about one minute until fragrant.
- Scrape off the excess seasoning (i.e onions, scallions and garlic) and place the chicken pieces into the pot, being carefully to not overcrowd.
- Proceed to seal and sear the both sides of the chicken until brown (the chicken will extract its own juices, be sure to cook this off as this will help to enhance the taste by locking in the flavour).
- Once the chicken is seared, stir in the onions, scallions and garlic and saute until translucent.
- Add the sprigs of fresh thyme, pimento berries and stir the pot.
- Pour in the hot water, then bring to a rolling boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes.
- Add the sweet potato and pink salt, to taste, stir, then simmer for another 20 minutes.
- Add a splash of water if the gravy reduces too much and/or becomes too thick.
- Remove the thyme stems before serving.
For the slow cooker version
- Marinate the chicken with the curry powder, all purpose seasoning, black pepper, ginger, onion, scallion and garlic.
- Leave to infuse overnight or a few hours in the refrigerator (wrap the bowl with saran/cling film)
- Scrape off the excess seasoning from the chicken.
- Add the oil to a pan on medium heat and 1tbsp of curry powder and proceed to "burn the curry" until fragrant.
- Sear the chicken until brown then add the garlic/onion/scallion and saute until soft and translucent.
- Transfer the chicken etc.. to your crockpot/slow cooker,.
- Add the pimento, thyme and 1 ½ cups of hot water.
- Cover with lid and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
- Add the potatoes 45 minutes before the finishing time and make a slurry with (1tbsp tapioca starch and 2 tablespoon water) mix together then add that to the unit.
- Add pink salt to taste and serve
Notes
- This dish isn't incredibly spicy, I don't add scotch bonnet so it's not crucial if you don't have any to hand.
- Feel free to add carrots as well as potato if you want to.
- You can add the potato at one time (see YouTube video) if you want to instead of adding them after 10 minutes (this is optional)
- If you want to try this recipe using coconut milk be sure to check out my most popular recipe called Jamaican Coconut Curry Chicken.
- Any leftovers can be stored in a container in the refrigerator (when cool) for up to 3 days.
- This is freezer friendly recipe, freeze for up to 3 months.
- When searing the meat, don't rush this process, the meat will extract it's own juices, cook this liquid off as it will help to enhance the flavour and colour of your curry.
- If you want the gravy to thicken some more then cook for longer than 20 minutes (30-40 minutes) or mix 2tbsp of tapioca starch with 2tbsp water together and stir it in.
- For best results, I highly recommend marinating the chicken with the curry and other listed ingredients overnight. This gives the spices plenty of time to penetrate the chicken, making it tastier.
- If you are pushed for time, marinate the meat for a few hours instead.
- When adding the water, make sure to use hot water to keep the temperate levels consistent.
- Scrape off any of the excess seasoning (i.e scallion, onion) before searing the chicken or the little bits will burn.
- Don't add the potatoes too early or they will breakdown too quickly. We want them to thicken the gravy, but not completely breakdown.
- I used Jamaican sweet potatoes, but you can use any other white potato or even orange sweet potatoes.
- Feel free to use any part of the chicken - chopped drumsticks, wings,
- As per Caribbean culture, meat is cleaned with lemon/lime/vinegar prior to seasoning.
- Use 1 tablespoon dried thyme and ¼ teaspoon allspice if you can't obtain fresh thyme or pimento berries.
Monika says
Best curry chicken dish!!! I make it at least once a week now. Quick, easy and delicious. Thank you
Charla says
Thank you so much Monika.
E. Blair says
I just finished eating this and let me just say, my bowl is CLEAN. I've been craving curry chicken for some days now and I almost didn't make it today because I have no potatoes! I ended up using yucca instead. Otherwise I followed your recipe and it tasted like mom's. I was so nervous to make this but it's so good I'm impressed with myself haha. Thank you so much for an awesome recipe!
Charla says
You are very welcome.
Matt says
I really want to try this recipe, but I don't have easy access to Jamaican curry powder or the means to make my own. However, I noticed the curry powder that I do have has much of the same ingredients, among a few others (Coriander, Fenugreek, Turmeric, Cumin, Black Pepper, Bay Leaves, Celery Seed, Nutmeg, Clove, Onion, Ginger, and Red Pepper). Do you have any suggestions for how I could approximate a Jamaican curry powder using the one that I already have? My initial thought was mixing 3 tablespoons of it with an additional 2 teaspoons of turmeric and 1 teaspoon of allspice, but am curious to hear your thoughts on it.
Charla says
Hi Matt, I don't think you will need to add any additional turmeric to the mixture since you already have some in your own curry powder but I would any of the missing ingredients. If allspice is the only missing ingredient then one teaspoon (assuming it is ground) should suffice. I hope that helps!
Matt says
I finally got around to making this and it did not disappoint! I added the one teaspoon of allspice to my curry powder as you suggested, and I ultimately did sprinkle in a small amount of additional turmeric during cooking as the color wasn't as yellow as I wanted. I had some issues with my chicken not releasing its juices, so I had to add a little water to prevent it from burning, but besides that everything went without a hitch. Thank you for this simple and tasty recipe!
Charla says
Hi Matt, I'm so glad you liked the recipe and tweaked it to suit. I hope you make more of my recipes, If you haven't tried it already I recommend my Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken.
Kim says
This looks so interesting! I'm excited to give it a try. My daughter is a huge fan of anything curry.
Charla says
She will enjoy this!
