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 🙂
Can you use boneless chicken breasts, thighs or drumsticks for this recipe instead of a whole chicken?
Hi Chris
Thanks for the great recipe! I used a non-stick pan and did not (at all) get the same reaction with the brown sugar. It seemed to make the sugar caramelize, without the smokiness or the froth. Could it be that i put the sugar in too early? or was it the pot itself?
Thanks
So should I assume that we add the tomato, onion, scallions, garlic and thyme in when we put the water you add to the bowl? Just want to make sure. I’m making this now and am adding carrots and yellow bell pepper. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!!
Can you use boneless chicken breast
Hey. I use brown sugar to stew my chicken but it always come out bitter. Why is that??
you’re allowing the sugar to burn. you don;t want that. stop and add the meat when it goes from bubbly to slight amber in color. or it will always go bitter
Hi Chris; this is Monica. Thanks for the recipe, you take me back to my youthful days I have stop using brown sugar but watching your post I try stewing my chicken with your recipe and it came out great taste good. Thanks again soldier!
Much luv for the support, taking time to leave the comment/feedback and most of al.. for giving the recipe ah try.
I tried this recipe but it wasn’t brown enough any other tips for making it more brown?
Added some mint leaves as well and it turned out heavenly. Thanks a ton for this!
I tried using brown sugar but my stew came out sweet. Advice? And can you give a recipe using liquid browning
Very tasty stew, thank you for your recipe.
Love your recipe will try this one i’m like your mom i like my stew dry God bless
Diana
thumbs up, just add a few more spoons of green seasoning
Chris someone posted maggots on the page with the stewed chicken! Check your site.
Hi Chris Sandra here, I’m trying to purchase your Cook Book having trouble with online purchase. HELP SANDRA
Chris, this is a wicked receipe for real. The first time I ate this a real Trini made it for us, my Aunt’s fiance we used to call him Uncle Charlo rest his soul.
I’ve been cooking this for years and everyone loves it. A tasty variation if you like a richer sauce is add a can of ratatouille and some okra – Hey Presto, Gumbo!
Love this recipe!!! I followed it exactly except I added a Lil of my own love and its perfect!!! Thanks I finally can make stew chicken the right way.Thanks!!!!
Hi, Chris. Just getting into cooking Caribbean dishes. I want to try this today. Do I cook the tomato, etc. with chicken or are they only used for the marinade?
the marinade goes into the pot as well… but can be added when you add the water.
This chicken really really the Gud thing I luv it chris
I have grown some Trinidad 7-Pot hot peppers. So should I add one 28th of a pepper? Seriously, I made it with a few substitutions: home-made sriracha sauce for the ketchup and cilantro for the cilantro. (and one habanero pepper, halved, and removed before serving) Yes, I LIKE hot.
i did dat same recipe my son and Grandson love it.I did not use sugar but the browning.
Just made the stew chicken and I must say it was wicked, I watch you all the time and share your vids with my American friends, from a fellow trini from south keep up the good work
hi chris,this recipe is great,my wife did it the only thing is that change the flavor by adding some shrimp, taste great. thank you.
I have cooked this baby up several times for my. English counterparts. Interesting to see very slight deviations from the norm….Carib anyone ?
Making this again today for the hundreth time. This dish has made me very popular among my friends. Everyone “loves my stew chicken”. Thanks Chris!!!
I love this recipe its so easy to do, My husband loves it he’s always asking to make it. Dude ur a legend 🙂 xx
Dear Chris,
How are you doing? I hope you are well.
How do you make cook up rice Trinidad style.
Thank you Chris. From Donna
Chris after I Brown the chicken I remove and saute the fresh seasonings then add water and chicken and then cook as in your recipe. Thanks, I appreciate your recipe
Hyacinth
My mother-in-law and I made a large jar of pre-browned or caramelized suger, which is the exact color and taste for the stew chicken. However, I’ve never used it and am wondering if I coat the chicken and then simmer it, or heat the sugar and add the chicken as your recipe describes. Any help on this will be appreciated!
I did the exact recipe except I used a browning only thing I did different witch u can do the same is when you hot your old put a some of your caramelized sugar in the oil and proceed to brown your chickens.
