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6 chicken thighs stewed in gravy
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Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe

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!
Course Main
Cuisine Jamaican
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 849kcal
Author Charla

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 brought

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 849kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 333mg | Sodium: 1469mg | Potassium: 907mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1436IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg