Brown Stew Chicken – incredibly rich in flavor Jamaican classic stewed chicken that’s primarily sweet and spicy. So easy to make and it comes together quickly. Great for regular weeknights or when entertaining!
If you’ve ever wanted to make Jamaican food at home, you have to try this!
Now, where do I start? I am obviously going to tell you that this Jamaican Brown Chicken Stew is amazingly good, which they are.
I looooove spicy things in general (if you haven’t figured that out yet). I come from a background of spice lovers. That’s why I am so in love with this chicken stew. The aromatic blend of garlic, ginger, pepper, thyme, and green onions are one of my favorite spice blends.
It sort of reminds me of Christmas Eve – all the meat marinating that takes place. Believe it or not, you could smell the spice a mile away. You just want to get drowned with that smell wafting through the air. As for my family, they make the table right away (rice and other sides) so they can have their own chicken slices even before the pot of stew touches the table.
What is Brown Stew Chicken?
Words couldn’t describe best what makes this brown stew chicken a FAVORITE Jamaican classic. All I know is that it’s tender yet juicy; coated with aromatic spices and some vegetables in a lip-smacking good brown stew gravy seasoned mainly with a Caribbean household staple – browning sauce. And did I mention how good it smells? That distinct smell reminds you of weekend home cooking with mom.
What is Browning Sauce?
One of the major flavor enhancers of this chicken stew recipe is the browning sauce. It is a popular condiment in Caribbean households that is a blend of caramel color, vegetable concentrates, and seasonings. This sauce is mostly used on meat to deepen its flavor and to darken the broth in soups and stews. You can buy it in Caribbean Markets, Wal-Mart and even some supermarkets in prepared and dry gravy mix with brand names such as Gravy Master, Grace or Kitchen Bouquet.
What is a Substitute for Browning Sauce?
Don’t sweat it though, if you can’t really find it, you can easily make one at home. Simply mix 1/2 cup of brown sugar with 1 cup of water and cook it on low or medium heat until it turns nearly black. Remove from heat and add a teaspoon of beef or vegetable stock concentrate. Put it back on low heat while stirring until it’s thoroughly mixed.
What to Serve with Brown Stew Chicken?
Honestly, I couldn’t think of anything better than rice to serve with this easy and delicious Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken. But if you’d ask me how’s our dining table would look like when we have this chicken stew for dinner, here’s what I usually put on the menu:
- Caribbean Rice and Beans or this Coconut Rice
- Fried Plantains
- Steamed veggies
- Sorrel Drink (a must-have refreshment 😉)
- Rum Cake with rum glaze (’cause why not?)
Want to cook this in a slow cooker? Check out this slow cooker version HERE.
More Jamaican Recipes
- Jamaican Oxtail Stew
- Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge
- Jamaican Meat Pie
- Jamaican Jerk Chicken
- Jamaican Easter Spice Bun
- Slow Cooker Jamaican Curry Chicken
Here is another great chicken dish – Trinidad Chicken Roti. Get the recipe HERE.
How To Make Brown Chicken Stew
Pat dry the chicken chicken with paper towels. Place chicken in a bowl and season chicken with salt and pepper according to preference. Followed by the chicken bouillon powder, ginger, garlic, white pepper, thyme, paprika, and green onions. Thoroughly mix chicken with a spoon or with hands until they are well coated, cover tightly and set aside in the fridge. Marinate for about at least an hour or preferably overnight. When ready to cook, remove any particles from the chicken and reserve the marinate for later use .
Heat up a large pan (I used a 12 inch cast iron ) with about 2 tablespoons oil, and then brown the chicken about 3-4 minutes until chicken is a golden brown; remove and place on a plate. Drain any excess oil from the skillet and leave about 2-3 tablespoons of oil.
In the same pan, add onions, garlic, thyme, hot sauce, paprika, sugar, browning sauce, ketchup, bell peppers (if desired add some or all of the bell peppers towards the last 10 minutes of cooking), and salt to taste. Stir for about 2-3 minutes until onions is translucent. Add remaining marinate from the chicken. Deglaze pan with about ¾ cup of water, followed by ketchup, brown sauce and any remaining marinade from the chicken. Bring to a boil and return the brown chicken back to the pan.