Happy New Year Chris!
Love your receipes 🙂
Love your recipes keep them coming Chris, can’t wait to try this one. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Thank on how to browning the chicken with brown sugar.
poor cooks blames the ingredients.
Nothing wrong with the recipe or instructions.
That’s my kind of caribbean cooking. Thanks for sharing
Excellent job on sharing our trinbagonian recipes
Looks delish – just like mine.
Excellent recipe, same way I cook my stew chicken,and it is always delicious,sorry for those who do not agree.Thanks for sharing.
One of my favorite west Indian dishes!! love the smell when you cook it and it tastes so delish!!! Thanks Chris for your recipe! Very similar to mine!
The worst recipe I’ve ever tried. I don’t like the taste of sugar and salt mix together. This one ended up in the bin. Best place for it.
Tried it today and was tasty
Just before the chicken is finished cooking(about 8 mins),add some of the seasoning to the pot as it gives the meat that extra flavour.
Yes Morris tang ….dats the same wat I finish up
Thanks so much for this recipe, a good friend made it for me, and I fell in love with it but I was not sure she would share the recipe with me, now I can make it whenever I want… Awesome! !
Just found your website via ChewOnIt.com. Have saved you on my favorites bar and I look forward to trying this tasty chicken recipe!! Thanks!! Have a great day!!
Kelli in WV
Hi Chris,
I add potatoes to my stew and I also like to leave some sauce in it for the rice as well.
Thanks
Rachel
Hi Chris,
I have tried many different seasonings for the famous Stew Chicken and I have found this to be my family’s favorite. It was created as a rushed dinner due to busy days with the kids, however, I have discovered these are the times I get the most compliments. Go figure! 🙂
I have 2 accidental creations, that my family love.
No marinating (as it was a rushed cook)
Washed and rinsed well chicken
Worcestershire sauce
Chicken marinade
Dash of salt
Onion
Fresh garlic
Cilantro
Canned stewed tomato
Olive Oil
White sugar
Mix all ingredients with chicken, except oil, sugar and stewed tomatoes.
Put oil in pot, then sprinkle sugar. Heat on high until it turns dark brown
Add in chicken mix, shake pot so everything gets an even browning. Keep heat on high for a few minutes, then turn chicken to brown other side for a few minutes. Turn down heat. Add in stewed tomatoes and let cook until chicken is done. Appx 30 mins.
The second receipe is the same, just added some curry.
I always serve my stews with steamed white rice, roti/naan bread, sliced cucumber and tomato marinated with vinegar, salt and pepper. I do not add spiciness to my meals because of my young children, so my husband and I put it on the side of our place settimg. We use matukes calypso or west indian hot sauce, sometimes scotch bonnet hot sauce for a more powerful taste. (Depending in our chilled drink, lol)
I know this receipe may sound boring, but my family loves it and like I mentions. ..it was a busy day and being a soccer mom, my mind slipped of other ingredients.
I do not have exact measurements, other than a dash, splash and pinch…lol.
Thanks for you time and your many flavorful creations you share.
God bless
Chris ,this is the same way we stew our chicken in St. Vincent and I love it bad, sometimes I stew a lot and eat it with bread and I love soaking up that bread in the gravy. The other day I had asked you where I can get one of the big iron pot like the one you do meat in but I did not get back a reply. so hopefully you will see this and let me know. thanks Chris..
Hello Lynette,
You can purchase any iron pot in any haberdashery or kitchen store. If you live in Trinidad you can find them on Mucarapo street, Charlotte street, chaguanas almost everywhere.
They are a good investment as they will last a lifetime…
Happy cooking
Jennylene
Hi There Chris..I recently started following you on F’book and by E.mail….Love the great recipes done similar to ours here in B’dos
Keep up the good work…Rock on!
