Brown stew chicken is a popular Jamaican chicken dish. Chicken is stewed until bone tender in a stew with a deep rich color and bold flavors. If you love Jamaican food, you will love this brown stew recipe. It's a great alternative to oxtail stew, which is another classic Jamaican stew, because it's quicker and will be least expensive and easily accessible for a weeknight meal. Similar stews like this is pollo guisado which is a Puerto Rican stewed chicken.
Brown Stew Chicken Ingredients
Chicken- You can use a whole chicken for this recipe but I used the dark meat, chicken legs and chicken thighs. Skin on is preference but I prefer skin off because I don't like the skin of chicken in stews. I leave the bone in because that is more flavor.
Scotch Bonnet Pepper- If you can not find this hot pepper, another you can use is a habanero pepper. Do not slice, leave it whole.
Browning Sauce- Used in a lot of Jamaican recipes with stews and gravies. Also helps with the brown color like in jerk chicken.
Warm Spices- Perfect for stews there are seasonings like ginger, allspice, and black pepper. There is also brown sugar, paprika, thyme, and bay leaf.
Let's Make This Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe
In a large mixing bowl, add chicken pieces, green bell pepper, chopped onions, green onions, garlic cloves, all the spices, and browning. Combine well so that the chicken is fully coated in the marinade. Set for at least 30 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, making sure not to have the vegetables attached the to the chicken. Keep the marinade to the side.
Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Brown the marinated chicken for 2-3 minutes per side then remove. Cook in batches to not over crowd the pot.
Lower to medium heat and add reserved marinade to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Scrap the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add chicken broth, ketchup, bay leaf, and scotch bonnet to the pot and sir to combine.
Place the browned chicken pieces into the pot and bring the stew to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and cover cooking for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the lid and continue to cook for 10 minutes to reduce the rich brown stew gravy.
Serve with white rice or rice and peas as shown.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- Jamaican Oxtail Stew
- Jamaican Rice and Peas
- Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties
- Jamaican Curry Chicken
- Caribbean Jerk Chicken
Jamaica Brown Stew Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 skinless chicken drumsticks
- 4 skinless chicken thighs
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp browning
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 green onion sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add chicken pieces, green bell pepper, chopped onions, green onions, garlic cloves, all the spices, and browning. Combine well so that the chicken is fully coated in the marinade. Set for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, making sure not to have the vegetables attached the to the chicken. Keep the marinade to the side.
- Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Brown the marinated chicken for 2-3 minutes per side then remove. Cook in batches to not over crowd the pot.
- Lower to medium heat and add reserved marinade to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Scrap the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add chicken broth, ketchup, bay leaf, and scotch bonnet to the pot and sir to combine.
- Place the browned chicken pieces into the pot and bring the stew to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and cover cooking for 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove the lid and continue to cook for 10 minutes to reduce the rich brown stew gravy.
- Serve with white rice or rice and peas!
Video
Jamaican Queen says
Though you have some of the ingredients correct and some of the procedures. It's better to say that this is your take on the Jamaican Dish but this is not typically how Jamaicans make their "brown stew chicken." It was a good attempt though. I see where you definitely put in a lot of effort.
Itaira says
Yes it is definitely my take on it. Thanks for the feedback!