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Brown Stew Chicken

Brown stew chicken with Jamaican-spiced marinade and a deep mahogany gravy. Chicken thighs simmer until fall-apart tender with caramelized sugar, peppers, and thyme.
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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 aromatics
  • 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)
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
Cooking ingredients
  • 2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp sugar (for browning)
  • 1 fresh thyme for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Marinate
  1. Mix browning sauce, all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, salt, and pepper, then rub into the chicken thighs and drumsticks. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours up to overnight for better flavor.
Brown the sugar and chicken
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven, then sprinkle in sugar and cook until caramelized to golden brown. Keep the heat steady so the caramel turns amber without burning.
  2. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook until deeply golden on all sides, turning as needed. Remove chicken to a plate once browned.
Build the stew and simmer
  1. Sauté onion, bell peppers, garlic, green onions, and scotch bonnet in the pan for 4 minutes. Stir until fragrant and the peppers begin to soften.
  2. Return browned chicken to the pot, add chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom for extra color.
  3. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 35-40 minutes until fall-apart tender and the gravy is thick. Uncover near the end if you need more reduction.
Serve
  1. Spoon the brown stew chicken and mahogany gravy into bowls and finish with fresh thyme. Serve with rice.

Notes

For the darkest mahogany gravy, caramelize the sugar until golden (amber) before adding chicken—don’t let it go past golden. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently until hot and loosen with a splash of broth if needed. Freezing is yes: freeze up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge. For a lighter option, use skinless chicken thighs and reduce oil to 1 tablespoon while keeping the browning step.