Love your reciepes Chris. Long time I trying to buy one if ur books. Love this reciepe. Taste better every time I make it
Hi chris first off i'd like to thank you i cooked this for my half trinidadian husband who is so fussy , due to his dad being such a good cook and he lovedd it , may i ask how many pieces of chicken do you get when cutting up your whole chicken , as i made it with 6 , but we are having some friends round , and my husband has asked me to cook this , so im going to need 10 pieces of chicken , and i want to get the taste right , so would it be ideal to double your recipe , as i dont want it to be too sweet .
Thank you for this recipe I really enjoyed it but instead of brown rice I used basmati rice. It gives the food an unique taste.
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.
I have tried this recipe. It came out great, very testy. Thank you for your recipes.
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.
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!
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.
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
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!!!!!!!!
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.
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!
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!
Just tried this stew and am telling you…mmmmh tastes so good. Thanks Chris!!
Sally
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
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.
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.
@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
Im having a hard time finding The green meet seasoning… I want My meat to have that trini/ carribean flavor..
Quick and easy! Thanks a lot!
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.
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!
I think it would be a good idea to recommend cooking equipment as to quality,etc and where we could buy them. For example, you suggested using a heaving pot for the chicken. In all my years of cooking, i never thought it made any difference. So Chris, link us up with a place like Nella Cucuna, where we can get a discount on quality stuff.
Chris-that stew is fantastic -but i made mine without oil-i allow the pot to get hot and add the sugar but kep turning because it gets brown fast-but you are a great cook-i need someone like you to cook for me-anyway i do try your recipes- i made the mango peppersauce with the pears -it came out great so i am taking up for my children in florida-thanks a million
This recipe makes me want to eat my plate! Thanks so much Chris. Its become an absolute family favourite. My husband thinks I'm a genius and my friends ask for more – and I've taken to secretely hiding one plate of leftovers for my lunch the next day, but end up eating it at 11.00am because its too delicious to wait! And most of all I love that the ingredients are so simple to pick up – a couple of pieces of chicken, 1 tomato, 1 onion and some cilantro, all the rest are in my cupboard already. The easiest dish in the world once you've got the technique of browning. A million thanks.
Chris thanks for sharing your recipe with us, real down home cooking have my mouth watering, peace and love .
great thanks
Hey Chris,
So many twists to this recipe..All delicious I might add. Usually I do my stew chicken exactly like yours, and yes it is always delicious. Learnt from my mom, she was a great cook. I think I will try the one with the coconut milk. Coconut milk always spruces up a dish 🙂 And I saw someone adds rum. Think I'll try that one too. I love
your dishes. Always has this Caribbean style way of cooking. I too always use fresh green seasoning I have growing in my backyard..
I like to use Coconut milk instead of water…..gives a really nice flavor to the stew
Chris, did you actually file number 007 with making any James Bond jokes?
Next… you have to cook stew rabbit! Its getting a little popular here in Trinidad and although I wouldn’t want to eat a cute bunny– I still want to know how to cook it just in case I have to 🙂
Funny enough my favorite Nicole Kidman movie, during her time with The Cruise, was “The Others”. Which I found creepy as hell to watch. But I loved it.
chris just before adding u chicken i add some ketchup to the sugar fry a little then add chicken try this and let me know how it taste please
i love stew chicken this way, and i love the sauce too. I like to eat the sauce with soft sliced bread, dipping bread in sauce. I think a well seasoned pot eg. with extra tomatoes, onions, shado beni is good too. Comes like u got 2 dishes- chicken and sauce! yummy 🙂
If you would prefer to use the natural brown sugar you are used to in Trinidad you can buy turbinado sugar. Most American markets have the brand "Sugar In The Raw" that you often see in Starbucks.
The comments all were great but try putting some carrots and potatoes in it which is very tasty but I stopped using the ketchup and now instead I use the tomato paste, it has no sugar like ketchup has and it also helps to thicken the sauce instead of using corn starch as one reader suggested and u also get a nice colour and many times I do not use any sugar because the tomato paste gives it a GREAT COLOR.
I just wanna say I've been looking for a recipe for stewed chicken for the longest while to get it tasting like the yummy ones I always buy and this one did ULTIMATE justice!!! THE BEST recipe…I am proud to say I got it in one shot! Thanks so much!!! =D
can i just say that the browning method of stewing down the meats like port chicken and oxtail isn't just confined to trinidad and jamaica. i know cos my gran is from dominica and my dad is from st lucia and they both brown the meat in brown sugar… so please please reflect this please!
