You all know that I loooooove me some Jamaican cooking! It thought it was high time I share one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken.
I learned this method after visiting Jamaica and it is hands down the best stewed chicken I have ever had. I adjusted the seasonings a bit to suit of family’s tastes but other than that, this is pretty much how they make it in the Savanna-La-Mar area of Jamaica.
You will notice that this recipe, like a lot of Jamaican recipes, calls for ‘browning.’ Browning is basically caramelized sugar used to enhance the color of a dish. It doesn’t alter the flavor much so don’t worry about including it if you don’t want to whip up some caramelized sugar.
Stewed Jamaican Chicken
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 servings
A stewed Jamaican chicken recipe from the Sav-La-Mar region.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. chicken (cut into small pieces)
- Lime juice
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon browning
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 whole red or yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 each, red and green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups of water
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 fresh sprig thyme
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
Instructions
- Wash the chicken then rub it with lime juice.
- Let it sit for five minutes then pat it dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
- Combine the sea salt, black pepper, and browning.
- Rub it all over the chicken and allow it to marinate for one hour at least – overnight is best.
- Heat the oil in a pan and slightly brown the chicken pieces. When the chicken is browned, remove from pan and set aside.
- To the same pan, add the onions and bell peppers.
- Fry them until the onions are transparent.
- Add the chicken, water, garlic, thyme, and carrots to the pan. Stir and cover.
- Cook on medium heat for about 30 to 45 minutes or until tender, occasionally stirring. Add arrowroot powder or cornstarch to thicken the liquid into the brown stew gravy.
- Serve immediately with your favorite side dish
There are all kinds of amazing side dishes you can pair with this dish. I personally like to make a simple cabbage dish. The flavors of the various vegetables really work well together and compliment the stewed chicken nicely.
Jamaican Cabbage
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 servings
A simple, light pairing with any Jamaican inspired meal.
Ingredients
- 1 cabbage
- 2 carrots
- 1 tomato
- 1 sweet pepper
- 1 small onion
- Coconut oil
- Pepper
- Salt
Instructions
- Slice cabbage and carrot in small strips.
- Chop onion and sweet pepper.
- Put a small amount of coconut oil in a frying pan and heat for 3 minutes.Place the carrot and cabbage in the heated oil and stir.
- Cover for 5 minutes and then stir again.After 5 minutes stir and then pure the chopped onion and sweet pepper on top of the cabbage.
- Stir and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve warm.
My husband is from Jamaica. Earlier on in our marriage I tried to cook Jamaican style food, especially rice and peas, but could never get it to taste authentic enough. Now, after 29 years of marriage, I will make this dish and see if he detects any bit of Jaimaican taste to it.
For the chicken pieces, do you use bone in pieces such as drumsticks or say boneless and skinless thighs or breasts? Also, what kind of browning do you use?
Thanks for posting this recipe!
Hi Valerie! I use whatever chicken I have available at the time. I personally like thighs and drumsticks because I love chicken skin! 😉 But any chicken will work.
Oops, I just read the beginning of your post. From your picture it looks like boneless and skinless chicken and you answered the browning question. Thanks!