Trinidad Chicken Roti- An incredible chicken meal that would excite your taste buds. Rich in spices, chickpeas and potatoes – So easy to make and comes together quickly.
I am not going to deny that I somewhat have a love affair with Caribbean food. You name it, Jamaican curry chicken, Coconut buns/Cakes, Caribbean potato salad, salt fish fritters, not to mention Jerk Chicken, there is no denying it.
Can you believe I love Jerk Chicken so much that I have created three versions of it- Oven, Slow cooker and grilled? I could seriously live off all these tantalizing meals for the rest of my life. However, it would not be complete without throwing this Chicken Roti into the mix.
Out of all the Caribbean meals I have tried and cooked, this Roti Chicken is by far my favorite to date.
If you truly love Caribbean food then this is a must make! And if you don’t, you still need to make it. Think healthy butter chicken, spiced up, without the copious amount of butter. Did I get you excited?
Oh Chicken Roti, How do I love thee? I wish I was eloquent enough, as a poet, to pay homage to you, but when it comes to chicken roti my mouth is full …with chunks of spicy goodness….You need to experience the spontaneous joy that this dish elicits. Hubby can’t fathom my obsession with Caribbean food. But this orgasmic chicken made him fall head over heals. 
He pretty much ate the whole thing in one sitting and was at a loss for words. The only thing that came out of his mouth was, “this is the best meal I have eaten in six months”. Really? Since then it is now part of our meal rotation. Give it a try!
I usually add hot sauce and paprika (I love paprika) – to give it a slightly red color. I did not include this in the spice mix – only the heat seekers should go ahead with this procedure.
You may serve with roti , rice or paratha featured here
Enjoy!
Chicken Roti
Ingredients
Chicken Marinate
- 2 1/2 -3 pounds chicken skinned thighs cut in bite-sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
Chicken Roti
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 Teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh or dried thyme
- 1- teaspoon cumin spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2-3 tablespoon curry powder
- 1- teaspoon ground nutmeg spice
- 1 can of chickpeas drained
- 1- tablespoon bouillon chicken powder
- 2 cups of cubed potatoes
- ½-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1- teaspoon white pepper.
- 3-4 cups chicken broth/water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Place chicken in a large bowl or sauce pan
- then add salt, garlic, thyme, white pepper and curry powder
- Mix chicken with a spoon or with hands until they are well coated, set aside in the fridge and marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.
- When ready to cook, heat up large sauce-pan with oil, and add onions, garlic, thyme, cumin spice, all spice, smoked paprika, nutmeg and curry powder, stir occasionally for about 2-3 minutes until onions is translucent.
- Then add chicken, stir and sauté for about 2-3 more minutes. Add chicken stock if necessary to prevent any burns
- Next add chickpeas, chicken bouillon, potatoes, cayenne ,white pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and let it simmer until sauce thickens, it might take about 20-30 minutes.
- Adjust for salt, pepper and thickness with more more broth.
Nutrition Information:
Jeff B says
Amazing!! My 4 year old absolutely loved it! He wants it in his lunch tomorrow as well. Thank you for posting!
ImmaculateBites says
Great! Thanks for the feedback.
Natasha Collier says
This recipe was brilliant, thank you!
Gena says
This was delicious. Perfect chicken roti recipe I will continue making it!
ImmaculateBites says
YESS!Thanks so much.
Sandra Brown says
This is the first review I’ve ever given…. Mostly because I’m never really wowed, and I have to tweak. If I have to tweak, is not good. This was bang on. It had flavor, it had texture, and not one complaint. We’re a hard bunch to please. If anyone tells you they had to tweak it, they’re nuts! Fabulous recipe! Knocked it out of the park!
ImmaculateBites says
Thats’s so sweet of you. Thanks so much.
C says
Just wanted to say thank you for this recipe. I always come back to it. My wife and her parents were blown away the first time I made it for them. It is a staple in our household.
ImmaculateBites says
Glad to hear this . Thanks for taking time out to share this with us .