Cover and cook for about 25 minutes, more or less or until chicken has been cooked through and no longer pink and sauce thickens, slightly. Adjust for salt, pepper and soup consistency. Turn off the stove, remove and serve with Caribbean Rice and Beans.
This post was first published in May 2014 and has been updated with a new recipe, photos, and additional write up.
Brown Stew Chicken - incredibly rich in flavor Jamaican classic stewed chicken that's primarily sweet and spicy. So easy to make and it comes together quickly. Great for regular weeknights or when entertaining!
- 1 3 1/2 - 5 pound chicken , cut in 10 pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon (2g) bouillon chicken powder
- ½ teaspoon (1g) minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon (5g) minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon (1g) white pepper
- 1 teaspoon (0.80g) fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon (1g) paprika
- 2 green onions , diced
- 2 tablespoons (28ml) or more canola oil
- 1 medium onion , diced (about 1 ¼ cups)
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced, garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon (4.7g) hot sauce sub chili sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon (3g) paprika
- 1 tablespoon (12.5g) brown sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons (5-10ml) browning sauce
- 2-3 tablespoons (32-48g) ketchup
- 2 small bell pepper , red or green, sliced
- salt and to taste
- 1-2 cups (237-474g) chicken broth/water
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Pat dry the chicken with paper towels.
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Then place chicken in a bowl and season with salt and pepper according to preference.
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Followed by the chicken bouillon powder, ginger, garlic, white pepper, thyme, paprika, and green onions. Thoroughly mix chicken with a spoon or with hands until they are well coated, cover tightly and set aside in the fridge. Marinate for about at least an hour or preferably overnight.
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When ready to cook, discard any excess particles from the chicken and reserve for later use. Heat up a large pan (I used a 12 inch cast iron ) with about 2 tablespoons oil.
Brown the chicken about 3-4 minutes until chicken is a golden brown; remove and place on a plate. Drain any excess oil from the skillet and leave about 2-3 tablespoons of oil.
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In the same pan, add onions, garlic, thyme, hot sauce, paprika, sugar, browning sauce, ketchup, bell peppers (if desired add some or all of the bell peppers towards the last 10 minutes of cooking), and salt to taste. Stir for about 2-3 minutes until onions is translucent. Add the remaining marinade from the chicken .
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Deglaze pan with about ¾ cup of water, followed by ketchup, brown sauce and any remaining marinade from the chicken. Bring to a boil and return the brown chicken back to the pan.
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Cover and cook for about 25 minutes, more or less or until chicken has been cooked through and no longer pink and sauce thickens, slightly. Adjust for salt, pepper and soup consistency.
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Turn off the stove, remove and serve with Caribbean Rice and Beans.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
So the review is better when you receive it from your family. So many rave reviews about this recipe. It was a huge hit with the men in the house. It compared to a Jamaican restaurant as being much much tastier.
Thanks Imma!
Thanks for this recipe. It was so tasty.
Hi, where can I get the browning sauce?
Thanks!
Most international markets carry it and depending on your area, some local grocery stores carry it as well. Grace and Kitchen Bouquet are great brands. Here is option Amazon that is great!
Hello
Can you please recommend a brand or recipe for ” Browning sauce”? Thanks
Oh my Atlanta! I had a gentleman from Jamaica who made this one night and have been obsessed with it ever since. I made the thus with homemade Johnny cakes and coconut rice for 3 grown and hungry men and they absolutely loved it! They were only upset they couldn’t have thirds! Thank you for this my love this is now a staple and I almost had three marriage proposals. I made your porkchops and those were loved just as much and have been requested for future birthdays! Thank you for bringing flavor and exciting new things into my home. I have been following you since 2016 and it’s was the best decisions I ever made! This is my go to website. Bless you and keep the goodness coming. Mwah!
