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Brown Stew Chicken

Brown stew chicken is a Jamaican braise with deep mahogany gravy, fall-apart chicken thighs, and caramelized peppers. Marinate first, then brown the chicken and simmer until thick and tender for a bold, spiced, one-pot dinner.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Marinating 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Jamaican
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and vegetables
  • 3 lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, minced (optional) Use whole pepper or to taste; keep seeds if you want more heat.
Marinade
  • 2 tsp browning sauce
  • 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • salt and pepper Use to taste.
Stew
  • 2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp sugar (for browning)
  • fresh thyme for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Combine all marinade ingredients with the chicken in a bowl, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to soak up the Jamaican seasonings.
  2. If time allows, stir once halfway through the marinating time so the chicken stays evenly coated.
Brown the sugar and chicken
  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then sprinkle in the sugar and let it caramelize until golden brown.
  2. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook until deeply golden on all sides, then remove to a plate.
Sauté and simmer
  1. In the same pot, sauté the onion, bell peppers, garlic, green onions, and scotch bonnet for 4 minutes, stirring so the aromatics soften.
  2. Return the chicken to the pot, add the chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is fall-apart tender and the gravy has thickened.
Serve
  1. Serve the brown stew chicken with rice and top with fresh thyme for garnish.

Notes

For the deepest mahogany color, caramelize the sugar until golden (not burnt) before browning the chicken. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3-4 days; freeze in an airtight container for up to 2-3 months. To make it lower-sodium, use a reduced-sodium all-purpose seasoning and broth, and season to taste at the end.