Another Jamaican recipe! This time it's Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken, rich and hearty, perfect for cool Spring or Fall weather. And, guess what? This recipe is also from Cariel, my Jamaican co-worker, remember her? She gave me the recipe for Jamaican Toto, the super delicious coconut dessert I published a while back.

Brown Chicken Stew Background

While there is no coconut milk in Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken, it is, however, cooked in a rich gravy with a hint of allspice. Take a serving of this stew and some rice, and you have a great meal. I asked Cariel about this dish, but she said she didn't really know. "You see, in Jamaica stews are not really that popular. Jamaican brown stew chicken is one of the only ones"  she told me. I was really surprised to hear that, but who am I to question her culinary heritage, right?

Cariel told me that you can make this dish in the oven if you prefer. If you do this, however, you won't get any of the wonderful brown bits you get from scraping the pan. These scrapings make for a heavenly gravy, and this is what this dish is all about. If you add browning seasoning this will give is a deep rich color also, more on that later. This Jamaican brown stew chicken is usually made with a whole chicken. I opted to only use chicken thighs because then the pieces look uniform for the photography. I  know this is kind of neurotic of me, but that's just part of who I am.

This is the first time I made this, and it turned out great. I also got rave reviews from my favorite critics, aka my family. I am really lucky they like trying new things; they're great guinea pigs. I used jalapeños instead of bell peppers because my family doesn't care for them. This is a great dish to prepare in the slow cooker. I like to serve this dish with rice.

What is browning seasoning?

You can get a deep rich dark brown color into your gravy by using a browning seasoning and sauce. This adds a nice color and a bit of rich flavor and you don't need much. This recipe calls for 1 teaspoon. One of the most popular browning sauces is Kitchen Bouquet which you can find in most grocery stores in the condiment section or where they have packets for gravy. The browning sauce can be added to soups, sauces or brushed on meats to give it a color boost. This technique works well for meat cooked in the microwave or slow cooker that tend to be more pale in color. A little goes a long way so measure carefully and if you use too much it may add a slight bitter flavor.

Step by step photos

1. Gather your ingredients and have them measured, chopped and ready to go.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients of the marinade in a small bowl: salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika and allspice. Sprinkle this over the chicken and turn to coat evenly. Next mix in the garlic, habanero, ginger, thyme, oil and scallions. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Overnight is even better.
3. Heat a large skillet or braising pan on medium heat and cook the chicken pieces until brown and a bit crispy on both sides. This should take 3-4 minutes per side. Be sure to put all of the marinade ingredients in the pan. Remove the chicken and set on a platter.
4. Discard half the oil, add the salt and use the remaining oil to sauté the onions, carrots, and jalapeño until the onions are translucent.
5. Add chicken stock, hot pepper sauce and ketchup then stir.
6. Cook the gravy for about 5-10 minutes on medium heat then add browning sauce and then add the chicken to the gravy. Simmer for an additional 20 minutes, until the gravy begins to thicken.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other great stew recipes from around the world

• Moroccan lamb tagine and also Moroccan chicken tagine are two fantastic recipes that are easy to make in a slow cooker and the flavors are very unique.
• Bo sot vang is a Vietnamese beef stew with French influenced flavors of red wine along with an Asian favorite star anise.
• Guinness beef stew is a family favorite with a hearty dark brown broth, aromatic flavors and pairs nicely with Irish brown bread.
• West African peanut stew is a great dish for vegetarians. The sweet potatoes combined with ginger, peanut butter, spinach, jalapeño and other ingredients make an incredible flavored dish.
• Misir wot is an Ethiopian red lentil stew with ginger, garlic, onion, berbere spice, tomato paste and cilantro. This is so simple to make and usually take less than 1 hour.
• Cassoulet is a popular French pork and sausage stew with beans that is great for cold winter nights.
• Dublin coddle is a favorite Irish dish for Saint Patrick's Day in our house. Irish bangers ( sausage) and vegetables make a simple meal.
• Baeckeoffe is a French oven roasted stew made with pork shoulder and beef baked under a layer of sliced potatoes.
• Panamanian beef stew brings the great Latin flavors of recaito and sofrito. Simple ingredients make it a comfort food that is easy to make.

And finally, get ready to have an awesome Jamaican stew. Think sunny beaches, turn on some reggae and sink your teeth into delicious bites of Jamaican brown stew chicken. The tropics are closer than you think!

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