Categorized | Chicken
Tasty Trinidad style stew chicken recipe.
Posted on 30 March 2009
Though this recipe was not passed down from my mom, the technique and basic principles I did learn from watching her prepare this amazing dish. Quite honestly, this is my favorite dish and it’s cooked at least once a week at home. Served with sliced avocado, cucumber and tomato on a heaping bed of brown rice. Just thinking about it, makes the greedy juices in my mouth flow.
Though you may have heard that “browning” the meat can be difficult, this is a very simple and easy recipe to follow. With the aid of pictures I’ll show you how easy it is to brown or caramelize the chicken, so everything turns out perfect
You’ll need…
1 (4-5 pounds) whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 cloves of garlic – thinly sliced or crushed
1 teaspoon fresh/bottled ginger – crushed. (use 1/2 if it’s ginger powder)
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (one that can withstand high heat)
1 medium onion – chopped
1 medium tomato – chopped
2-3 tablespoon cilantro (or 2 tbs Trinidad green meat seasoning)
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (only if you like your food spicy)
1 green onion or chive – chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (1 teaspoon dried)
1 lime or lemon or 3 tablespoons of vinegar
Lets get started…
Preparing the chicken. Cut or ask your butcher to cut the chicken into serving size pieces. In a bowl empty the cut chicken and squeeze the lime or lemon (or vinegar) onto the chicken, then add some water from your tap to cover the pieces of chicken. Now wash each piece individually, removing skin and any fat (we’ll try to keep this a bit healthy). Now rinse with a new batch of water and drain.
Now in the same bowl with the freshly washed chicken you’ll add ALL the ingredients EXCEPT the oil, sugar and cup of water, we’ll be using those to cook the chicken. Here’s what it should look like (remember to mix everything around and let it sit (marinate) in the fridge for about 1hr before cooking.
FYI, you’ve just seasoned the chicken. After about an hour or so it time to get things moving. It’s best if you could find a solid or heavy pan/pot, like a dutch oven for the actual cooking process. The heavier the pan, the better the oil will heat evenly and the chicken will caramelize for you. On high heat, add the oil to the pan. Just before the oil starts to smoke, add the brown sugar. TIP – be sure to have the seasoned chicken handy, use a long handle spoon (it will get hot) and oven mitts to hold onto the pot to turn the pieces of chicken to get it evenly coated. It’s important that you keep an eye on things and be ready to act fast. Next tip – it can get a bit smoky with the high heat at this point, so you may want to turn the exhaust fan over your stove on or open a window in the event you have smoke detectors installed.
Here’s a pic of adding the sugar to the hot oil.
Move around the sugar in the pot (remember to use a dry spoon with a long handle), until it starts to melt. Now keep a close eye on things here, since you’re looking for the sugar to go a bit foamy, and change color to golden. See pic below. Notice the bottom left of the picture where the sugar appears a bit darker? That’s the exact color you’re looking for before adding the chicken.
At this point you can start adding the pieces of chicken into the pot with the caramelized sugar. Try to be quick, since you don’t want the sugar to go much darker than in the picture above. Be sure to coat every piece of chicken so it “browns” evenly. Now cover the pot and let simmer for about 5 -10 minutes. you’ll notice that the pot will now have some excess water in it.
Remove the lid and turn the heat back up to high. Let’s get rid of that water that formed earlier.We’re ensuring that all the pieces of meat is nice an golden brown at this point. Ensure that there’s no water left in the pot.. it will seems as if it’s starting to stick or burn.
Now add the cup of water to the bowl that contained the seasoned chicken. Swish it around so you get all the seasoning bits that were left back. Add this water to the pot so you can continue cooking the chicken for another 25 minutes or so. Turn the heat back down to a simmer and let cook until the water thickens up to a nice gravy like consistency.
Couple points..
Salt – be sure to taste near the end to add extra salt as to your liking.
Sauce – my mom hates allowing any form of sauce with her stew chicken, she like it to “fry down” so it dry. Makes for a more unique and traditional flavor. But I like to leave it with sauce or gravy so I can put it on a bed of brown rice.
Questions? Leave me a comment below and I’ll try my best to help you as best as I can.
Maybe you have a different version of this recipe? Feel free to submit your recipes – let’s make you a famous online chef 
86 Responses to “Tasty Trinidad style stew chicken recipe.”
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Was looking for a easy Stew chicken Recipe but there are so many variations out there. This one is so similar to my mom's own though! Going to try it out tonight! Great Job!
