The Best Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
There’s nothing like authentic Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken at all. Incredibly flavorful stewed chicken pieces that are braised to perfection until fall-off-the-bone tender in heaps of aromatics and spices. An insanely scrumptious chicken dinner with a taste of flavor-forward ingredients all over, you’ll love this Caribbean favorite!

It should be no surprise how much I love Caribbean food. It’s in my blood and it always signifies warmth and cozy-comfort to me. To say that West Indian food hits different is an understatement. Something about the way we cook our food, the aromatics, the spices, the techniques…whew. Whenever I don’t make these dishes myself at home, I know the nearest spot in town to get my fix, ha!
Island recipes are loaded with flavorrr, y’all. The spices are heavily abundant and very much a crowd pleaser because we just don’t play around. My family is from St. Thomas, USVI and we grew up eating brown stew chicken like clockwork. It’s def a family-favorite chicken dinner that hits the spot and never gets old.
Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken 😍
Yes indeed, peeps. Have you ever had brown stew chicken before? If not, you’re in for a real delight. This recipe features tender, slowly stewed chicken pieces simmered in an extra flavorful liquid base. The final result: fall-off-the-bone chicken with a lip-smacking, stew gravy that sops it all up, gahhh. Loads of aromatics and elements that make this one-pot dish unlike anything else.
⇢ Other recipes: jamaican curry chicken, these jerk meatballs in coconut curry sauce, for sure these jamaican beef patties, refreshing guava tequila sour, my red wine braised short ribs, and this filipino-style chicken adobo– yum.
What Is Brown Stew Chicken?
So, brown stew chicken has a Jamaican-influenced origin, and it encompasses deeply marinated, browned, and then stewed chicken parts. As mentioned earlier, the chicken braises in a ton of spices, herbs, veggies, stock, and more. Which leaves meltingly tender chicken pieces bathed in an ultra-rich gravy.
Ingredients Needed For This Recipe
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)
- Chicken parts: I use chicken legs & boneless/skinless thighs exclusively for my brown stew chicken. It’s important to note that these are also the most common and preferred for this recipe. Breasts/wings are just not ideal here. Additionally, you could use bone-in/skin-on chicken thighs if you’d like, but the cooking time will likely need to be adjusted/increased when browning.
- Oil: Used to brown the chicken parts for a nice, deep sear.
- Scallions: You might know ’em as green onions.
- Onion, bell pepper, and carrot: All stews need some flavor agents/veggies.
- Tomato sauce: A must for some tomato-y flavor and to help thicken the stew.
- Browning sauce: This is a Caribbean-centered bottled ingredient that gives a boost to so many dishes to enhance the color and flavor. I use the Grace brand and it can typically be found in Caribbean markets or maybe in the international aisle of your local grocery store.
- Brown sugar: This helps provide some balance among the bolder flavors.
- Spices: We’re using seasonings like smoked paprika, ground Jamaican allspice, ground ginger, salt/pepper- to taste, and bay leaves.
- Scotch bonnet pepper: For flavoring, we’re using just one pepper that’ll go into the pot whole (not cut open!)- trust, you don’t want that 😆❌
- Chicken stock/broth: You’ll need liquid to cover the chicken. Chicken stock, for that true chicken flavor to be all up and through this brown stew chicken!
- Garlic: You can use cloves, minced- or garlic paste.
- Fresh thyme: When making a stew, herbs are clutch. I use fresh thyme which is a Caribbean staple in so many of our dishes.
How To Make Brown Stew Chicken
(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)
- Prep the chicken: In a large bowl or ziplock bag, add in the onion, bell pepper, scallions, garlic, brown sugar, paprika, allspice, ginger, and salt/pepper- to taste. Use your hands or a utensil to stir the ingredients together. Then add in the chicken pieces and browning sauce. Massage all the aromatics and spices into the chicken.
- Marinate the chicken: Cover the bowl with a lid/plastic wrap or seal ziplock bag and transfer to refrigerator to allow flavors to marinate for at least 2 hours or- more preferably, overnight (for best results!).
