Brown Stewed Chicken Recipe

Name: Jerks of the Caribbeans Brown Stewed Chicken Recipe
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 6 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks); 1 tbs soy sauce (regular); 1 tbs Browning sauce (e.g., Kitchen Bouquet or caramelized sugar); 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbs fresh ginger, thinly sliced or minced; 1 tsp black pepper, ground; 1 tsp salt; 3 tbs vegetable oil (or canola); 1 tbs unsalted butter (optional, for richer flavor); 2 cups water; 2 tbs tomato ketchup; 1 tbs brown sugar (light or dark); 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp thyme (dried or fresh); 1 leaf bay leaf; 3 stalks scallions (green onions), whole or halved; 0.25 tsp allspice (ground) or pimento berries; 1 piece hot pepper ( Scotch bonnet or habanero ), optional; 1 tbs lime or lemon juice (to finish); 2 tbs fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

Inspired by Jerks of the Caribbean

Time1h 15m

Serves4

Make Brown Stewed Chicken Recipe in just 1h 15m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Chicken & Marinade

6 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)

1 tbs soy sauce (regular)

1 tbs Browning sauce (e.g., Kitchen Bouquet or caramelized sugar)

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tbs fresh ginger, thinly sliced or minced

1 tsp black pepper, ground

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

Browning & Sauté

3 tbs vegetable oil (or canola)

1 tbs unsalted butter (optional, for richer flavor)

Stew Liquid & Seasoning

2 cups water

2 tbs tomato ketchup

1 tbs brown sugar (light or dark)

1 tsp Original Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp thyme (dried or fresh)

1 leaf bay leaf

3 stalks scallions (green onions), whole or halved

1/4 tsp allspice (ground) or pimento berries

1 piece hot pepper ( Scotch bonnet or habanero ), optional

Finishing

1 tbs lime or lemon juice (to finish)

2 tbs fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

Method

Chicken & Marinade

Prepare chicken

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Make 2–3 shallow slashes in the thicker parts of the pieces to help the marinade penetrate.

In a large bowl combine soy sauce, browning sauce, minced garlic, sliced or minced ginger, ground black pepper and salt. Add the chicken and rub the marinade into the slashes and over all surfaces. Marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator (if refrigerating, bring to room temperature 20–30 minutes before cooking).

Browning & Sauté

Brown the chicken

Heat a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and butter. When hot and shimmering, remove chicken from the marinade (reserve marinade) and place pieces skin-side down in a single layer without crowding. Sear until the skin is deep golden brown, about 4–5 minutes; flip and brown the other side 3–4 minutes. Work in batches if necessary. Transfer browned pieces to a plate.

Lower the heat to medium. Add the reserved marinade to the pan and cook for 30–45 seconds, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze.

Stew Liquid & Seasoning

Build the stew

Add the water, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaf, allspice and whole scallions to the pan. If using the hot pepper, add it whole (do not pierce unless you want more heat). Stir to combine and bring just to a simmer.

Return the browned chicken to the pan, skin-side up. Reduce heat to low so the liquid simmers gently (not a rolling boil). Cover the pan partially with a lid, leaving a small gap for steam to escape.

Simmer gently for 30–40 minutes, turning chicken once halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 75°C / 165°F) and the sauce has reduced and thickened to a glossy, brown stew. If the sauce reduces too much before the chicken is tender, add 1/4 cup (60 ml) hot water and continue cooking.

Finishing

Finish and serve

Remove the bay leaf and whole hot pepper (if used). Stir in the lime or lemon juice and chopped parsley or cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper or a touch more browning/soy if you want a deeper color/flavor. Spoon the brown stewed chicken and sauce over rice, peas and rice, or your preferred starch and garnish with extra scallion slices.