Description
Authentic Jamaican curry chicken brings together tender chicken, warm spices, and creamy coconut milk in a dish that tastes like home cooking from the islands. Your stovetop becomes a portal to bold, savory flavors with potatoes and peppers simmering alongside perfectly seasoned meat.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein and Base:
- 2 pounds chicken, cut into pieces (bone-in or boneless)
Seasonings and Aromatics:
- 2 tablespoons Jamaican curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 lime, juiced
Vegetables and Liquids:
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Mix your 2 lbs of chicken pieces with the juice from 1 lime, 2 tablespoons of Jamaican curry powder, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of ground allspice, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of sea salt in a large bowl until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate your chicken for at least 30 minutes, though overnight gives you even deeper flavor.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat for about 1 minute until it shimmers.
- Add your 1 medium chopped onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1-inch piece of minced ginger, 2 chopped scallions, and the scotch bonnet pepper if using, cooking everything together for about 5 minutes until the onion turns translucent and fragrant.
- Place your marinated chicken into the pot and let it brown on all sides for 5 to 7 minutes, which develops rich flavor throughout the dish.
- Pour in 1 cup of coconut milk, 1 cup of chicken broth, and add 2 medium diced potatoes, 2 sliced carrots, and 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves to the pot.
- Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower your heat to low and cover the pot with a lid.
- Simmer your curry for 25 to 30 minutes until your chicken is fully cooked through and your vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Top your finished curry with 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro and serve it hot alongside steamed rice, roti, or naan.
Notes
- Let your chicken sit in the marinade overnight if you have the time, since the extra hours really do develop a more complex curry flavor than the minimum 30 minutes.
- Brown the chicken properly on each side before adding the other ingredients, because this step creates a deeper taste that carries through the whole dish.
- Adjust the heat level to match your preference by using less scotch bonnet pepper for a milder curry or keeping the seeds in for extra spice.
- If coconut milk isn’t available, you can replace it with a combination of regular milk and a bit of butter, though the authentic taste will be a bit different.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-42 minutes
- Category: Simmered Chicken
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Jamaican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 374 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 375 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg