Jamaican Curry Chicken
Jamaican curry chicken delivers an easy one-pot meal bursting with flavor. Homemade curry powder, aromatic garlic and onion, and luscious coconut milk take this hearty recipe over the top. I guarantee this is one stew you’ll want to make over and over again.
Did you know that curry is not just one spice but a mixture of several different spices? When I stumbled across that information, suddenly, everything made sense. That’s why some brands of store-bought curry seasoning are spicy and bold, while others are milder and sweeter. Honestly, some are just meh in the taste department.
That is why I came up with my own recipe to suit my taste buds perfectly. Feel free to customize it to create your own perfect curry spice mix. Or you can choose your preferred store-bought brand – we all have our favorites.
Jamaican Curry vs. Indian Curry
Jamaican curry powder adds spiciness to chicken, goat, lamb, and beef. Though it’s similar to Indian curry, it has subtle differences. For example, Jamaican curry usually includes allspice, a spice that shows up in other classic Jamaican dishes like jerk chicken. Plus, it’s heavier on the turmeric than Indian curries and a little less spicy. Some of the best recipes are from fusion cuisines.
How to Make Jamaican Curry Chicken
The Chicken
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. (Photos 1-2)
- Sauté the chicken in a large, deep pan for 3-5 minutes or until slightly browned. (Photos 3-4)
- Add curry powder and onions, followed by minced garlic, thyme, and paprika. Stir for about five minutes, allowing the flavors to blossom. (Photos 5-6)
Curry Sauce
- Liquids – In the same pan, pour in the coconut milk and tomato paste. Continue cooking for two more minutes, then add 2-3 cups of chicken broth or water. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 15 minutes. (Photos 7-8)
- Veggies – Next, add the potatoes and carrots. Cook until potatoes are tender, seven minutes or so. Add the sliced bell pepper and cook for another two minutes. (Photos 9-10)
- Adjust the sauce thickness with broth or water and the salt to your preference.
- Serve – Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Vegetarian – Turn this Jamaican curry recipe into a plant-based dish with oyster mushrooms, portabellos, chickpeas, or tofu instead of chicken.
- Other Meats – You could substitute other meats if you aren’t a fan of chicken. It’s fabulous with goat, but pork and beef also make a fantastic curry.
Tips and Tricks
- Use whole-fat coconut milk for the creamiest, most delicious curry.
- Feel free to get creative with your veggie selection if you wish. Broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini, and spinach would all work well in a curry, so feel free to clean out your fridge’s vegetable drawer.
- Adjust the spiciness of this dish by adjusting the amount of curry powder you add. You could also make this dish a little spicier by adding more cayenne pepper. (There may already be some in your curry powder.)
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
Adding to its appeal is just how easy it is to make this curry dish ahead of time. Simply follow the recipe instructions, allow the curry to cool, then store it in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to four months until you are ready to serve it. Reheat it on the stovetop, and no one will know you haven’t been in the kitchen all day preparing this delicious dish.
Store leftover chicken curry in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. In the refrigerator, it will last for 3-5 days. Use frozen curry within five months, and thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
You can reheat Jamaican curry chicken on the stovetop over medium-high heat until it’s hot—alternatively, heat single servings in the microwave. Adjust reheat times according to the amount of curry in your bowl.
FAQs
Jamaican curry powder usually contains more turmeric than other kinds, which gives it a deeper yellow appearance. And it’s also good for you.
Way back in the 17th century, Indian indentured servants were brought to Jamaica, which was then an English colony, to work on sugar cane plantations. They brought curry with them, and ingenious Jamaicans adapted it and deeply entwined it with Jamaica’s culture and cuisine.
Jamaican recipes often call for toasting curry powder in heated oil to release the flavors of the spices. In most cases, though, the spices have already been toasted when blending the curry powder. This step also makes Jamaican curry powder unique from Indian curry powder.
What Goes With Jamaican Curry Chicken
This curry goes great with white rice, but lately, I’ve gotten into serving it with arroz con gandules, making for an interesting (and delicious) cultural mash-up. 🇯🇲🇵🇷 It also goes great with Caribbean coleslaw and fried sweet plantains.
More Savory Curry Recipes to Try
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
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This recipe was first published in October 2014, and has been updated with new photos, a video, and additional tips.
Jamaican Curry Chicken
Ingredients
- 2-2½ pounds (1-1.25kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) white pepper, optional
- 2 tablespoons (30g) olive oil or canola oil
- 1½-2 tablespoons (6-7g) Jamaican curry powder
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons (4g) fresh thyme, minced
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) paprika
- ½ cup (118ml) coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon (5g) tomato paste
- 2 cups (470ml) or more chicken broth (or replace with water)
- 1 pound (450g) potatoes, peeled and cut into medium pieces
- 6 ounces (170g) carrots, sliced
- 6 ounces (170g) green peppers, sliced
- 2-3 tablespoons (12-18g) chopped parsley
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a large, deep pan, heat oil over medium heat until hot, and then add the chicken. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until slightly browned.
- Add the curry powder and onions, followed by the minced garlic, thyme, and paprika. Stir for about five minutes, allowing the flavors to bloom.
