Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

A perfect stewed chicken dish packed with Carribean flavors – Jamaican brown stew chicken. Easy to make and certainly a crowd-pleaser at any dinner table!

If you are from Jamaica, have family in Caribbeans, or visited the place, you most definitely fell in love with the food, the blends of spices, the perfectly cooked meats, and just the abundance of colors and textures in one plate.

Even though I’m not Jamaican, I know a thing or two about cooking! My trick to make Jamaican brown stew chicken is to let it marinate in spices and browning sauce overnight. It will make a huge difference, I guarantee.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic Caribbean food for Sunday dinner, packed with flavors. One of the best chicken stews I cooked, according to my family.
• A great recipe for big family gatherings, as it makes 8 hearty portions.
• It will be great for weekly meal prep too.
• Excellent choice for those who love the heat! As it comes in hot and spicy.

Ingredients Notes

The main components of the dish are chicken, marinade, and stew. They are all simple and easy to work with ingredients.

Detailed measurements and cooking steps are in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Chicken Marinade

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs. Dark meat will hold its moisture better than white meat for this recipe. Both bone-in and bone-out are fine, as well as with or without skin. Authentic Jamaican brown stew chicken recipe uses the whole chicken, we can use chicken legs, breasts, and even chicken wings will work!
• Dark brown sugar
• Fresh thyme. If you can’t find fresh, use dried thyme.
• Browning sauce is technically caramelized brown sugar that, as you can guess, helps us brown stew chicken. You can buy it or make your own with some cane sugar and salt. Browning is definitely what adds even more flavor to the chicken and it is a signature ingredient for Jamaican food.
• Seasoning: garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground allspice, ground ginger, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Stew

• Avocado oil. I use avocado oil to sear the chicken but you can use olive oil too.
• Onion. You can choose yellow or white onion, both work great.
• Bell pepper. You can use any color you like or all of them! Plus, they add sweetness and balance out the spicy peppers.
• Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers
• Minced garlic cloves
• Brown sugar to balance out any bitterness browning sauce may have and bring out all the other flavors.
• Chicken broth or chicken stock. Low sodium is fine to avoid using too much salt in the dish.
• Tomato paste doesn’t just add tomato flavors, it helps to thicken the gravy.
• Bay leaves
• Sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)

Kitchen Equipment

• Dutch oven
• Mixing bowls
• Plastic wrap for storage

How To Make Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

1: Marinate The Chicken

1. Combine the chicken with the brown sugar, thyme, browning sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, allspice, ginger, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Rub the seasoning all over the chicken to thoroughly and evenly coat it. Cover the bowl and marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge, preferably overnight.
3. An alternative way to marinate is to simply use a zip-top bag, load everything in it, and massage the chicken pieces to make sure they are all coated.

2: Sear The Chicken

1. The next day, transfer the chicken from the bowl to a plate or a baking sheet and pat dry any excess marinade with paper towels.
2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
3. Once hot, add the marinated chicken – searing until golden brown. It should be around 3-5 minutes on each side in the hot oil.
4. Remove the browned chicken and set it aside on a plate. Leave any juices or bits in the pot.

3: Start The Stew

1. Add the onions, bell pepper, scotch bonnets (or habaneros), and garlic to the Dutch oven and saute until the veggies are tender and the onions are translucent.
2. Stir in the chicken broth, tomato paste, and two teaspoons of brown sugar.

4: Add Chicken & Cook The Brown Stew Chicken

1. Add the chicken back to the pot along with the bay leaves, and stir to coat the chicken in the sauce.
2. Bring the pot to a low simmer over medium-low heat. Cover with the lid and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You should have the stage of the rolling boil – between simmering and boiling but not boiling.
3. Stir and then simmer uncovered for 45-60 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally. Check the thickness of the sauce – it will reduce and thicken as it simmers.
4. You can stop cooking sooner if the sauce thickens to your desired consistency faster than expected. If the gravy doesn’t thicken, you can open the lid and let it simmer uncovered.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with a side of white rice and beans or with rice and peas to keep it traditional. I would fry some plantains too.
• If you don’t like rice, serve Jamaican brown stew chicken with mashed potatoes.

Make sure to remove thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and allspice pimentos (if you didn’t use the ground one), before serving. You can remove the spicy peppers too.

Storage

Cool to room temperature before storing. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheat on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave with some stock to loosen up the gravy.

You can freeze Jamaican brown stew chicken for 3 months. Let it cool and transfer it to an airtight container to freeze.

Substitutions & Variations

• Scotch bonnet pepper and habanero pepper have a similar heat level. If you can’t find scotch bonnets at your local grocery store then habaneros are a great substitute! Cayenne pepper (fresh or powder) is a good option too.
• You can add dry jerk rub to the marinade.
• Extra peppers, carrots, diced tomatoes, and bell peppers can be added to bulk up the stew.
• You can make Jamaican brown stew chicken in a slow cooker with a saute or sear function. It will take just a few hours (4-5 on high or 7-8 on low)
• You can add some of the reserved marinade and dark soy sauce back to the stew for extra flavor.
• Change up this flavorful stew with spicy pepper, various spice blends, chopped onions, or even pimento berries.

If you love this comfort food dinner recipe, you’re going to love these other recipes made in the Dutch oven too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Stew Recipes

Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

Instant Pot Beef Stew

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