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Jamaican · Caribbean

Brown stew chicken

Non-vegetarian

Seasoned chicken browned in caramelised sugar, then braised with onions, peppers, tomato, thyme and allspice into a glossy, deep brown gravy.

Brown stew chicken is a Jamaican stew, ready in about 2 hours 5 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on and brown sugar. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Flavorful African-style chicken stew with beans, carrots, and potatoes, perfect for culinary inspiration.
Photo: Lionel Ntasano / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
50 min
Rest
1 h
Total
2 h 5 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
524

Marinate 1 hour or overnight.

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toss the chicken with half the onion (opens in a new tab), the garlic (opens in a new tab), spring onion (opens in a new tab), thyme (opens in a new tab), allspice (opens in a new tab), paprika (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab), salt and soy sauce (opens in a new tab). Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

    • 10 min

    Food safety: Marinate raw chicken in the fridge.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat, sprinkle in the brown sugar (opens in a new tab) and let it melt and bubble until it is dark amber and just starting to smoke.

    Food safety: Caramel is extremely hot; add the chicken carefully as it will spit.

  3. Step 3

    Shake the seasonings off the chicken (keep them) and brown the pieces in the caramel on all sides, in batches.

    • 10 min
    • medium-high heat

  4. Step 4

    Add the reserved seasonings, remaining onion (opens in a new tab), tomatoes (opens in a new tab), ketchup (opens in a new tab), bell pepper (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab), whole Scotch bonnet and water. Cover and simmer, turning occasionally, until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thick, 30–35 minutes.

    • 35 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Chicken should reach 80 °C near the bone.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Jamaica · Commonly attributedBrown stews are made across the English-speaking Caribbean; this version is a Jamaican Sunday staple.Also popular in Trinidad and Tobago, United KingdomMore food from Jamaica
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Marinated / cured, Braised
Taste
sweet & savoury, savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced, rich
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Make-ahead · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Chicken pieces, skin-on · Brown sugar · Onion · Garlic · Spring onion · Thyme (fresh)
Techniques
Simmering · Braising · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce
  • May contain: Mustardfrom tomato ketchup
  • May contain: Celeryfrom tomato ketchup

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

524 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 351 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 30%
  • Carbohydrate 10%
  • Fat 60%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy524 kcal149 kcal
Protein38.7 g11 g
Carbohydrate12.8 g3.6 g
Net carbohydrate10.9 g3.1 g
Sugars8.6 g2.4 g
Added sugars——
Fibre1.8 g0.5 g
Fat34.9 g10 g
Saturated fat9 g2.6 g
Trans fat0.2 g0.1 g
Cholesterol150 mg43 mg
Sodium938 mg267 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
626 mg
Calcium
57 mg
Iron
2.5 mg
Magnesium
57 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
146 µg
Vitamin C
39 mg
Vitamin D
0.4 µg
Vitamin B12
0.6 µg
Folate (DFE)
37 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: carrot, fresh red chilli.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Watch the sugar closely — dark amber gives depth, but black caramel turns bitter.

Common mistakes

  • Moving the chicken too soon prevents the deep brown colour.

Serve with

  • Serve with rice and peas, white rice or boiled dumplings and fried plantain.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently until piping hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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