Kat says
So I made this during the summer, and it was indeed the best thing I’d eaten in months. However…I have to wonder, is it really meant to be 1 WHOLE teaspoon of nutmeg? I had an incredibly unpleasant reaction following eating this curry (INTENSE physical anxiety/fast heartbeat), and later looked up that 1-3 tablespoons of nutmeg is considered toxic and possibly fatal. I split this curry with only one other person, and even half a teaspoon of nutmeg resulted in a pretty bad time for me.
ImmaculateBites says
Yes it is .I make it all the time . Always remember that recipes are a guide – adjust spices or takeout as needed.
Monica M Avila says
There is a Trinidadian place in town that makes a version of this with beef. Could beef be swapped out for the chicken in this recipe? If so, what cut of beef do you suggest using? And would the spice ingredients and measurements remain the same?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you can make that swap. I would use stew beef , cook until tender. Adjust liquid as needed. Hope this helps.
Marguerite says
Recipe looks great but no instructions for making the actual roti skin
Irie Mon says
I’m guessing you didn’t read through the entire article. She has a direct link to making the roti https://www.africanbites.com/paratha-buss-shut/
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Irie! Appreciate you taking time out to provide the link.
Carolyn Scott says
Very yummy , my family loved it
ImmaculateBites says
Glad to hear this.
AshleyD says
This was delicious! Very authentic. Next time I’ll add a little fresh ginger. Thanks!!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for the feedback.
Mikey says
This meal was one of the recipes that I went to heaps years back when my cooking skills were still finding their feet. I was searching through the site for something to use with chicken, lo and behold it came back to me.
Happy to say it is just as good as it always has been. It struck that right level of spiciness, the chicken was tender, plus substituting sweet potato in there adds another dimension.
Thumbs are up.
Steve says
Thank you for this recipe! It is flavoured just how I wanted it and I will be coming back for this recipe whenever I want a good roti filling!!
I found that the liquid was very watery in consistency and not at all thick, even after I cooked it for over 30 mins and added cornstarch. Do you have any recommendations? I want to be able to fill up some roti bread without a mess.
Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Steve, you might have to cook it longer in order to achieve the thick consistency you desire. About 15 minutes more .
Larissa says
Hi there! I was wondering what hot sauce you add and how much you add to make it spicier as you mentioned. As well, how much paprika would you add?
Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
You can use any hot sauce you have on hand. I have used a variety and they all work.
Mikey says
I would personally suggest “Valentina”.
Trena Bennett says
Making this now. Smells so good. Going to put over rice instead.
ImmaculateBites says
Sounds delicious :)!!
Dave says
I only discovered rotis about a year ago, but my wife was born and raised here in South Africa, where they are quite common. Finding allspice was a bit of a mission but we managed to get some whole berries we could grind. We were both thrilled with how this recipe turned out. It’s pungent, spicy, and delicious. Exactly what we were craving and as good as any roti we’ve had. We’ll definitely make this again!
ImmaculateBites says
Fantastic!! I am glad you went to the trouble of finding allspice. It really does make this dish extra special. Thank you for the feedback, Dave!
Sophie says
It’s rare that I find a recipe that pleases the whole family (all with very different palates) but this one is a winner! Great balance of flavours. I’m only familiar with Malaysian chicken roti (Caribbean cuisine is rare in New Zealand) but this recipe is equally delicious.
You must eat it with traditional roti bread!
ImmaculateBites says
That’s a win in my book. Thanks for letting us us.
Maggie says
It was delicious – My husband loved it! – but it turned out more curry- coloured than the lovely reddish colour in your photos. Just wondered – what you added to get that darker colour?
Maggie says
Wanted to add a huge thank you for this recipe… it is definitely a keeper and my husband asked if it could go on regular meal rotation! (He said like -every other day! lol. We wrapped it up in chickpea Roti- so tasty- and my kitchen smelled just heavenly!
ImmaculateBites says
Wow, wrapped in chickpea Roti, that must have been Delicious!!! No wonder your husband has taken a liking to this dish :). Thank you for stopping by, Maggie.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome!! I am so glad you loved it, Maggie. As for the reddish color, it is probably the paprika :).
Jim says
Awesome! I was hesitant to believe this was the real deal. 10 years ago I had Roti in Barbados and never had it again but always remembered it and looked for it. Couple weeks ago I was craving that taste I remembered so well and came across this. Wow. Just wow. Super authentic from what I can tell. Making again tomorrow. Going into the dinner rotation. Ate wrapped in roti we bought from the local Bazaar. Thanks so much!
