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Brown Stew Chicken

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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!

Brown Stew Chicken

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.

Brown Stew Chicken

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.

Brown Stew Chicken

Brown Stew Chicken

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:

 

Want to cook this in a slow cooker? Check out this slow cooker version HERE.

More Jamaican Recipes

Brown Stew Chicken

Here is another great chicken dish – Trinidad Chicken Roti. Get the recipe HERE.

 

How To Make Brown Chicken Stew

 

Brown Stew Chicken

  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. 

Brown Stew ChickenIn 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  water. Bring to a boil and return the brown chicken back to the pan.

Brown Stew ChickenCover 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.

 

Watch How To Make It

 

 

This post was first published in May 2014 and has been updated with a new recipe, photos, additional write up and a video.

Brown Stew Chicken
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Brown Stew Chicken

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!
4.83 from 29 votes
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Marinating Time: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 50 mins
Caribbean
Servings 6

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

  • 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

Brown Chicken Stew

  • 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

Instructions

  • Pat dry the chicken with paper towels.
  • Then place chicken in a bowl and season 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, 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.
  • 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 .
  • Deglaze pan with water. 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 with more water as you cook.
  • Turn off the stove, remove and serve with Caribbean Rice and Beans.

Tips & Notes:

  1. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 289kcal (14%)| Carbohydrates: 9g (3%)| Protein: 16g (32%)| Fat: 21g (32%)| Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)| Cholesterol: 92mg (31%)| Sodium: 221mg (10%)| Potassium: 342mg (10%)| Fiber: 2g (8%)| Sugar: 6g (7%)| Vitamin A: 1725IU (35%)| Vitamin C: 54mg (65%)| Calcium: 19mg (2%)| Iron: 1mg (6%)
Author: Imma
Course: Main
Cuisine: Caribbean
Keyword: brown stew chicken
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Nutrition Facts
Brown Stew Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 289 Calories from Fat 189
% Daily Value*
Fat 21g32%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 92mg31%
Sodium 221mg10%
Potassium 342mg10%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 16g32%
Vitamin A 1725IU35%
Vitamin C 54mg65%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Brown Stew Chicken
Brown Stew Chicken
Brown Stew Chicken

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Comments & Reviews

  1. William O'Reilly says

    Great recipe. Added a little allspice, but otherwise followed it as is. Making it for the third time tonight.

    Reply

  2. Nubian says

    Stew chicken was the one recipe I never felt I could execute until I tried this version. This is my second time and it was such a delight. Instead of eating with the usual Caribbean rice and peas, I made coconut dumplings and boiled green bananas and it was a hit with my family! They licked their platters clean. Thanks for always posting such easy to follow and tasty recipes.

    Reply

  3. Barb says

    There are 2 ice storms coming my way this weekend and my husband asked specifically for this dish because it’s such a lovely, comforting meal. Especially with your rice & peas.

    Reply

  5. Ron D says

    Delicious recipe. Been using for years. Thought I lost it, though. Had to put “immaculate bites” in the google bar to get to the site. Please fix. The world needs your recipes. Anyway I believe you answered this question but I always forget. How long should I set my pressure cooker for?

    Reply

  8. Anna Felkins says

    This recipe is incredible! Delicious just as written, and after I’d made it a few times I added both sliced jalapeno and a tiny pinch of Carolina Reaper powder to give it a bigger kick. My meat-and -potatoes husband now asks for this instead at least once a week! Thank you!!!!

    Reply

  9. Carolina says

    I am a little nervous about making this because I’m used to making Spanish style stew chicken. But I absolutely love Jamaican brown stew chicken and I’m looking forward to putting all this together. I will post an update of the results. Heading to the store now

    Reply

  10. Joanna Vargha says

    I am anxious to try this beautiful recipe. However, I was wondering if you can suggest a substitute for the browning sauce? Where I live there would not be anything like that available in the tiendas or markets? Thank you,cans love your recipes.

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Browning sauce is burnt sugar. Do you have molasses? or leave it out completely. Will be updating blog soon with a good substitute .

      Reply

  11. Rana Overall says

    I’ve been making your recipes for a few years now. This is my favorite go to dish for ANYTHING! Thank you for such tastiness!!

    Reply

  14. Adrienne says

    Just like the wonderful Jamaican place down the street. I did leave in the green onions and garlic. I added some cornstarch to thicken a bit, otherwise just as written.

    Reply

  15. Brooke says

    Hi!
    When do you add the brown sugar? I’m assuming with the rest of the spices and browning/ketchup to make the gravy?

    Thank you

    Reply

  16. Monty says

    This recipe worked out perfectly! I was surprised that it tasted so authentic. I did throw in a scotch bonnet instead of the chilli hot sauce. I would recommend definitely recommend doing that. I took out the bonnet at the very end since it can get extremely spicy but cooking it in the sauce with a few fork marks in the bonnet released a lot of its flavour.

    Reply

  19. Shaun R says

    I made this tonight along with your rice and beans recipe and it was simply amazing. Utterly delicious.

    Our only complaint is that when viewed on a mobile device, your recipe keeps moving around as your adverts reload.

    Reply

  21. Sherita Martin says

    I want to thank you …this came out SUPER DELISH….i added more bell peppers at the end and crush pepper and two bay leaf when I started cooking it..I followed you to the tee…ty..i look forward to mastering this and I will follow more of your recipes..oh yeah rice and pigeon peas on the side.

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      With rice and pigeon peas on the side… that sounds absolutely Divine!! I am glad you love this recipe, Martin. Thank you so much for the feedback.

      Reply

    • Petra says

      I made this for the first time as I enjoy Caribbean food. It was delicious which is an understatement. I didn’t have time to marinate it but still the chicken soaked up all the flavours and it was so tender as well. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply

      • ImmaculateBites says

        Fantastic!! I am so happy this recipe was a hit with you, Petra! Thank you for the feedback :)!

        Reply