- In the same pan, pour in the coconut milk and tomato paste. Continue cooking for two more minutes, then add 2-3 cups of chicken broth or water. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Next, add the potatoes and carrots. Cook until potatoes are tender, seven minutes or so.
- Add the sliced bell pepper and cook for another two minutes.
- Finally, add the chopped parsley. Adjust the sauce thickness with broth or water and the salt to your preference. Serve and enjoy!
Tips & Notes:
- While homemade curry powder is best, feel free to use your favorite store-bought version.
- Fat carries flavor, which is why we toast the spices in olive oil to develop more flavor.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
I’ve made this recipe many times in the past, and it’s always been a crowd pleaser! I came back to make it tonight and noticed (I think?) a slight change: did the recipe used to contain green beans instead of green peppers? I missed the green beans this time around for sure!
Yes, it did. Green beans or green pepper works just fine. So happy to hear it worked out well for you.
Making this and your Rice and Peas right now! The house smells wonderful and the little tastings were delicious. Looking forward to dinner tonight!
Yaaay! I’m so happy it turned out great for you, Lori.
It really did! I am going to try more of your recipes. We ate it with your rice and beans!
Awesome!!! Was Sunday night’s dinner and my kids loved it. Big up ☺for recipe it will be my new chicken curry dish
Wohoo! That’s great to hear, Julia!
I made this curry chicken yesterday,I followed the recipe but only used more of the coconut milk than what was stated in the recipe,the coconut taste kind of overpowered the sauce but it still came out great .im sure by the time I revisit it today it will taste better. Thanks imma.
You’re welcome Tobi. Thanks for dropping by.
Wow.
This chicken curry recipe makes a lot of sense and it looks delicious too, I’d love to try it one day.
Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! Can’t wait for you to try it. 🙂
I tried this recipe and it was phenomenal. I added a small Scotch Bonnet for a touch of heat and even the kids didn’t find it spicey. Great recipe.as-is though. It was served over rice which helped to make it a really filling meal.
Hi Damon, Love me some scotch bonnet pepper, it always adds another layer of flavor to curry. Thanks for the feedback.
Delicious!
My 2-year-old picky eating son couldn’t eat it fast enough this evening!
Thanks for another winner 🙂
Is the coconut milk sweeten or unsweeten?
It’s unsweetened coconut milk
Made this recipe this evening. Substitited tomato paste with about half a cup of diced tomatoes, and used beef broth instead of chicken (because it’s all I had on hand). I added half a tablespoon of hot sauce and half a tablespoon of jerk chicken sauce for some added kick. Other than that, I followed the recipe and it came out delicious! Total amount of liquid was about 1/2 cup of coconut milk, and 2 cups of low sodium beef broth. It was delicious!
However, I let my wife taste it and she said it was a bit salty… She began to add another 1/4 cup of coconut milk and 1/4 cup of water to dilute it a bit and it just completely ruined the meal. It was bland after. So please learn from me and don’t add thin out this curry too much. She then added corn starch to thicken it up and she made it worse.
Also! I made the mistake of using chicken beast, but should have stuck to a dark meat, like thighs instead.
Highly recommend this and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you!
If it was salty you could have just added more potatoes , so as not to thin out the sauce.
Please do I use Irish or sweet potatoes?
Both will do. Please let me know how it turns out for you. 🙂
Absolutely loved this! My husband was so pleased and requested I cook this again next week! Now I am scrolling through your recipes as we want more! It is such a delight to try something new and have it turn out as delicious as this. Thank you
Hi Jennifer I’m SO thrilled that you all loved this Curry chicken!!
I want to try this on Sunday but with chicken wings. Would I need to adjust my cooking times!
Yes you sure would . You would have to use your best judgement about 10 minutes less .
Hello… I tried the stove top version and it was DELICIOUS!!! Thanks for the recipe
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback!
This was excellent… even better the next day
whilst adding the chicken into the curry sauce and added water it is way too waterly as i only added 2 cups of water into my sauce, what do i do to thicken the sauce as it been cooking for 40mins?
Add some cornstarch to thicken it up. Or remove the chicken set aside and let it reduce before adding it back on.
Thanks for the recipe it was great!
Personally I prefer my potatoes a little crispy so I put them in immediately after taking the chicken out and gave them a bit of a browning in the oil. I then added the garlic and onion as you suggest, but used 50/50 red onion and white onion.
I used about 3 cups of coconut milk which made it really creamy and nice (I made quite a lot).
I also used coconut oil when first browning the chicken
I substituted the carrots for a large green capsicum and also added a smaller slightly hot red pepper
Came out really well thanks for the ideas
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share such detailed feedback . Glad to hear it worked out well for you.
Just made this for my mother as she wasn’t feeling very well, she loved it as did I. Used chicken breast as had no thighs and added just a little cornflour near the end to thicken, personally I found it much nicer than a lot of other recipes I have used. Thanks for sharing.
My Pleasure! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
My husband made this tonight. Delicious!
Thanks Carla.
I followed the recipe. As I skipped your pics I did not see anything about scotch bonnet. However, definitely worth trying again.
Glad you enjoyed it. I like adding scotch bonnet pepper for some heat and flavor.
Hi Imma, how much oil is used to brown the chicken? Thank you.
About 2 Tablespoons oil. However, if it’s chicken thighs and are using a cast iron you can even use less.