This rich, warmly spiced Caribbean Chicken Stew is – without question – one of the most delicious, satisfying, flavorful chicken stews you’ll ever eat!
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This Caribbean Chicken Stew is one of our very favorite family meals! Not only is it easy to make and dependably delicious, but it’s economical too; making it perfect for a gathering of friends or a cozy family meal any night of the week.
A simple buttermilk-jalapeño marinade gives this rich, hearty stew has just the right amount of kick. The long, slow baking time mellows the pepper’s heat, resulting in a thick, savory, mildly spiced chicken stew. (It’s actually more like a nudge than a kick!) If you like things a little more spicy, add an extra jalapeño to the marinade mix.
One of the keys to this recipe is browning the marinated chicken before making the stew – that all adds some serious next-level flavor to an already amazing combination.
Recipe Updated July 2, 2020 (Originally published May 2, 2014)
Caribbean Chicken Stew
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1½ ounces cilantro about 1 cup chopped; reserve a little extra for garnish
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar See Notes
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper rough chopped [Seeds=Spice; remove them if desired. Even with the seeds, the end result is a very mildly spiced stew.]
- 6 ounces buttermilk or plain yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoons turns freshly ground pepper
Stew Base
- 3 pounds chicken pieces bone-in chicken; skinless or skin-on I prefer to use legs & thighs for this recipe.
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion peeled and thinly sliced root to stem
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste ketchup works
- ½ cup white wine or water
- ½ ounce fresh ginger grated or minced; about 1½ Tbls
- ¼ teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Root Vegetables [Use a TOTAL of 3 lbs /1.3kg of any combination of the following.]
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large yam peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium plantain sliced in thick rounds
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- Gather and prep marinade ingredients.
- Combine cilantro, garlic, brown sugar, chopped pepper, buttermilk, oil, salt, and pepper in a blender cup.
- Process until smooth.
- Put the chicken pieces in a large, resealable bag.
- Pour marinade over chicken and seal bag. Squish everything around thoroughly to coat all chicken pieces. Allow to marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour, and up to 24 hours.
Make the Stew
- Preheat oven to 375°. Gather and prep stew ingredients.
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Use tongs to place chicken pieces in hot oil. Chicken should sizzle and pop immediately. If it doesn't, you need to heat the pan longer.
- Brown chicken on two sides, 2-3 minutes on each side. Brown chicken in batches; do not not crowd the chicken in the pan. Remove browned chicken pieces from Dutch oven and set aside. Reserve any marinade left in the bottom of the marinating bag.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add a little additional olive oil if the pot seems too dry. Add the sliced onions to the hot oil in pot.
- In Dutch oven, sauté onions until translucent in whatever is left in the bottom after browning chicken.
- To the onions in the Dutch oven; add coconut milk, tomato paste, white wine, grated ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes more, then remove from heat.
- Stir reserve marinade into the sauce.
- Place chicken pieces back in Dutch oven on top of sauce.
- Put the cubed vegetables on top of the chicken. Cover Dutch oven tightly and place in middle of preheated oven.
- Cook for 2 hours at 325°F | 163°C. (See Cooking Times in notes)
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, carefully remove chicken pieces from stew. (At this point, the vegetables should all be tender, and the chicken should be nearly falling off the bone.)Carefully toss the cooked vegetables in the sauce at the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Replace the chicken in the stew and serve; alone or over rice. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Notes
- 325°F | 163°C -- 2 hours [Preferred]
- 350°F | 177°C -- 1½ hours
- 1 large sweet potato
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 medium yam*
- 3 medium carrots
Nutrition
I’m sharing this Chicken Stew recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup.
Check it out for more great recipes!
DID YOU KNOW? If you live in North American, chances are you’ve never eaten a real yam!
True yams are almost impossible to find in North America! In fact, if you are an American, it’s very likely that you have never eaten a real yam! Real yams originated in and are now mostly commercially grown in Africa. The two top-producing sweet potato states in the nation are North Carolina and California.
If you’re looking for a light, easy side with a little Caribbean flare to serve alongside this incredibly tasty chicken stew, be sure to try out our Caribbean Mango Salad! (Find more delicious side dish recipes here!)
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