- Brown chicken pieces: Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade mixture, shaking off excess onion/bell pepper/scallion bits. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add a few chicken pieces into the pot, working in batches. Sear the chicken on all sides until a deep brown crust appears, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Then set the browned chicken aside and reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the flavor agents & assemble the stew: Add the reserved marinade mixture into the same pot and use a wooden utensil to sauté until lightly tender. Then add all browned chicken pieces back into pot, nestling them right on top of the marinade mixture. Add the carrots, tomato sauce, fresh thyme, bay leaves, scotch bonnet pepper, and chicken stock. Gently stir all the ingredients together until well combined.
- Stew the chicken: Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot with a lid. Allow the chicken to stew for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, covered- until the chicken pieces are meltingly tender and falling off the bone.
- Adjust stew gravy, if needed: Discard the herb stems, bay leaves, and scotch bonnet pepper from the pot. If you’d like to thicken the stew liquid in the pot, place over medium-high heat. Cook, gently stirring, for a bit until the liquid reaches your desired consistency.
- Serve this brown stew chicken immediately. I love serving this brown stew chicken in shallow bowls alongside some rice and peas (and plantains, too!) with extra stew gravy poured right over it all. Enjoy!
⇢ This Brown Stew Chicken recipe comes together so easily, y’all. I love how straightforward and simple it is yet loaded with flavor-filled goodness that you’ll swoon over! Get at this weeknight-friendly, chicken dinner winner! 🙌🏾
Cleaning/Rinsing Your Poultry
I know cleaning chicken is a highly controversial topic lol. I will say that I notice that it often gets pushback among non-Caribbean folks. A lot of West Indians cleanse their meat in some way prior to cooking it. Growing up, I always saw both my mom and grandma cleanse chicken beforehand, and it’s always stuck with me. This is *totally optional* but including my tips, if interested.
Chicken from the package straight to the pan was a no-no, ha! Why? There’s a lot of goop/debris on packaged chicken. Cleaning the chicken is a way to remove any impurities prior to cooking. Here’s what I do: In a large bowl, add the chicken pieces. Cover them in water with a touch of vinegar and a few lemon slices or a splash of lemon juice. You can let that sit for 5-7 minutes and then rinse the chicken, pat dry with paper towels, and proceed.
A common misconception about cleaning chicken is that germs will get everywhere since you’re handling raw poultry. If you’re not touching various things, you wash your hands, and sanitize the area afterwards, all is well.
Tips + Tricks For Recipe Success
Here’s some additional info on this Jamaican brown stew chicken recipe…
- Marinate, marinate! You’ll see in the recipe card below that I note to marinate for at least 2 hours- this is if you’re pressed for time. Otherwise, for best results, let the chicken marinate overnight (at least 8 hours). This will ensure all that flava has penetrated to the bone, max deliciousness.
- Use a proper vessel. You’ll often see in my images that I use quality dutch ovens, like Staub or Le Creuset pieces. They’re solid cookware for nearly all things, but especially braises/stews. Although, you do not need these brands: any large pot like a dutch oven/braiser will work here.
Alternative Cooking Methods For Your Brown Stew Chicken
You might be wondering if you can make this brown stew chicken recipe in ways other than cooking on the stovetop. Here’s some notes:
- Oven notes: If you’d like to finish off your brown stew chicken in the oven, let’s do it! Before starting this recipe, preheat the oven to 325°F. Just follow all the same instructions, below, cooking your brown stew chicken on the stovetop in an oven-safe vessel (like a dutch oven, at least 5-quarts in capacity). Then at step 6, transfer the vessel into the oven, covered, to stew for about 2 hours- or until extra tender and falling off the bone.
- Crockpot/Slow cooker notes: For this method, follow the same instructions in the recipe card, below (steps 1-5). Then carefully transfer everything into your slow cooker vessel, stirring every so often. Cook on low setting for 7-8 hours or on high setting for 4-5 hours. *Note: if your slow cooker has a browning/sear function, you can execute browning the chicken and sautéing the marinade ingredients in it (steps 4-5).
- Pressure cooker/Instant pot notes: I’ll be honest, stew recipes are far better on the stovetop as opposed to pressure cookers. These vessels are all about fast results and the chicken stews so perfectly when cooked low and slow- keeping it real with ya. However, it can be done. Follow the same instructions, doing everything in the pressure cooker (steps 1-5): after all the ingredients are in the cooker, cook on high pressure for about 10-15 minutes. You may need to simmer the gravy afterwards to help it thicken.
What Is Browning Sauce?
This is quite a popular Caribbean household ingredient that we use for a so many recipes- like oxtail. It contains cane sugar, water, caramel color, and more. It’s really what makes this brown stew chicken sing and maintain its name as it deepens flavor and contributes to a big, bold coloring on this stew. You can find it in your local Caribbean market and even some grocery stores in the international aisle. Kitchen Bouquet sauce is a good sub!
What To Serve With Brown Stew Chicken?
Love a good pairing! This brown stew chicken recipe pairs with many things:
- Rice and peas (the best pairing imo!), coconut rice, rice pilaf
- Plantains or fried/steamed cabbage (Island favorites 👌🏾)
- Roasted veggies: broccoli, green beans, asparagus, brussels sprouts
- Mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower
Leftovers & Storing Brown Stew Chicken
This recipe stores/reheats like a dream, plus the flavors deepen + meld even further, amen! Keep all leftovers stored inside of an airtight container. This brown stew chicken will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. To reheat: heat in the microwave until the chicken is warmed through or heat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through. You may need to add a splash more stock/water to help loosen or rehydrate the stew gravy.
Make this Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken recipe, friends. There is a reason this dish is so popular. Whether you’re new to Caribbean cuisine, a brown stew chicken lover, or just looking for a flavorful chicken meal to add into your rotation…you’ll thoroughly enjoy. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾
PrintThe Best Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Braise
- Cuisine: Caribbean
Description
There’s nothing like authentic Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken at all. Incredibly flavorful stewed chicken pieces that are braised to perfection until fall-off-the-bone tender in heaps of aromatics and spices. An insanely scrumptious chicken dinner with a taste of flavor-forward ingredients all over, you’ll love this Caribbean favorite!
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large bell pepper, chopped
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced or 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Jamaican ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8–9 chicken pieces, I use a mix of legs & boneless/skinless thighs
- 3 teaspoons browning sauce, I use Grace brand
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, plus more as needed
- 2 medium-sized carrots, chopped
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 4–6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, left whole- do not cut!
- 3 cups chicken stock or broth
Instructions
- Prep & marinate chicken: In a large bowl or gallon-sized ziplock bag, add in the onion, bell pepper, scallions, garlic, brown sugar, paprika, allspice, ginger, and salt/pepper- to taste. Use your hands (fitted with disposable gloves, if desired) or a utensil to stir the ingredients together. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and then add the chicken pieces and browning sauce. Use your hands to massage all the aromatics and spices into the chicken, massaging very well to ensure the chicken pieces are nicely coated.
- Cover the bowl with a lid/plastic wrap or seal ziplock bag and transfer to refrigerator to allow flavors to marinate for at least 2 hours or- more preferably, overnight (for the best results!). If marinating overnight, just be sure to go back and stir/massage the chicken at least once. This will ensure even flavor marination throughout.
- Brown chicken pieces: Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade mixture, shaking off excess onion/bell pepper/scallion bits- but do not discard the marinade, set aside. Set the chicken aside on a medium baking sheet or large plate/platter.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot, dutch oven/braiser; heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, gently swirl the pot around to evenly coat the bottom. Add a few chicken pieces into the pot, working in batches, careful not to overcrowd. Sear the chicken on all sides until a deep brown crust appears, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer the browned chicken onto a clean, medium baking sheet or large plate/platter and repeat the process until all the chicken pieces are browned- adding a slick more of oil in between batches, only as needed. Then set the browned chicken aside and reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the flavor agents & assemble the stew: Add all the reserved marinade mixture into the same pot and use a wooden utensil to sauté until lightly tender, scraping up any caramelized bits on the bottom of the pot, about 2-3 minutes. Then add all browned chicken pieces back into pot, nestling them right on top of the marinade mixture, along with any residual juices that have collected. Add the carrots, tomato sauce, fresh thyme, bay leaves, scotch bonnet pepper, and chicken stock. Gently stir everything together until well combined.
- Stew the chicken: Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot with a lid. Allow the chicken to stew for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, covered- until the chicken pieces are meltingly tender and falling off the bone.