Well this is just the way that I make and enjoy it with my family as I was born in Trinidad but living in Curacao for many years so I did not forget the way my mum used to cook am looking foward to your next dish.
HI MARION DE CASTRO,MY NAME IS DAVID DE CASTRO AND I HAVE A BROTHER NAME DELANO DE CASTRO BOTH OF US WERE BORN IN TRINIDAD.WE ARE PORTUGUES.
ARE WE RELATED.?? MY EMAIL IS [email protected]
MAKING CONTACT WITH GOOD COOKING{HA-HA} DAVID
Thanks Chris, this is almost so yummy to handle. I had stew chicken on Saturday in the river (Marianne) in Blanchisseuse with callaloo. Oh my, you are bringing me back Brother!! LOL…..Yummy indeed!!!
I like it too.
Chris,
Great recipe but just one question. What would you need to do if the sauce was too sweet or too bitter. Thanks
Hi Chris,
Thank you, you’re doing a great job so keep the recipes coming my friend. Do you have a Restaurant? If you do I’ll surely visit one day to taste your delicious food. By the way I also love Stew Chicken and Rice so I don’t let my own dries up I usually leave a little gravy. God Bless!!!!!!!!!
Doonwati
this is one recipe I've gotta cook for my friend. Thanks
Love your site!!! Keep the recipes coming!
Love your site!!! Keep the recipes coming!
thanks.. stay tuned.
Hi Chris – i lived in Trinidad for a while but wasn't eating any meat at the time. I do remember learning a brown stew fish, but it was when i first got there & could never quite remember all. So glad I found your page! i miss that food bad bad!!!
one question – down there we have the natural sugar, not white processed – but the natural cane looks similar to brown sugar – just want to clarify because i dont use browning sauce & was taught how to brown w/cane sugar. For this dish are we using natural cane sugar or the actual brown sugar? thanks so much,
my fowl is marinating right now for tonight!
you're so right about the sugar. it's something I had forgotten, until I was cooking at my sisters place back in Oct. The brown sugar (cane) is a bit more grainy and and I found that I need a little less than the brown sugar we get in north america. The brown sugar here is very packed and dense in texture. To date I've used, cane sugar, packed golden brown sugar and granulated sugar and they all work fine. However you will have to play around with the quantity you use as each gives it's own unique colour.
BTW in my recipe I used the packed North American golden sugar. There's also a dark brown sugar.. but that one is hard to work with.
I am so happy you addressed this…I am from Trinidad and as a child my mother would have me at a safe distance watching her brown her sugar… now this is a technique I realised that practice makes perfect… I did not quite get it the first or second time around.
now here in the US if you have to use the packed sugar…it takes some time for it to caramelize… I love the "loose' grainy sugar. Also my daughter being health conscious tried using Virgin Olive Oi to start her browning…
l… I see this as a no no to the flavor you may eventually get.. I use canola or other vegetable oils… whats your take on this?
hello chris, saw your previous comment about your cousin being diabetic so i had a different suggestion. i have pre-diabetes (high blood sugar) so i replace all brown sugar, in most recipes, with splenda brown sugar blend. just turn the heat down a bit and follow the scaling directions on the back of the splenda bag and it tastes the same as using brown sugar !!
Thanks for that tip.
This is exactly how my Mom taught me to to stew Chicken. Instead of Lime or Lemon juice to wash the CHicken, She used to put a capful (or a tbsp) of some dark Trinidad rum.
I've seen people season the chicken with rum as well. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your comment with us.
chris
Chris this is good stuff and probably done all over the Caribbean with subtle changes. I for one don't use the ketchup or tomato, instead I would use what we call in Dominica, green paw-paw (papaya) or a medium Irish potato and a couple dashes of Cajun & Soul Seasonings. But a very tatsty pot especially here in the Caribbean where we produce what we call our "yard fowl" and cook this as a sunday meal!!!