Casey says
So yummy! This was a winner in my house! I'll definitely be making this one again!
Charla says
Thanks for the positive feedback Casey
chenee says
This was so hearty and tasty. I think that burning the curry was the secret trick to making it so delicious!
Charla says
It definitely is Chenee
Kathleen says
I'm all for a hearty, comforting, flavor packed, one-pot meal like this delicious Jamaican curry chicken.
Charla says
I totally agree Kathleen.
Suja md says
I just love this and this was such a pleasing experience!
Charla says
Thank you so much.
Louise says
Me and my partner LOVE this. We have it every week. The best curry I’ve ever had by a mile! Beautiful! Brilliant recipe.
Charla says
I'm so happy to hear that and thank you for your feedback.
Xavier says
Hi. Where is the Jamaican curry powder recipe ?
Charla says
Hi Xavier, it's in the post (a few paragraphs down) but I will post it here for your convenience Jamaican Curry Powder
John says
This was delicious. One thing I noticed is unlike the photos, mine was a deep brown color. This seemed to be due to how the color of the Jamaican curry powder darkened dramatically once I added it to the hot oil. Should I have added it before the oil got hot? Anyway, it didn’t taste burnt or any the worse for the color change. Just curious.
Charla says
Hi John, thank you for your wonderful feedback. When I made the actual recipe for the website, I accidently missed that step which is why your curry will be darker than the pictures. You definitely didn't do anything wrong, as long as your timing for "burning the curry" and adding the chicken is perfected then you will continue to get a delicious tasting curry chicken. If you haven't already I recommend my Coconut Curry Chicken recipe, that's like the big sister to this one!
Kiks says
Hi ! This looks amazing ! I am used to eating chicken drumsticks with bone. I hope it come out good.I am trying the slow cooker, since it’s collecting dust. I shall let you know how it went.
Charla says
Hi there. No problem! I have just moved the slow cooker instructions to the recipe card which will make things much easier for you.
Shanice Richards says
Can this work with boneless skinless chicken thighs? If so should i still brown the meat first? I want to make in my slow cooker so should i still cook on high for 4hrs if i cut up the chicken thighs AND browned them?
Charla says
Hi Shanice. To slow cook the chicken you might want to follow how I made my slow cooker Jamaican Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe here is the link This recipe covers how I use boneless thighs, yes brown them first and cook for 4 hours, add the sweet potatoes 45 minutes towards the end and use 1 1/2 cups of water. However you may need to mix a slurry (1tbsp of starch with 2tbsp water) when adding the potatoes to thicken the curry.
Jarissa says
Just made this for movie night with friends and it turned out amazing! Everyone loved it and I followed the recipe almost exact except I accidentally purchased bone-in/skin-on chicken thighs. So I had to improvise a little. After simmering the chicken for the 20 min with the sweet potatoes, I noticed the chicken wasn’t finished. To avoid mushy potatoes, my boyfriend and I picked them out and simmered the chicken for about another 20 min. Afterwards, the chicken was so delicious and flavorful. Thanks for the recipe!
Charla says
Hi Jarissa. I'm so glad that you enjoyed the recipe and made adjustments where needed. I absolutely love when couples and parents reach out to me and make my recipes. Thank you!!
Jan T says
Delicious! Made this twice. Followed the recipe as written.
Charla says
You are more than welcome Jan.
Kathy says
Hi Charla, do you cover the chicken for the last 20 mins or simmer uncovered?
Charla says
Hi Kathy. The chicken should simmer with the lid on.
Chloe Edwards says
I absolutely love this recipe!! My grandparents make such delicious Jamaican home cooked food but they never made curry chicken this way. I wanted to get a recipe I could make for them so I tried this one. Its brilliant! Everyone loves it. Quick, simple and delicious!! I just used normal sweet potato the second time I made it as I couldn't get white and was fab and I always do it with coconut rice and dumplings, delish! Made Nana G proud!
Thankyou!!
Charla says
Hi Chole. Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. Also, I'm so glad I made nana G proud too.
Johanne says
Thank you Charla. Almost ready to eat. It smells wonderful in the house on this snowy day. I almost feel like I'm on vacation.
Charla says
You are very welcome and please save me a plate at your dinner table.
Shaswati Patra says
I love chicken dishes. I am a Indian and love cook cooking. I always want to explore new recipes and cuisine from all over the world and make it in my own kitchen.. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your recipe with us..
Charla says
You are welcome
Emese says
Never had Jamaican curry before, but I am now bookmarking this recipe
Charla says
Thank you!!
David says
We eat a lot of Indian curry chicken here, this is motivating me to mix it up and try Jamaican style! Pinned...
Charla says
Yay! Another convert.
Danielle says
I am sooo ready to travel to the Carribean now that I don't need to leave my house with this absolutely amazing chicken recipe. 🙂 I just need to buy the right chicken for it, and I am good to go!
Charla says
Thanks Danielle. I hope you enjoy the recipe. You can use any chicken pieces to make this recipe.
Sylvia Price says
just tried this recipe and absolutely loved it. Thank you for putting this on tried others but this one is the best
Charla says
Thank you Sylvia
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
I love flavourful dishes such as this! I'm definitely going to make this for my husband and I!
Charla says
Thanks for the love Bintu. I hope yourself and hubby enjoy this one.
Jeannette (Jay Joy) says
I live in Tonga and it is FULL of Indian curry. However, I miss the real Jamaican curry so much!!!
Charla says
Thanks Jeannette!! I love both Indian and JA curry