Y’all this Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken recipe just hits different. I start by marinating the chicken with spices and herbs in a browning sauce liquid overnight. Once the flavor has really gotten in the meat, I sauté then braise in a delish sauce until it’s super tender. It creates a flavorful stew once done. This recipe was adapted from my Jamaican friend who is also a chef so you know this recipe is a straight up hit. Served over rice and peas with some fried plantains, this dish is straight up Caribbean comfort. Get into it boos.
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How To Make Brown Stew Chicken
Marinate the Chicken
Step 1: Combine onions, scallions, garlic, brown sugar, browning sauce, thyme, paprika, ginger, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper in a gallon-size plastic storage bag. Add the chicken and massage the marinade into the chicken, tossing well to evenly coat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
Step 2: Seal the bag and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and lay them on the baking sheet. Pat off excess marinade with paper towels. Set aside for a few minutes. Reserve marinade.
Sauté Chicken then Braise in Sauce
Step 3: Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Working in batches if needed, add the chicken to the hot oil.
Fry the chicken, turning it occasionally, until deep golden brown on all sides.
Step 4: Stir in the stock, reserved marinade, carrots, tomatoes, ketchup, allspice and bay leaves once all chicken pieces are golden brown.
Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 5: Remove the lid and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender and the sauce has reduced by half.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove bay leaves, and garnish with chopped scallions.
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Brown Stew Chicken Recipe
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I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 bunch of scallions chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp browning sauce
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme chopped
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken pieces
- 3 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 2 carrots sliced
- 1/2 cup ripe tomato chopped
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 3 dried bay leaves
- Rice and Peas recipe found here
Instructions
- In a gallon-size plastic storage bag, combine onions, scallions, garlic, brown sugar, browning sauce, thyme, paprika, ginger, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken and massage the marinade into the chicken, tossing well to evenly coat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 hrs or overnight.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and lay them on the baking sheet. Pat off excess marinade with paper towels. Set aside for about 10 minutes. Reserve marinade.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Working in batches if needed, add the chicken to the hot oil and fry, turning it occasionally, until deep golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
- Once all chicken pieces are golden brown, stir in the stock, reserved marinade, carrots, tomatoes, ketchup, allspice and bay leaves.
- Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and reduce the heat to low. Once heat is lowered, cover again and cook until the chicken is very tender and the sauce has reduced by half, about 45-50 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves.
- Serve the chicken with rice and peas recipe which you can find HERE
Notes
How To Store & Reheat Brown Stew Chicken
After cooking, allow the chicken to cool to room temperature. Transfer the stew into an airtight container. This helps to maintain its moisture and flavor, and also prevents it from absorbing odors from other foods in the fridge. They best way to enjoy reheated leftovers is to warm them on the stovetop. Heat over medium until warmed through. if the stew seems too thick, add a little water or broth to thin it out slightly. How Long Will Brown Stew Chicken Last In The Fridge? You can safely store your leftover stewed chicken within 3-4 days. Can I Freeze Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken? Yes! Brown stew chicken freezes well. Once cooled, store in a freezer safe airtight container. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Marinate Well: Do not marinate for less than 2 hours. Overnight is best for the most flavor.
- Use Fresh Herbs: Fresh thyme and other herbs will give you more flavor than dried ones.
- Simmer Slowly: This makes sure the chicken tenderizes instead of getting tough. Don’t boil.
Recipe Help
Yes! The brand suggested for this recipe is the Grace brand which is labeled as “Browning”, but if you want to make your own, all you need is cane sugar and a pinch of salt. Start by gently melting the sugar in a skillet until it gets a deep, rich brown color, then add a dash of salt to balance the sweetness, and that’s pretty much it. Homemade browning sauce in a jiffy!
More Jamaican-Inspired Recipes
- The BEST Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe!
- Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Recipe
- Jamaican Beef Patties
- Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
- Ackee and Saltfish
- Saltfish Fritters
- Curry Goat
- Jamaican Black Cake
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
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My sauce was super watery and didn’t reduce much; maybe that’s the way it was supposed to be, but I thought it would be thicker since it’s a stew. After the 45 minutes on low, I took the chicken out and cooked the liquid down for another 20 minutes or so. Maybe I had the temperature too low? But, the flavor was excellent, and I’m going to attempt to do this again. And, we definitely prefer the chicken with the skin on! Oh, and I added a habanero pepper (whole, uncut) for a little kick!
I’m just replying to my comment from yesterday. I had to add that this tastes AMAZING on the second day. I saved some for leftovers for lunch. Wow! Even better tasting than yesterday. Next time, I might just make the whole dish a day in advance, LOL! Will definitely make this again.
Just simmer it for longer I simmer it for around 2 hours it’s best for the tender chicken and also the jerk gravy is nice and thick and the longer you simmer the more marinated the flavours are but if you want it done fast just mix in a bit of corn starch to thicken it
This recipe is fantastic! Thank you for sharing!
Great recipe. Delicious! What a nice treat! The fusion of spices, herbs and seasoning in Caribbean cuisine is undeniably unique and distinct. This dish is a smooth blend of exotic flavors that will be enjoyed by the even the most timid of palates. Do not be afraid to try it. Since I live in South Florida, there was no problem finding Grace Browning in a local supermarket. I used skinless, boneless chicken thighs which I marinated overnight as suggested. I prepared this recipe as written, but I chose to cook it in a large electric skillet rather than a pot or Dutch oven. After the simmer, I removed the chicken to a covered casserole dish while I reduced the sauce which I then I poured over the reserved chicken. I served this dish with the Jamaican Rice and Peas recipe posted on this site (see my comment there). We have vacationed in Jamaican a number of times in the past and this meal was like taking a virtual trip there.
Note to Jocelyn:
One the the directives in the recipe – “Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil, about 10 minutes” – was sort of confusing. I was not sure if this meant that it would “take about 10 minutes to come to a boil” or if it meant that the mixture should be “brought to a boil and maintained for 10 minutes” before reducing the heat to a simmer. I compromised and brought it slowly to a boil which I maintained for a minute before reducing the heat.
Where do you get browning sauce from please?
If you don’t see in your local grocery, I have found it at Amazon honestly.
Publix.
I have made this so many times my whole family love it it’s the best recipie I’ve found for brown stewed chicken thankyou 🙂
This is one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life. And easy to prepare too. Thank you so much!
Amazing! The whole family loves this recipe! It’s now a staple in my house
Perfect for my finicky husband. He rarely compliments but he did on this dish. I did add a tablespoon of instant potatoes to thicken it just a bit
Used this recipe multiple times now and me my partner and 1 year old daughter love it! And my partner is so picky with his brown stew chicken so this is a big win for us!
Just made this tonight for the first time I wanted to try something new it’s so good! I mixed kidney beans in with it , thank you for the recipe