Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe
Brown stew chicken is everyday comfort food in Jamaica: chicken seasoned with browning for its deep mahogany color, seared, and simmered in a savory gravy with sweet peppers, onion, and tomato. It is the dish that turns a regular weeknight into Sunday dinner.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken, cut into pieces
- 2 tbsp Grace Browning
- 2 tbsp Grace Jamaican Green Seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 sweet bell pepper, sliced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 tbsp ketchup (a classic Jamaican touch for body and balance)
- 1 tsp pepper sauce (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups hot water or chicken stock
Preparation
1. Marinate. Rub the chicken with browning, green seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Rest at least 1 hour, or overnight.
2. Sear. Heat the oil and brown the chicken well on all sides. The browning caramelizes into a deep color — this is where the stew gets its name. Remove the chicken.
3. Build the gravy. In the same pot, sauté onion, pepper, tomato, garlic, and thyme for 3 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and hot water, scraping up the browned bits.
4. Simmer. Return the chicken, cover, and simmer on low for 30–35 minutes until tender and the gravy coats the back of a spoon. Add pepper sauce if you like heat.
How to serve it
With white rice or rice and peas, and a side of steamed cabbage or fried plantain.
Tips
- Pat the chicken dry before searing so it browns instead of steaming.
- Do not skip the marinade rest: browning needs time to stain the meat evenly.
Find browning, green seasoning, and more Jamaican staples in our Jamaica collection.
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