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Brown stew chicken
Jamaican browned chicken stewed with peppers, onion and thyme in a glossy dark gravy
Ask a Jamaican what was on the table for weekday dinner growing up and brown stew chicken will be near the top of the list, served at home and at every cookshop from Montego Bay to Spanish Town. The deep colour comes from 'browning': sugar caramelised in hot oil until it is dark, then the seasoned chicken is turned in it so every piece takes on a mahogany coat. Peppers, onion, tomato and thyme simmer down into a sticky, savoury gravy that begs for a pile of white rice, rice and peas or boiled dumplings. Chef's tip: season the chicken the night before and dry each piece well before it goes into the caramel; wet chicken spits violently and won't take on that deep brown colour.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 ⅝ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticksskin removed if you like
- 1 limejuiced
- 1 onionsliced
- 3 spring onions (escallion)chopped
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
For the stew
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 red peppercut into strips
- 1 carrotsliced
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- ½ scotch bonnet pepperdeseeded and chopped
- 1 ¼ cups hot water
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rinse 2 ⅝ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks with 1 lime juice and water, then pat dry. Rub with 1 onion, 3 spring onions (escallion), 4 cloves garlic, 5 sprigs fresh thyme, ½ tsp ground pimento (allspice), 1 tsp paprika, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Step 2: Scrape the onion and herbs off the chicken and keep them. Pat the chicken pieces dry with kitchen paper.
Step 3: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over a medium heat and sprinkle in 2 tbsp dark brown sugar. Let it melt, bubble and foam until it turns very dark brown and just starts to smoke, about 2–3 minutes. Common mistake: walking away now; it goes from dark to burnt and bitter in seconds.
3 minStep 4: Carefully add the chicken (stand back, it will spit) and turn the pieces in the caramel for 8–10 minutes, until browned all over.
10 minStep 5: Add the reserved onion and herbs, 1 red pepper, 1 carrot and ½ scotch bonnet pepper and cook for 3 minutes, stirring.
3 minStep 6: Stir in 2 tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato ketchup and 1 ¼ cups hot water. Bring to the boil, cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for 25–30 minutes, turning the chicken halfway.
30 minStep 7: Uncover and simmer for 5–10 minutes more until the gravy is thick and glossy. The chicken is done when it reads 165°F/165 °F at the thickest part near the bone and the juices run clear.
8 minStep 8: Take off the heat, rest for 5 minutes, remove the thyme stalks and serve with rice or boiled dumplings.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does brown stew chicken take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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