My mom taught me how to brown the chicken by adding the brown sugar to the hot oil. Then she showed me how to brown the chicken by only using the sugar in a very hot heavy based pot. For this, of course you had to stand still with your pot spoon in one hand, your water in the other and your well seasoned chicken pieces very close by as you watch for the sugar to caramelize to a lovely darkish brown colour. When it begins to bubble and takes on that beautiful brown shade, you add a bit of water which could spatter a bit (so be careful) and then you add only the chicken pieces minus all the other stuff you have in the bowl with the chicken. You must have the burner to a very medium to low heat while your chicken takes color and the pot must be tightly covered. In about 2 mins. time you can check to turn the pieces so that both sides of the pieces take color and once that is achieved you may add the remaining stuff from the container your chicken was in, and add more water as desired and simmer your stew. "A stew boiled is a stew spoiled".
Some wonderful options I've learned is (1) Adding a piece of ginger root to the stew while the chicken cooks. (2) Chris, I don't know if you ever heard of this but I saw my sister doing it and I was surprised at the really unique flavour it brought out: adding a bit of peanut butter to the stew. (3) adding a grain or two of clove to the stew when it's near to finish. My grandma used to do it and it gave the stew a fantastic flavor.
Quick and easy! Thanks a lot!
Im having a hard time finding The green meet seasoning… I want My meat to have that trini/ carribean flavor..
@ceci you can make your own. Measurement can be as much or little. In a food processor mince garlic cloves first then add cilantro, scallion, parsley and thyme and a add vinegar to preserve it and give it some liquid. Sesoning pepper or a 1/4habernero pepper or jalepeno works fine as a substitute. i add salt to taste. it should taste herby and fresh with a little spicy kick. you can use this for almost all meat preperations enjoy
What up Chris thats my style of cooking my same recipe for years,only one thing i dont do any more is use oil to brown d sugar u can heat your pot very hot an just add the sugar an get d same results keep up the good work bro.
I am so glad i found this website all the recipes are fantastic,I just retired so I am spending most of my time in T&T, so I can get all right ingredients to get that real Trini taste.Thanks Chris and also your Mom for training you right keep up the good work.
Hi Chris,
I have been salivating over your recipes ever since I've found your blog, but I only had the opportunity to make my first attempt this evening. I grow my own scotch bonnet peppers and herbs, so I've wanted numerous times to try one of your recipes, but I must admit that I was often "turned off" by the thought of using ketchup in a recipe, because I've never been a ketchup fan. Tonight I made your Trinidad chicken stew, and it turned out fabulously – I even added a little extra ketchup!
Thank you so much for your blog and your wonderful recipes. I will be making a lot more of them now that I've overcome my "ketchup fear"!
Olivia
Just tried this stew and am telling you…mmmmh tastes so good. Thanks Chris!!
Sally
I just got married to a US-born Trini man and I am so excited to make this for him. I will make the callaloo as well and let you know how they both turn out. Thanks for a great site with simple recipes. I love to cook so I am confident I can make these work. As another Minnesotan, I thought I should let the other one who posted here know that crabs are readily available if you are in Minneapolis—Asian markets, Coastal Seafood, and other places have plenty of options. Happy cooking!
I just got married to a US-born Trini man and I am so excited to make this for him. I will make the callaloo as well and let you know how they both turn out. Thanks for a great site with simple recipes. I love to cook so I am confident I can make these work. Happy cooking!
Hi, your recipe is good however, I mince the seasoning including Pimentoes (flavoured peppers) and season the chicken over night, I brown the sugar without oil.
I use Angostura bitters if there is no lime juice, cover let the chicken simmerin its own juices for full flavour.
We like moist stewed chicken.
I enjoy your recipies.
I live in Trinidad.
Hi, i am a trini living abroad over thirty years and never get any trin food. Thanks for the recepies and for the green seasoning sauce. From now on i’ll be trying more of your recepies. Thanx dude!!!!!!!!
This is the best recipe!!!!!! I used it with Portobello mushrooms for a vegetartian frend and my mushroom-hating-stew-chicken-eating family thought it was fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nathalie
I love the way you show the "browning". Nice thanks. I have not made this in a decade so doing today for my kids along with Macoroni pie.
Hi Chris, I just want to let you know that I enjoy the coking demonstrations. I am sure you have been a great help to those who are leaning to cook as well as those who know how but continue to learn from pros like you. Great job!
Hi Chris, my son loves this brown stew chicken. He says the chicken is more flavorful this way. Learned this method from my best friendwho is from Trinidad. She also taught me how to make the green seasoning…..which I make for close family. Always have some in the fridge. Love the recipes. Keep up the great work . God bless.
I have tried this recipe. It came out great, very testy. Thank you for your recipes.
Just cooked this…and I must say its the best chicken dish I’ve ever had!! Yummy
Thanks Chris both my husband and me love your recipes.