- Adjust stew gravy, if needed: Discard the herb stems, bay leaves, and scotch bonnet pepper from the pot. If you’d like to thicken the stew liquid in the pot, place over medium-high heat. Cook, gently stirring, for a bit until the liquid reaches your desired consistency. Afterwards, taste and adjust with more salt/pepper, as desired.
- Serve this brown stew chicken immediately. I love serving this brown stew chicken in shallow bowls alongside some rice and peas (and plantains, too!) with extra stew gravy poured right over it all. Enjoy!
Notes
- For best recipe success, please read the blog post & notes in its entirety with video tutorial before beginning.
Keywords: brown stew chicken, jamaican brown stew chicken, jamaican food, caribbean food, stew chicken, one pot meal, one pan meal, chicken dinner
55 Comments on “The Best Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken”
If you can’t find the browning sauce is there something you can substitute or leave out? This looks so delicious!
Hi Shelly, you can either make it homemade (check out this recipe) or leave it out completely 🙂
I made stew chicken for my coworker and now she is asking for a recipe so I came searching for one. Growing up in Jamaica we just know how much of every ingredient to use to make it right so I never needed a recipe, thus my reason for not having one. This recipe is close to what I would do so I am sharing it with her. I will return to update you after she makes it. I am giving a 5 star.
★★★★★
Both stewed chicken and rice were delicious had them for dinner tonight and will make both again!!!
★★★★★
Hey Kim- so happy you loved both of these recipes 🙂
Delicious and easy! Made it to serve for an outdoor dinner with friends and added a couple extra chicken thighs thinking it would be great leftovers but there were none!!! I left out the scotch bonnet because I was also feeding kids and, although it was still fantastic, I think it would have been over the top with that little bit of extra heat.
★★★★★
Hi Katy- glad to hear you + your friends enjoyed this brown stew chicken! 🙂
I need you to know that this recipe changed my life. Now my husband wants Jamaican cooking all the time! Thank you for sharing this dish!
★★★★★
Hi Kayte- love to hear this feedback, so happy you guys enjoyed this recipe 🙂
I just made this dish tonight and it was delicious. The chicken was soooo tender and the flavor was bomb. I made it with white rice, fried sweet plantains and some salad. It’s a great feeling trying a new recipe for the first time and hitting it out of the park. I will definitely be making this again.
★★★★★
Hey! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, love hearing this! 🙂
Thank you, one happy family tonight!
★★★★★
Hello, I am about to make the brown stew today, if I use boneless chicken breast, how low should I cut the stewing time?
Hi there- if using boneless chicken the stewing time will be reduced to about 1 hour for maximum flavor.
We’ve made the several times. It’s SO GOOD!! Our favorite meal 😍
★★★★★
Hi Meredith- so glad you all enjoyed my brown stew chicken! 🙂
I have a question. How hot would the scotch bonnet make the stew. I have someone coming to dinner that is new to Jamaican food and I am not sure he can tolerate very spicy food
Hi there- scotch bonnet is a very spicy pepper but when stewed with the other aromatics, the spice subsides some. However, you may want to omit it if you’re serving to people who are sensitive to heat 🙂
5 out of 5 stars! I tried Brown Stew Chicken about a month ago, and immediately had to learn how to make it. This recipe was better than the restaurant version! The spice level was perfect and the chicken was full of flavor and fall-off-the-bone-tender. I am going to make this again and again.
★★★★★
Hey Taylor- I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review! 🙂
Delicious, reminds me of my Trini mom making this dish as a child.
★★★★★
Best Brown Stew Chicken the flavors make you get every bit of sauce up with.toasted bread.
★★★★★
We used this recipe with quail instead of chicken and it was to die for. Need to try it with rabbit next!
★★★★★
Thank you for this recipe. Was wondering if it could be done in the oven? Thanks!
Hi there- yes, you could transfer the pot into the oven. I recommend cooking for about 2 hours @ 325°F.