ImmaculateBites says
Fantastic! I am so glad you loved this recipe, Jim :). Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this feedback.
Trina_IIX says
Love this recipe, it turned out soooooo flavorful and soooooo good! My first time trying roti and the smell while it was cooking was fantastic. Delicious, thank you for sharing! I added a habanero pepper in the step with the onions to kick up the heat. Served over rice…. will keep this recipe in the dinner rotation for sure. ♥️ all of your recipes I’ve tried so far… thanks again!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome!!! I am thrilled this was a hit with you, Trina! Thanks for the feedback!
Tim says
Amazing! I don’t have access to the west Indian food in TO, because I don’t live there anymore. But this recipe is the real deal! A tad too much oil for my taste, but the spice profile is perfect!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for the feedback!
Ron says
Fantastic recipe, its my new favorite meal.
I make it for a meal and before the afternoon is out I have to hide a bowl or Ill not have any for my dinner.
Thank you very much.
Ron
Ron says
I followed your recipe to the letter but some how its a bit thin, is there a way to thicken it up a little bit? I have been simmering it for 35 minutes to thicken it but its not working for me.
Thanks
Ron
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Ron. Just keep simmering for a few more minutes and it will thicken. Thanks for stopping by!
Daniel says
I find if that happens just mash some of the potatoe and chickpea and its helps thicken it up.
Andrea Grantham says
This is absolutely delicious! Thank you so much!
Celine says
My friends and family will literally place orders with me when they know I’ll be making this curry and buss up shut. It is no joke, it is that good! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Imma says
You are such a good person to take their orders haha! This makes me very happy Celine, thank you for sharing 🙂
Angee says
I’m Guyanese so I usually cook our version of curry but I decided to try this one and it was amazing. I am blown away by all the flavors! I halved the recipe for fewer people, but I used the whole can of chick peas because I didn’t want anything to waste. I also only used 2 tbsp of oil because when I usually make curry that’s enough. After about 25 mins when the potatoes were soft and the chicken was cooked, I removed the solid ingredients to a serving dish and turned the heat up on the stove to reduce and thicken the liquid. It came out perfect! I love trying your recipes and experiencing different versions of familiar dishes.
Jason says
I made this, along with the buss up shut, yesterday and it was fantastic! I’ve lived in Trinidad and Guyana and have struggled to find any chicken and roti recipe that tastes authentic to the West Indies. This is the real deal! It was soo good and everyone who tried it loved it! So thank you for posting this 🙂
Imma says
Thank you Jason! I’m so glad you enjoyed 🙂
Jimi Charbonneau says
The best roti I’ve ever had hands down!
Alison says
This was amazing! Whole family enjoyed. First time visiting your site but will for sure be long back for more
Darlene says
Can I use regular paprika instead of smoked? I love your recipes I have made many of your recipes and they are also great.
imma africanbites says
Yes, you can. Enjoy!
Tomas says
How can I make this vegetarian? Have some Jamaican friends who don’t eat pork and beef and chicken. What’s a good replacement to make this vegetarian and still taste just as good? I used your recipe and it’s phenomenal. I’d love to share it with my friends in the future
imma africanbites says
Hi Tomas. I haven’t tried the vegan version for this yet, however, I’ve read online how others use potatoes and chickpeas to make it vegan. Hope this helps.
Josephine says
When you make this with the buss up shut, do you fill with chicken, then fold/wrap, and then you’re done? Is there anything else you do for the wrap version of this?
Sarah Davies says
Oh my goodness. Just made your chicken roti and it was the best i have ever tasted – not saying that because I made it but saying that because they was the tastiest that I have ever had. The recipe was perfect. I even added some hot sauce to it.
Tristan says
I love this recipe. I’ve tweaked a little each time I make it, yet the core recipe is the real deal. Wonderful .
Kathleen L. says
I made this, along with your buss up shuh paratha, for dinner last night and it was amazing! Totally made me think of all the times I was in Barbados. I will definitely be making this again and again and again.