Nigel, Thanks for taking the time to share the version you enjoy. Only recently on a friend's facebook page I saw some pics of him cooking "yard fowl" by the river side. That took me back to my early teens when I did the same with friends.
Love the idea of using the green paw-paw.
happy cooking
chris…
Last fall I bought stewed chicken and rice from a lady vendor at a fair in Georgia, USA. She said that she was from Tobago. That was all I had to go on, stewed chicken and Tobago for this delicious meal that I purchased. I am delighted to have found your presentation. It nails the recipe I was looking for. The pictures of the marinading and browning are fantastic. Great job. I have made this several times since.
Al
Al, I happy to know that you're finding the recipes helpful.
happy cooking
chris…
flora ramdass from myrtle ave can make a great stew chicken
And her mother Pasty Joan Lopez, can make a mouth watering pelau as well as other dishes. Pasty should open up a roti shop, she will make alot of money with that.
is that the same flora, formerly rattan, from clake rd, charlieville? yea, i heard from a grapevine, that they can really cook.
Chris, thank you for giving me my favorite new stew chicken recipe! I followed all the steps religiously and the meal turned out wonderfully. Stew chicken is one of my favorite Caribbean dishes; I usually get my occasional fix from a local restaurant. However, I’ve had to cut back a bit on the dining out, so I decided to try making some of my favorites on my own. This was actually my second time trying a stew chicken recipe. The first time I used another one I’d found online and it was good but this time the meal tasted much closer to what I’m used to getting from the restaurant. By the way, I added a touch of browning sauce to the marinade to help ensure the rich, brown color. Also, next time, I will add a bit of corn starch to the sauce at the end for a slightly thicker gravy. Thanks again!
Angel, glad to know that you were successful with it and you can now save on having to hit the restaurant. If you’re adding browning, the safe way to do it is near the end so you can control the rich colour we seek. This way if you can add as necessary.
Happy cooking
Chris…
My stew chicken never came out quite right until I tried your recipe. Thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe i make it every week without fail and my hubby and daughter can’t get enough of it. I’m just wondering if you have a recipe for a great curried mutton i would love to try.
Keep up the great work this is my favorite recipe site going, love from overseas London UK.
Hello Chris,
Sorry it took me so long to comment on ur recepies. I have not tried any of them as yet but, i will try-on this one for size.
I must say though i am not a big fan of stew chicken but this one sure sounds wonderful and full of flavor. Thanks for the tip!!
Thanks for taking the time to leave your comments. please share the site with your friends so we cna have even more comments coming in.
happy cooking
chris
.-= Chris De La Rosa´s last blog ..The 2009 Ancaster Home Show. =-.
This one was amazing and very simple to follow. I can’t wait to eat it again- I think this is going to be a regular!!!
This is my favourite.Very nice variation to the way I used to do it. Keep up the good work. I look forward to your many recipes.
Thanks.
This stew chicken recipe just sounds delicious. I’m feeling hungry just reading it. This is the best website. Just a note to the health conscious folks, you don’t have to use oil to make stew chicken. I just learned that recently from my mom and her stew chicken is the bomb too. The chicken does not stick because it springs so much of its own fluids.
Re: Squeezle Thanks for the tip / variations. I’ll have to give it a try.
re: Lillie I’m glad you enjoyed it.
re: heath. Absolutely. All that wonderful goodness is added to the pan, so it gives the dish added flavour and body.
.-= Chris De La Rosa´s last blog ..Profile of the Fiery Scotch Bonnet Pepper. =-.
Thanks for the recipe,
I have a question about the marinade. Do you add the marinade to the pan with the chicken? Do you cook the tomatoes and oniond also.
Thanks
I’ve made several versions of this recipe, and they are all quite tasty. My favourite variation uses organic ketchup instead of sugar. Use a very heavy pot over medium-high heat (no oil added) and cook the ketchup until it takes on a dark reddish-brown colour. Gradually add tiny amounts of water and stir frequently to keep the mixture from crusting on the bottom of the pan. Once your desired colour is achieved, go ahead and add the chicken, etc. Because I don’t add any oil to the pan, the process takes a lot more ‘babysitting’ at the beginning to keep things from burning/sticking. But once the chicken is nicely browned and the liquid is added, there’s no need to hover over the pot. This makes for a more tangy sauce, and there’s no danger of a sugary taste if you fail to carmelize the ketchup properly.