Hi
I would like to make this stew but can’t find Jamaican all spice can I substitute with a different spice like Cajun spice
Thanks
Hi- you can simply omit the all spice altogether or use an alternate spice of choice here 🙂
First time trying this and it was delicious! My family loved. I doubled the recipe and I was really scared about the scotch bonnet pepper so I used one instead of two. Loved this recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Niki- nice, so glad you and your fam enjoyed this brown stew chicken, too! 🙂
I came across this site by browsing on Pinterest and I am so glad that I did. I made this tonight and it was delicious! Thank you sooo much for an amazing, easy to follow recipe using ingredients that I already had on hand. This was the first recipe that I tried from this site but it definitely will not be the last! 👍🏽
★★★★★
I cannot wait to try this recipe. I have had brown stewed chicken from two places,but this one looks and sounds like it is a better recipe. Both wew made by people from the island. Gotta try this one. Being a cook reading the recipe I can imagine the taste. This I know is good,now to find out how good. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Made this for dinner tonight and loved it! I had to substitute habanero and took it out of the pot 30 minutes before it was finished because I was afraid of dying! Lol. The final product had the perfect amount of spice for me and was delicious! Thank you for such an easy delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Ann- haha, glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for leaving this review! 🙂
Hi i ran across your recipe
Over a month ago and have
Been wanting to try it out as
A different way to cook chicken
I finally made this today and it was
Different but good thanks for sharing
I will be making this again
Hi! I want to make this recipe for our dinner club this weekend since our theme is the Caribbean. However, finding browning sauce in the Netherlands is nearly impossible. Do you know of a recipe to make it yourself? You said in your post that finding a substitute is impossible, but do you have any recommendations that come close?
I’m really looking forward to making this dish, all comments look so promising!
Hi Lisa- Sure thing, I would do a quick google search for “homemade browning sauce” and see what comes up. You should be able to find one that can help you make a similar version right at home. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi Quin,
It did and it worked out beautifully! We all very much enjoyed the dish!! We will make it again in the future 🙂
★★★★★
My family loved this dish. Will make it again for sure. I didn’t have browning sauce, so I used Worcestershire Sauce instead and it came out great!!
★★★★★
I forgot to buy ginger. Will it make a difference?.?
Hi Latasha- I recommend the ginger for a depth of flavor, but it’s likely that the recipe will be fine w/o it…lmk how it turns out! 🙂
This stewed chicken recipe was really bomb! Made this and the rice and peas for lunch for today and tomorrow and thanks to my husband and kid; I have to make something else cause they ate it all! 😂 this is officially a butter be ready stan account!
★★★★★
Hey Alanna- Lol I really love to see it! I’m so glad you + your fam have enjoyed many recipes on the site…thanks so much for leaving reviews on them, I appreciate it! 🙂
Is Kitchen Bouquet a browning sauce? My mom would use it in making turkey gravy. It is stocked in stores on the west coast.
Hi there- you could try that if you’d like! 🙂
This recipe is definitely a keeper!!! Thank you Soooo much! Made with cabbage & rice.
★★★★★
After trying 3 different recipes, I can truly say this is THE BEST. I made this last week and loved it so much. I can’t ever find scotch bonnet peppers so I added cayenne. It worked.
★★★★★
Hi Belicia- Wowww, so happy you enjoyed this recipe, thank you for taking the time to drop this review! 🙂
Kitchen Boquet is a browning sauce,it js written right on the bottle, my mother used it for decades and so have I.
I used this in the recipe and it turned out great
Lemme tell you….this, THIS! Make this as written. Double if needed as I did. A. Fkn. Mazing!
★★★★★
Hi Mera- I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for leaving this review! 🙂
This was fabulous and easy! I loved how the recipe explained everything clearly and my entire family loved the results.
★★★★★
Hey Sheri- Love getting this feedback, so glad you and your fam enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Ohhhh my gooodness!! This dish was soo good!! I followed the recipe to the T and it came out aaahhhhmmmaaazzziinnngggly good. My husband kept raving about it and I wish I could get the credit for it but no, lol! The only thing that I would like to add because we love spice is more spice.. maybe opening up the pepper instead of just putting it in whole just to give more spice but other than that veryyy veryyyyy goooooooddddd!!!!
★★★★★
Hi there- You don’t know how much this feedback means to me, love to hear it, I’m so glad y’all enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Made this recipe today and omg soooooo freakin delicious!! I made with white rice and cabbage
★★★★★