Delicious Caribbean Chicken Stew

Caribbean Chicken Stew

There’s just something about a good chicken stew that teels like home.

This Caribbean Chicken Stew is rich, flavorful, comforting, and made with the kind of ingredients that come together to create layers of flavor without making the recipe complicated.

The chicken is well seasoned, browned for extra depth, then simmered low and slow in a savory gravy with aromatics, herbs, vegetables, and just enough heat.

This is the kind of meal I love making when I want something cozy but still full of bold flavor. And like most good stews, it tastes even better once everything has had time to sit together and that gravy really gets into the chicken.

Serve it over rice, with rice and peas, mashed potatoes, boiled provisions, or even a piece of bread to soak up that sauce. There really is no wrong answer.

What makes this a Caribbean Chicken Stew?

There are so many versions of stewed chicken throughout the Caribbean, and every island, and honestly every household does it a little differently.

For this recipe, we’re building flavor with fresh aromatics like onion, garlic, ginger, scallion, thyme, and peppers, along with warm seasonings and a deeply browned gravy. Browning the chicken first is an important step because it gives the stew that rich color and creates even more flavor in the pot.

I also like adding squash, kidney beans, and carrots because they make this feel like a complete, hearty meal and they soak up all that delicious gravy while the chicken cooks

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 5 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, cleaned and trimmed (save the skin from the chicken after you remove it)
• 2 tablespoons of Brown Stew Seasoning marinade (brand: Spur Tree Brown Seasoning marinade)
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 7 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 Scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped, optional
• 1/4 green pepper, chopped
• 1/4 red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup of turbinado brown sugar
• 1 can of unsweetened coconut milk
• 4 cups of diced squash
• 1 1/2 cup of water
• 1 can of kidney beans, strained
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of browning sauce

Directions

Season chicken with all purpose seasoning, curry powder, onion and garlic powder, chicken bouillon cube, and brown stew marinade. In a large dutch oven, render the fat from the chicken skin you saved by heating the chicken skin and frying it for approximately 5-7 minutes on medium. Remove from the pan and add your brown sugar. Stir until it melts and begins to foam. Once it becomes foamy, add the chicken and stir. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Next, add fresh seasonings: ginger, onion, garlic, bell peppers, thyme, and scotch bonnet. Next, add squash, kidney beans, coconut milk, water, and browning sauce. Stir. Cover and cook for 40 minutes. Serve with white rice and enjoy!