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Jamaican · Caribbean

Jamaican curry chicken

Non-vegetarian

Chicken seasoned overnight with Jamaican curry powder, allspice, thyme and scallion, then 'burned' curry and Scotch bonnet give a deep, fragrant gravy with potatoes.

Jamaican curry chicken is a Jamaican curry, ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes and made with chicken thigh and curry powder. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
50 min
Total
1 h 10 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
422

Plus marinating (ideally overnight).

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Season the chicken with 2 tbsp of the curry powder (opens in a new tab), the allspice (opens in a new tab), thyme (opens in a new tab), spring onions (opens in a new tab), onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, salt and pepper (opens in a new tab). Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.

    • 10 min

    Food safety: Keep marinating chicken refrigerated; wash hands and boards after handling.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil in a heavy pot, add the remaining curry powder (opens in a new tab) and stir until it darkens and smells toasty ('burning' the curry) — about a minute.

    Don't let it go black — toasted, not scorched.

  3. Step 3

    Scrape the seasonings off the chicken into a bowl. Brown the chicken in the curry oil for about 5 minutes, then add the seasonings back with the Scotch bonnet (opens in a new tab).

    • 7 min
    • medium-high heat
    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Add the potatoes (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab) and water. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender and the potatoes have started to break down and thicken the gravy.

    • 35 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C. Remove the whole Scotch bonnet before serving.

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

About this dish

Origin
Jamaica · Well documentedCurry came to Jamaica with indentured Indian workers in the 19th century.Also popular in United Kingdom, Canada, United StatesMore food from Jamaica
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Marinated / cured, Braised
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, spicy (chilli heat), savoury, herby
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Chicken thigh · Curry powder · Allspice · Thyme (fresh) · Spring onion · Onion
Techniques
Simmering · Braising · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • May contain: Mustardfrom curry powder
  • May contain: Celeryfrom curry powder

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

422 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 489 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 41%
  • Carbohydrate 25%
  • Fat 34%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy422 kcal86 kcal
Protein43 g8.8 g
Carbohydrate26.5 g5.4 g
Net carbohydrate20.7 g4.2 g
Sugars2.6 g0.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.8 g1.2 g
Fat15.9 g3.3 g
Saturated fat2.8 g0.6 g
Trans fat0.1 g0 g
Cholesterol188 mg38 mg
Sodium1080 mg221 mg
Salt equivalent2.7 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1086 mg
Calcium
94 mg
Iron
3.8 mg
Magnesium
93 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
22 µg
Vitamin C
30 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
1.2 µg
Folate (DFE)
39 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.
  • Scotch bonnet pepper: Raw red hot chilli pepper used as a stand-in; scotch bonnets are a fleshy Capsicum chinense chilli of similar composition.
  • “—” 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

  • Use a Jamaican-style curry powder (turmeric-heavy, with allspice); Indian blends taste quite different.

Common mistakes

  • Bursting the Scotch bonnet — keep it whole unless you want serious heat.

Serve with

  • Serve with rice and peas or white rice and fried plantain.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated; freezes for 2 months.

Reheating

  • Reheat until piping hot.

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

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, 3, 4

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

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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