[rq=219097,0,blog][/rq]Friday Night Wine Down : Shiraz/Syrah
Excellent guide from you.
Very detail, good pictures, and lovely comments from you.
Great share.
uh i didnt like it
is this for real unbelieveable
I just wanted to share that I followed this recipe to the letter and it was absolutely delicious! I did not have a scotch bonnet/habanero pepper so I used a whole jalapeno instead and it was the perfect amount of spice.
Thank you for the tip about the sugar- it really makes the recipe what it is. I was a little worried at first because I tasted the sauce as I was boiling out the juices “on high” and it was very very sweet that I was afraid I made a mistake but once the steamed juices cooked down and I simmered the recipe again in the cup of water it tasted absolutely perfect.
Savory, and not too sweet or salty at all. I ate it two days in a row and am thinking of making it again this week. Again,thank you for sharing
Hello Lillie, to be quite honest..it is! However, my cousin is diabetic so my aunt usually avoid this step and use soy sauce and “browning” to get the dark rich colour. The taste is not the same though, but close.
Browning sauce is a blend of caramel color, vegetable concentrates and seasonings. Available since the early 1900s, the sauce is used to add a rich dark color to foods. Traditionally added to gravies and sauces, browning sauce also works well in soups and stews to darken the broth. Today’s time-crunched cooks sometimes brush or stir browning sauce into beef, poultry or pork prepared in the microwave to give it an oven-roasted appearance. In some grocery stores, browning sauce is located near the prepared and dry gravy mixes. Two popular brands are Kitchen Bouquet and Gravy Master. A little browning sauce goes a long way, so be sure to measure it carefully. A teaspoon of Kitchen Bouquet provides 15 calories, no fat and 10 mg of sodium—not a bad trade-off for a richer, more appealing color in many prepared dishes.
Hello
Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe. I just have a question, though. Is the carmelized sugar a vital step? Will the recipe taste bad without it?
The carmelized sugar is the main step you want it to get brown but not burnt.Somewhat similar to a gumbo roux.
First to answer Patty’s question. Are you referring to the Jamaican Patty? The pastry used there is a flaky pastry. In terms of the colour, for Jamaican patty, you can make the crust by adding some saffron to the dough to give it that wholesome yellow colouring or brush the pastry with saffron-infused egg wash. Barring that, an egg wash of an egg and 1 tablespoon water will give you a nice light brown glaze but it will not have that yellow colour that the Jamaican patty has.
Chris, there is definitely noting quite like a Trini Stew Chicken. I love the unique taste of it.
Cynthia’s last blog post..Tasting What You Eat
Love the stewed chicken-I am not a huge meat eater and prefer things stewed like this. Question-do you know anything about meat pies? I am looking for the golden crust for the meat pies-wondered if you could help?
<abbr>Patty Gironda’s last blog post..Honey and Sesame Wonton</abbr>
Patty, thanks for stopping by and commenting. Re: Crust . To be quite honest, I’ve never made a meat pie nor crust.. though I do enjoy them. Maybe someone else who’s reading can assist Patty?
yes lots of pies
Patty,
Hi! Brush your crust top with butter…….if it's to bake for a long time (longer than 30- 45 min) then wait until the last 15 minutes or so, to do so. If you see that the crust edges (the one you have crimped) is browning too quickly, then you may have to apply foil around them (bent into this strips)..If you want a brown and shiny sheen to your crust top, then also brush with egg white. Pretty! good luck!
Deborah W
Hello!
I just became your friend on Foodbuzz, so today I was going through your posts. This one here has to be my favorite so far. I never knew about “browning” method before! Learned from you, thank you for sharing this recipe.
Spirited Miu Flavor’s last blog post..Turkish Pan Borek w/ Nettle & Feta : Phyllo Pastry That Won’t Bite You Back!
Thanks for visiting. I’m very glad that I was able to share this with you.