Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe
Brown Stew Chicken is a Jamaican classic where chicken is cooked in a browning sauce and veggies. This delicious stew is best enjoyed with coconut rice or mashed potatoes.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
To Make The Marinade
- 2 pounds bone-in skinless chicken 1 kg, cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces. Use 1 pound (500 g) if using boneless.
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons mixed fresh herbs I used basil, parsley and sage
To Make The Browning Sauce
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup warm water
To Make The Gravy
- ¼ cup oil
- ½ cup diced onions
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup sliced green bell pepper
- ½ cup sliced red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
Marinate The Chicken
- Mix the chicken with white vinegar and wash it with water. This step removes any extra smell from the chicken. Wipe the pieces dry using a paper towel.
- Add the chicken pieces to a large bowl. Add salt, ground black pepper, chicken bouillon powder, minced ginger, and minced garlic, and mix well with the chicken.
- Cover the bowl with a lid and refrigerate for at least an hour or better overnight.
Make The Browning Sauce
- Add light brown sugar to a small, light-colored skillet and cook on medium-low heat until it melts and turns dark brown. Stir continuously using a silicon spatula to ensure the sugar doesn’t scorch.
- The sugar goes from perfectly browned to burnt in just a few seconds. So be very careful at this step.
- Once the sugar has melted and become slightly darker, add 1 cup of water in a thin stream and keep mixing well until all the sugar dissolves in the water. Remove the pan from heat and keep it aside.
Make The Gravy
- Heat oil in a large cast-iron pot over high heat. When the oil is hot, arrange the marinated chicken pieces in the pot in a single layer.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes on high heat until the chicken is nicely browned on the bottom. Then, flip the pieces using tongs and cook for another 2-3 minutes so that it browns well on the other side as well. Remove the browned chicken to a plate.
- Add onions, garlic, green pepper, and red pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add ketchup and hot sauce, and cook for another minute. Add the browning sauce we made earlier and the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. If using store-bought browning sauce, use ¾ cup of it.
- Add salt and stir well.
- Now add the browned chicken pieces to the pot and mix everything.
- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is tender.
- Check for salt and pepper and add more if required.
- Serve hot.
Video
Notes
Don’t use your best pan to make the browning sauce. The pan might get some stains while burning the sugar which won’t go later.
You can add more hot sauce if you like spicy.
Make sure to bring the refrigerated chicken to room temperature before frying to avoid seizing (getting dry).
Nutrition
Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 1305mg | Potassium: 497mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 81IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg
