Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken with Rice

Steps

1. Step 1

   Put the chicken in a large bowl, rub it all over with the vinegar, then rinse briefly and pat dry. Add the salt, black pepper, allspice, garlic powder and soy sauce and rub them into the meat. Add the scallions, thyme sprigs, garlic and the Scotch bonnet, and toss to coat.

   15 min

   • 3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
   • 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
   • 1 1/2 tsp salt
   • 1 tsp black pepper
   • 1 tsp ground allspice
   • 1 tsp garlic powder
   • 1 tbsp soy sauce
   • 4 scallions
   • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
   • 4 cloves garlic
   • 1 Scotch bonnet pepper
2. Step 2

   Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight for the best flavor.

   30 min, hands-off

3. Step 3

   Lift the chicken pieces out of the marinade, brushing off and saving the scallions, thyme, garlic and Scotch bonnet in the bowl. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the brown sugar into the oil and let it melt and bubble until it turns dark amber and smells nutty, about 2 minutes — watch it closely so it doesn't burn.

   5 min

   • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
   • 2 tbsp brown sugar
4. Step 4

   Add the chicken pieces to the caramel in a single layer, working in two batches so the pan isn't crowded. Brown well on both sides, about 4 minutes per side, until deeply colored. Move the browned pieces to a plate.

   16 min

5. Step 5

   Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved scallions, thyme, garlic and Scotch bonnet from the marinade along with the tomatoes, and cook 2 minutes more.

   7 min

   • 1 yellow onion
   • 1 bell pepper
   • 2 carrots
   • 2 tomatoes
6. Step 6

   Stir in the ketchup, soy sauce, chicken broth and allspice, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen the browned bits. Return the chicken and any juices to the pot, nestling the pieces into the liquid.

   3 min

   • 3 tbsp ketchup
   • 1 tbsp soy sauce
   • 2 cups chicken broth
   • 1 tsp ground allspice
7. Step 7

   Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for 35 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway through, until the meat is very tender and pulling from the bone.

   35 min, hands-off

8. Step 8

   Meanwhile, make the rice: combine the rice, water and salt in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, 5 minutes, then stir in the butter and fluff with a fork.

   20 min

   • 2 cups long-grain white rice
   • 3 cups water
   • 1 tsp salt
   • 1 tbsp butter
9. Step 9

   Uncover the stew and simmer 5 to 10 minutes more to thicken the gravy, until it coats a spoon. Fish out the thyme stems and the whole Scotch bonnet, taste the gravy and add salt as needed. Serve over the rice.

   10 min

   • salt

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026