Description
When it comes to big, West Indian comfort foods, curry chicken is at the top of the list. Look no further than this authentic Jamaican Curry Chicken recipe. Tender chicken stewed alongside big, bold Caribbean flavors and lovely aromatics. This curry chicken is an easy dish to make with delicious results!
Ingredients
Scale
- 4–5 chicken drumsticks
- 4–5 boneless/skinless chicken thighs (bone-in/skin-on, if desired)
- 4 tablespoons Jamaican curry powder, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground Jamaican allspice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire
- 2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil, canola or olive oil as substitute
- 1 large green bell pepper, sliced thinly
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 scallions (green onions), chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper- kept whole, do not slice!
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 large russet potato, peeled & chopped into quarters
for serving
- cooked white rice & chopped scallions, optional
Instructions
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and then add them into a large bowl. Season the chicken with 2 tablespoons of curry powder, allspice, salt, ginger, garlic powder, ground coriander, and worcestershire. Use your hands (fitted with disposable gloves, if desired) to massage the spices into the chicken very well.
- Cover the bowl with a lid/plastic wrap and transfer it into the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
- Using a large braiser or deep skillet over medium heat, coat the bottom of the pan with 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, sprinkle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of curry powder. Use a wooden utensil to stir the spice into the oil. Burn the curry in the oil, stirring frequently, until the curry is fragrant and takes on a deep, golden brown color- about 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken pieces into the pan, careful not to overcrowd, work in batches if you need to. Once the chicken is in the pan, do not disturb. Allow the chicken to brown and achieve a deep, golden sear, about 2-3 minutes on each side. >> Use the additional tablespoon of oil, if needed. Then set the browned chicken aside onto a clean plate and repeat the process until all chicken is browned.
- Return all chicken pieces back into the pan. Add in the sliced bell pepper, onion, scallions, garlic, fresh thyme, and scotch bonnet. Pour in the chicken stock and use a wooden utensil to gently stir everything together (being careful not to burst the pepper).
- Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the chicken and aromatics to stew together for 35 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and turn the chicken pieces. Nestle in the chopped carrots and potatoes and spoon some of the pan juices over them.
- Cover the pan once more and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes/carrots are fork-tender.
- Uncover the pan and check for chicken doneness (to be precise, the internal temperature should be at least 165°F). Then remove from heat and discard the thyme sprigs and pepper.
- Serve the curry chicken with pan juices immediately onto plates alongside cooked white rice and extra scallions, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please read the blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.
- Scotch bonnet pepper can be substituted with a habanero pepper or omitted entirely if you’re sensitive to a slight amount of heat.
Keywords: curry chicken, Jamaican curry chicken, Jamaican food, chicken curry, one pot chicken, one pan chicken