Hi there
Made this tonight and it was terrific. Served it with the coconut rice with red beans. Garnished with slivers of sweet red pepper and green onion. Like a trip to the Caribbean on my plate! Much less complicated than other brown stew recipes I have tried, but full of rich flavor.
When it’s chicken and rice night, I come to your website first to find a recipe!
Thank you for all the kind words, Tamar! You’re always welcome here. 😉
Can you bake this instead of stewing on the stove?
Yes, you can . You might have to adjust stock/water , to desired consistency.
When do you add the chicken broth?
It’s listed in line 6 , together with the chicken.
Ms. Imma,
This was excellent. I tweaked it a bit by adding some more hot sauce and a little allspice, but the rest was all you. So tasty, and very easy to make. Thank you very much.
My pleasure Jim! So glad to hear it worked out well for you.
With 5 lbs of chicken thighs would your recommend doubling all other ingredients?
The only thing i wouldnt double was the browning sauce. when i doubled that ingredient the sauce came out waaaay too dark. (the flavor was still excellent but i dont think it affected it that much)
Imma,
This was the first recipe of yours that I tried and it is an absolute 5 star winner! It’s delicious! I searched for years for a good brown stewed chicken recipe. “Kissed a lot of frogs.”
Thank you for this. Always a hit for my family and with our guests.
YESSSSSS! Ditch the frogs Akilah! you have found your prince . Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
I had to let you know! By the way. My 5 star rating won’t show. Can I edit my post to show it?
Hi, are you supposed to cook the chicken with the bone still in?
Yes you are- boneless chicken works as well.
Thanks I had boneless thighs. I’m marinating now. Does the brown sugar go into the marinade or the stew? Thanks for responding.
It goes in the stew.
Was tired of making the same food over and over. Really glad i found your page. Tried this recipe with the jamaican rice and beans. Came out sooo good.
Thanks again. And keep doing what you do.
Fantastic! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with me .
Imma!
Thank you so much for blessing me and my family with this yummy meal. I have been meaning to add more meals from the African diaspora to our West African household. We all loved it as Sunday lunch. Once again, thanks!
My pleasure ! So happy to hear…glad you took the time to let me know. Hope you like the rest of the meals like you do this one.
becareful with Grace products many recalls just saw it while looking up something scary lead in seasonings
Hi Sherry! Thanks for sharing this with us.
The rice looks delicious also do you have the recipe for it as well
Thanks
Thanks! It’s right here https://www.africanbites.com/african-rice-and-beanswaakye/
Imma thanks a lot for ur help so far,I do appreciate.I tried the Caribbean rice & bean and it was tasty and delicious. I just want to cook browned chicken stew but don’t understand d hot sauce,what should I use to substitute hot sauce.
I just marinated the chicken and I’m going to leave it in the fridge over night but I have a few questions concerning this recipe.
Is the chicken bouillon omitted from the recipe or is it still apart of the marinade? It was in the ingredients but it wasn’t in the directions.
Was the brown sugar supposed to be added to the marinade or the stew? I see its in the stew ingredients but apart of the marinade preparation.
And am I supposed to put thyme in the stew? I saw it was there twice for both stew and marinade but it was only added to the marinade.
I apologise for so many questions I just want to do this perfectly because I LOVE brown stew chicken and I want it to come out perfect the first time. Please help! Thank you!
Hi Tasha, no apologies needed. I know…
Chicken bouillon is add on, you adjust to taste at the end. I definitely do include it in the marinade and also during the cooking process, it’s salty so go easy with it.
The sugar goes in the the stew and the thyme goes in the marinade and stew.
Happy Cooking!!!!
I made it! And it was DELICIOUS!!!! Thank you so much. I shall be making it again
YAY! Thanks for the feedback Tasha.
Can you use boneless chicken breast instead of thighs?
I don’t see why not. However, you have to adjust the cooking times.
And how about using coconut oil instead of canola? Do you think that’s a good choice? I recently purchased a jar and I’m eager to find something to use it with.
