Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe

This brown stew chicken is delicious served over steamed rice with green peas, garnished with fresh thyme. I’ve wanted to make this for a while since I love braised or stewed chicken recipes, especially ones with similar ingredients as jerk chicken. While I might make a few adjustments next time, this came out amazingly well.

Cook: 1 hr 20 mins
Additional: 12 hrs
Total: 14 hrs
Prep: 40 mins
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

For the Marinade:

– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– ½ cup sliced green onions, divided
– 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
– 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
– 1 tablespoon minced habanero pepper
– 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
– 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
– 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
– 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
– 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
– ½ teaspoon ground allspice
– 8 (5 ounce) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

For the Rest:

– 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
– 1 large yellow onion, diced
– 1 pinch of kosher salt
– 1 tablespoon brown sugar
– 4 cups of chicken broth
– ⅓ cup ketchup
– 2 each bay leaves
– 1 cup sliced carrot
– 1 cup quartered baby bell peppers

Directions / Instructions

Step 1

Whisk together garlic, white parts of green onions, brown sugar, thyme, habanero, vinegar, ginger, salt, pepper, paprika, and allspice in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2

Make 2 cuts, about 1-inch apart, into the skin side of each thigh, perpendicular to the bone, cutting all the way down to the bone. Add chicken thighs to marinade; mix until evenly coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate, 12 hours to overnight. If possible, flip your thighs several times while marinating.

Step 3

Remove chicken from marinade. Scrape off any chunks of the marinade from the chicken into the bowl and reserve for later.

Step 4

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, deep, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Working in batches, brown the chicken all over, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to the marinade bowl; set aside.

Step 5

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt; cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and cook until onions are dark brown and caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes more.

Step 6

Add chicken broth, ketchup, and bay leaves to the pan; bring to a boil. Add carrots, bell peppers, browned chicken thighs, and reserved marinade.

Step 7

Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender and no longer pink in the centre and sauce has reduced and thickened, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Skim excess fat that floats to the top; baste chicken occasionally with sauce.

Step 8

Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in green parts of green onions.

Chef’s Notes:

You can get away with marinating the chicken for only 4 hours, but longer is better.

You can use diced tomatoes instead of ketchup if desired. You can use any seasonal vegetables that you like.

If the chicken finishes cooking before the sauce reduces, remove the thighs and keep them warm while the sauce continues to simmer. If the sauce reduces and thickens before the chicken cooks, add a splash of water and continue to cook until the chicken is done.

If you prefer a less sweet flavour profile, use only 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in the marinade.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving: 343 calories; protein 25.4g; carbohydrates 13.8g; fat 20.2g; cholesterol 91.3mg; sodium 1318.6mg.

source – cooking365.co.za