Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

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Delicious Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken is a favorite family recipe from my childhood in Sierra Leone. It’s a flavorful, made-from-scratch classic chicken stew that I grew up making for simple weeknight suppers as well as special occasions and family celebrations.

You’ll also love Jamaican Oxtail Stew, Jamaican Rice and Peas and Jamaican Steamed Cabbage, and Jamaican Rum Punch.

Suitable for gluten free diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.

top down view of the completed jamaican brown stew chicken recipe

This delicious Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken recipe is one of my all-time favorites. And I will show you a simple straight forward recipe with step-by-step images that gives you perfect results every single time.

Chicken stew is a staple of African cuisine and there are many different versions and variations. Growing up in Sierra Leone, I learned how to make it at a very young age.

My family happens to love bold Caribbean flavors, so this Brown Stew Chicken recipe is what we make for all our family gatherings and celebrations.

Want to know the best part?

All it takes minimal prep and affordable regular pantry staples to make this flavorful restaurant-quality dish in the comfort of your own home. Plus, you know what is in it and you get to season it to suit your taste.

The secret to this delicious Caribbean Brown Stew Chicken is to marinate the chicken beforehand. Ideally marinate it overnight so the flavor really has time to meld together, but it if not, season and cook straight away.

view of the cooked Jamaican brown stew chicken inside the pot and ready to be served

Why You’ll ♡ This

  • It is elegant enough for entertaining, but simple enough for everyday weeknight suppers.
  • Brown Chicken Stew can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen until needed.
  • It is super easy to double or triple this recipe when making for large gatherings and celebrations.

Ready to learn how easy it is to make this Jamaican chicken stew recipe? Gather up your ingredients and I will show you….

How To Make Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe

  1. In a bowl, mix together chicken, green onions, garlic, ginger, paprika, chili (if using), thyme, and browning sauce until combined. Then cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
  2. Then brush off the excess marinade, including green onion, heat oil in a skillet, and brown the chicken (in batches if needed). Set aside.
  3. Remove excess oil from the skillet including any burnt-on bits and add onion and peppers and fry for up to 5 minutes, until soft. A couple of tablespoons of water will help the onions from softening without burning.
  4. Stir in the chicken and the rest of the ingredients, including the excess marinade.
  5. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce and cook for 45 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through. Leave uncovered for the last 20 minutes so the sauce thickens a bit.
  6. Switch off the heat and adjust seasonings.
  7. Serve Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken warm, with a side of rice and cabbage.
image collage showing the steps for making Jamaican brown stew chicken

How To Make Slow Cooker Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

  • In a bowl, mix together chicken, green onions, garlic, ginger, paprika, chili (if using), thyme, and browning sauce until combined. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight inside the refrigerator.
  • Then brush the excess marinade, including all the green onion, off the chicken.
  • Heat oil in a skillet and brown the chicken (in batches if needed). Add the browned chicken to the crockpot.
  • Remove excess oil from the skillet and any burnt-on bits, add in onions and peppers and fry for up to 5 minutes, until soft. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to help the onions from softening without burning.
  • Add onions and pepper to the crockpot, along with the other ingredients, including the excess marinade. Stir until combined.
  • Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours.
  • Adjust seasonings and serve warm along with rice and cabbage.
the completed slow cooker brown stew chicken inside the slow cooker.

Expert Tips

  • Browning the chicken is not necessary, so you can skip this step if short on time. However, browning adds an extra depth of flavor so it really is worth doing.
  • Use skinless chicken to reduce calories.
  • You can also use chicken thighs instead of drumsticks if you prefer.
  • Feel free to start with a whole chicken, which you can cut into the right-sized pieces.
  • You only need a little bit of browning sauce to get the flavor you need. Start with a small amount, as you can always add more later on.
  • This stew tastes so much better the next day – so prep ahead and store in the fridge until needed.

FAQs

What is Browning Sauce

Browning sauce is caramel or sugar based staple sauce that adds a rich color and flavor to all sorts of recipes. You can add it to stews, soups and gravy as well as straight onto grilled meats and other proteins.

A little brush of this onto almost cooked meat is a great way to add that oven-roasted look to your food. You will find browning sauce in ethnic supermarkets, Caribbean supermarkets, and online form a retailer like Amazon.

close up view of Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken in a blue cook pot

Browning Sauce Substitutes

You can make your own homemade browning sauce using brown sugar, water and some vegetable sauce.

If you are in a bind, you can also use soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. But be aware that these substitutes are much saltier than browning sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Close up view of the completed Slow Cooker Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

Weight Watchers Points

There are 10 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of this.

More Jamaican Recipes

Thank you for reading my Jamaican Brown Chicken Stew recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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top down view of the completed jamaican brown stew chicken recipe
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Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken is full of delicious Caribbean flavor!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Caribbean, Western
Servings: 4
Calories: 474kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

  • 8 chicken legs
  • 4 green onions (spring onions), sliced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder optional
  • 2 thyme sprigs chopped
  • ½ teaspoon browning sauce

Brown Stew Chicken

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 bell peppers deseeded and chopped
  • 2 cups (473 ml) chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon browning sauce
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground pimento (allspice)
  • 2 thyme sprigs
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a bowl, mix together chicken, green onions, garlic, ginger, paprika, chili (if using), thyme and browning sauce till combined. Then cover and set aside for at least 30 mins, but preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
  • Then brush off the excess marinade, including green onion, heat oil in a skillet and brown the chicken (in batches if needed). Set aside.
  • Remove excess oil from the skillet including any burnt on bits and add onion and peppers and fry for up to 5 minutes until soft. A couple of tablespoons of water will help the onions from softening without burning.
  • Stir in the chicken and the rest of the ingredients, including the excess marinade.
  • Bring to a boil, cover and reduce and cook for 45 mins until chicken is tender and cooked through. Leave uncovered for the last 20 minutes so the sauce thickens a bit.
  • Switch off the heat and adjust seasonings.
  • Serve Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken warm, with a side of rice and cabbage.
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Video

Notes

Expert Tips

  • Browning the chicken is not necessary, so you can skip this step if short on time. However, browning adds an extra depth of flavor so it is worth doing.
  • Use skinless chicken to reduce calories.
  • You can also use chicken thighs instead of drumsticks if you prefer.
  • Feel free to start with a whole chicken which you can cut into the right-sized pieces.
  • You only need a little bit of browning sauce to get the flavor you need. Start with a small amount, as you can always add more later on.
  • This stew tastes so much better the next day – so prep ahead and store in the fridge till needed.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 10 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of this.

Serving Suggestions

More Jamaican Recipes

Nutrition

Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 238mg | Sodium: 538mg | Potassium: 985mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2651IU | Vitamin C: 83mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg

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