It would work just fine.
Thank you Imma for the amazing recipe!!! It is perfect! My family and I absolutely loved it. Thanks a lot for sharing 🙂
Glad you loved it Nathalie
This is THE taste Ive been looking for! It makes sense to do the sauce then add the browned chicken, very flavoursome & plenty of gravy for the rice which I love. Only things I did different was cooked down the chicken for about an hr so the gravy was thicker & richer. Served with steam veg – Yum! Thanks again, do you know how long Ive been Googling/Trying different recipes & this is THE one x
The ONE! You are AWESOME! Thanks for taking the time to comment, after googling for such a long time and so happy this is it!
Wow, This was really delicious, my family enjoyed it as well. This Brown Stew Chicken recipe is my favorite out of the few that I’ve tried so far. The chicken was season to the bone. It went great with the Carribbean Beans and Rice Thank you 🙂
Thanks for the feedback Milan. So happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Will definitely try dis. But can I make it without the brown sugar?
Hi Christy!You sure can.
I have been meaning to try other cuts of meat and/or protein. I will soon. How I wish I had the time to cook every day- just too much happening!!! Thanks once again for the feedback!
It’s a winner in our home!
I may try it with stewed beef pieces once I get a hang of these spices.
I cook daily so variety is necessary. I appreciate your blog. I wish I had the time to photograph my meals like you do.
Will definitely cook this for my husband tomorrow. Will reply afterward. Looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Gwendolyn. Can’t wait to hear what hubby thinks about it.
Best recipe ive come across in a long time. Im usually useless in the kitchen cooked this for family they all loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the glowing review – glad it was a hit with your family.
I just want to say that this recipe was so delicious.I have to say that it actually was better than all of the jamaican restaurants versions I had in the pass i love it ,ilove it I LOVE it…….Couldn’t believe I prepared it !
Better than Jamaican restaurants? Thanks Cassy, glad you loved it girl! It really is easy to prepare.
Hi can I make this with chopped up chicken instead of on the bone?
Yes you can.
This is a keeper- Super Flavorful!
add chicken cook for about 4-5 minutes until chicken has been fully cooked
Chicken doesn’t fully cook in 4-5 min did you mean 40-50 min?
Charles, recipe updated 4-5 minutes until fully brown.Thanks
Made this the same day I found this recipee! I have to say AMAZING!
I did not see bell peppers on the list of ingredients, but did see them in the pic. I added one of each to mine when I tried this. YUMMY!!!
Made this with your linked recipie for Creole Caribbean Rice and Beans. Just AMAZING!! I would eat it over plain rice too. It is really that good. And the rice could easily be a stand alone meal. Thanks for the unexpected flavors. These are all new combinations to me.
I have gone over this recipe a lot and did not see my omission. Thanks. I have updated the recipe. Thanks again for trying both recipes and glad you liked them both. I really appreciate your feedback!
Gazelle , I did not use a full teaspoon- ran out.
Tried this today. Very yummy. Just wondering why your pic are not as dark as the actual stew? You did not use the sauce?
THIS RECIPE IS THE BEST one I’ve ever tried for stewed chicken. THANK YOU for sharing it with us. 🙂
Aww, thank you Toya-it means a lot to me. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Made this chicken using whole chicken and it was delicious! I added a more broth because I like my stew saucy.
Kendra, thanks for the feedback.
This is a really flavorful chicken stew. I will be making it again and again. Thanks for the recipe
This looks so flavorful. I will be trying this one. However I have question, what is browning sauce? And where would you recommend I buy it?
Browning sauce in a nutshell is used to darken sauces, stews, or meat. It is made primarily out of sugar. Worcestershire sauce or Dark soy sauce can be a good substitute. It is available at Caribbean Markets and at Wal-Mart .You can successfully make this chicken without the sauce( it would not significantly affect the taste.
Browning sauce is made by grace like most of the jamaican seasoning is
Kristen , nowadays everyone is making browning sauce. There are so many varieties out there, you just have to look.