Authentic Jamaican Curry Chicken
Jamaican curry chicken is a Caribbean comfort meal, with tender chicken simmered in a flavorful sauce. Serve it with white rice, boiled food, or roti.
Servings: 8
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Large skillet or sauté pan with lid
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 4 lbs skinless chicken cleaned and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp Caribbean green seasoning (optional)
- 2 tbsp Jamaican chicken seasoning or all-purpose seasoning
- 1 tsp seasoned salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp Caribbean curry powder (I recommend Betapac)
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 6 garlic cloves 4 minced, 2 sliced
- 2 scallion stalks chopped
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 8 pimento seeds/allspice berries crushed
- 2 tsp ginger freshly grated ginger or ginger paste
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper whole
- 2 medium gold potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 medium carrot cut into coins (optional)
- 2 tbsp high-heat cooking oil
- A kettle full of hot water on hand
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, season chicken with green seasoning (if using) seasoned salt, black pepper, chicken or all-purpose seasoning, and 2 tbsp of the curry powder.
- Split the prepared onion, garlic, scallion, and thyme to use half for seasoning the chicken and half later to season the pot. (Also, reserve the 2 sliced garlic cloves to use later.) Add the fresh seasonings to the mixing bowl with the chicken along with the crushed pimento seeds and ginger. Massage all of the seasoning into the chicken.
- Cover the chicken with cling wrap, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to overnight. (If marinating overnight, remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.)
- Heat the cooking oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet that has a fitted lid. Toast the reserved 1 tbsp of curry in the hot oil for 30 seconds. Add the 2 sliced garlic cloves to the toasting curry powder, and mix/toast the curry and garlic for another 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken to the skillet, and let cook without stirring for about 5 minutes. Don’t wash out the bowl the chicken marinated it; keep it to the side for now. After 5 minutes, gently flip the chicken pieces and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat by to just above medium), and cover the chicken with a lid for about 10 minutes to allow it to spring its own water.
- Stir the chicken. Add about 1 cup of hot water to the bowl that was used to marinate the chicken. Add the now seasoned water to the pan, along with the rest of the reserved fresh seasonings, scotch bonnet pepper, diced potato, and carrot. Incorporate everything well, reduce the heat to medium, and let everything cook down for another 30 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, and let it rest for 10 minutes minutes before serving.
Notes
Serve it with white rice, boiled ground provisions, or roti. Enjoy!
