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Brown Stew Chicken

Brown stew chicken with a deep mahogany gravy made by caramelizing sugar and then simmering marinated bone-in chicken until fall-apart tender. Jamaican-spiced flavors come through with thyme, onions, bell peppers, garlic, and optional scotch bonnet.
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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: 680
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 clove garlic minced
  • 3 green onions sliced
  • 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper minced (optional)
  • 2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp sugar for browning
  • 0.25 fresh thyme for garnish
Marinade
  • 2 tsp browning sauce
  • 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp pepper

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Combine browning sauce, all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, salt, and pepper, then massage over the bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight for best flavor and deeper color.
Brown and build the gravy
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, then add sugar and let it caramelize until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. When the sugar is amber-golden, the oil will smell toasted and the caramel will be fluid.
  2. Brown the marinated chicken pieces in the caramel oil until deeply golden on all sides, 8-10 minutes total, then remove to a plate. Keep the heat steady so the outside browns without burning the caramel.
  3. Sauté onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, garlic, green onions, and scotch bonnet or habanero pepper for 4 minutes. Stir until the vegetables soften slightly and the garlic turns fragrant.
  4. Return the browned chicken to the pot, add chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Scrape up any browned bits for more flavor.
  5. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and simmer for 35-40 minutes until chicken is fall-apart tender and gravy is thick. The gravy should cling to the chicken and look glossy, not watery.
Serve
  1. Serve the brown stew chicken with rice and garnish with fresh thyme. Spoon the thick mahogany gravy over the chicken so it coats the meat.

Notes

For deeper Jamaican-style color, keep the caramel on the golden side (amber-golden) before adding the chicken—burnt sugar turns bitter. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months. For a lighter option, use skinless chicken thighs and substitute vegetable oil with a measured olive oil amount while keeping the browning steps the same.