Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe
Rich, flavorful, and full of island spice, this Jamaican Curry Chicken is a comforting dish simmered to perfection with tender chicken, bold curry seasonings, and a taste of home in every bite!
Curry Chicken Ingredients
Chicken
Jamaican Curry powder
All- purpose seasoning or Chicken seasoning
Salt Or salt to your liking
Pimento berries (allspice)
Cloves garlic, Crushed
Medium yellow onion, Chopped
Sprig of fresh thyme
Medium carrots, Chopped
potato Diced
Freshly grated ginger
Small scotch bonnet pepper seeds removed and finely chopped
Cooking oil or olive oil
Boiling water
How Do You Make this amazing Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe?
Step One: Remove the skin (if there is any) from the chicken and cut it into small pieces. Wash the chicken in water with the juice from the lime/lemon and the vinegar. Drain away all the excess water from the chicken. Dry with kitchen towel if necessary.
Step Two: In a kitchen bowl, add the chicken, onion, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, pimento berries, ginger, salt, all-purpose seasoning, the curry powder.
Step Three: mix everything together and leave to marinate for 30 minutes or more.
Step Four: In a pot add the cooking oil and put to hot on medium heat.
Step Five: Add the seasoned chicken to the oil and stir well. Let the chicken cook until lightly brown on all sides. Don’t let the pot burn, add a tip of water if necessary.
Step Six: Stir in the carrot, potato and thyme.
Step Seven: Add water enough to cover the chicken in the pot.
Step Eight: Cover and leave to cook for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the water is reduced to a curry gravy.
As a first generation American woman from a Jamaican family, I’ve been eating curry since I was a little girl. Now I’m sharing a fantastic curry chicken recipe for you today!
Jamaican Curry Chicken has always been a huge favorite of my family growing up. When my mom made it I could smell it from outside, and it always smelled so delicious! It’s not quite indian curry but still just as delicious. In general Jamaicans serve all curry (curry goat and curry chicken) with white rice.
Curry chicken is such a staple that we often have it on every party menu, it was on my wedding menu and most recently my 40th birthday party menu. The great part is you don’t need to have a party to have this amazing dish!
You can use any type of chicken for this recipe including breast, skinless chicken thighs, or drumsticks. I like to use chicken thighs because they are more flavorful and tend to be juicier.
This dish is served with white rice, but Jamaican rice and peas is always an option. This can also be served in a roti or with a side of cabbage.
Cooked chicken curry can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Authentic Jamaican curry uses Jamaican curry powder, which is distinctive and more potent than other curry powders. Key techniques include “burning” (toasting) the powder in oil to enhance flavor and color, and simmering slowly so spices fully meld—resulting in that classic Caribbean taste
Yup—you can use boneless chicken like thighs or breasts. However, Jamaican cooks typically prefer dark meat (thighs or drumsticks) on the bone for more flavor and juiciness.
Here are some Helpful tips for making the best Jamaican curry chicken
1. Start with a flavorful marinade: Marinating your chicken in a combination of spices and herbs, like ginger, garlic, allspice, thyme, scallions, and Scotch bonnet peppers can add an extra layer of flavor to your Jamaican curry chicken.
2. Don’t be afraid to use a lot of spices: Jamaican curry is known for its intense flavor, so don’t be afraid to go heavy on the spices.
3. Add some heat with Scotch bonnet peppers: Scotch bonnet peppers are a staple of Jamaican cuisine and add intense heat to your curry chicken. If you don’t want it too spicy, you can remove the seeds before adding them to the mixture.
4. Simmer for maximum flavor: Simmering your curry chicken allows all the seasonings and flavors to meld together and really penetrate the chicken. Simmering can take longer but it is worth the wait for a flavorful dish.
5. Serve with traditional sides: To get an authentic experience, serve your Jamaican curry chicken with steamed rice, plantains, or boiled dumplings for a complete meal.
Your taste buds will be so happy! Try with coconut rice for the best results. It will be one of those new recipes that you will come back and make a second time! One of the best things about this recipe is the bright yellow color of the chicken next to the stark white rice.
Before you go, check out these amazing Jamaican recipes!
Authentic Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe
This authentic Jamaican Curry Chicken recipe is great for dinner or lunch! Made with super simple ingredients it's great with white rice.
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs Chicken
- 2 tbsp Curry powder
- 2 tbsp All-purpose or Chicken seasoning
- 1 ½ tsp Salt Or salt to your liking
- 5 Pimento berries (allspice)
- 3 Cloves garlic Crushed
- 1 Medium onion Chopped
- 3 Sprig of fresh thyme
- 2 Medium carrots Chopped
- 1 Small potato Diced
- 1 ½ tsp Freshly grated ginger
- 1 Small scotch bonnet pepper seeds removed and findly chopped
- 3 tbsp Cooking oil
- Boiling water
Instructions
- Remove the skin (if there is any) from the chicken and cut it into small pieces. Wash the chicken in water with the juice from the lime/lemon and the vinegar. Drain away all the excess water from the chicken. Dry with kitchen towel if necessary.
- In a kitchen bowl, add the chicken, onion, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, pimento berries, ginger, salt, all-purpose seasoning, the curry powder and mix everything together and leave to marinate for 30 minutes or more.
- In a pot add the cooking oil and put to hot on medium heat.
- Add the seasoned chicken to the oil and stir well. Let the chicken cook until lightly brown on all sides. Don't let the pot burn, add a tip of water if necessary.
- Stir in the carrot, potato and thyme. Add water enough to cover the chicken in the pot. Cover and leave to cook for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the water is reduced to a curry gravy.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 542Total Fat 32gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 22gCholesterol 178mgSodium 830mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 4gSugar 4gProtein 47g
Before you go, Grab Your Free Printable Recipe Kit!
Keep track of all your favorite recipes and ingredients with this free printable book!
Hi! I’m Nellie. I am an entrepreneur, a busy mama of 3 and a wife to my high school sweetheart. I have been sharing content for over 12 years about how to cook easy recipes, workout tips and free printables that make life a little bit easier. I have been featured in places like Yahoo, Buzzfeed, What To Expect, Mediavine, Niche Pursuits, HuffPost, BabyCenter, Mom 2.0, Mommy Nearest, Parade, Care.com, and more!
Get comfortable and be sure to come hang out with me on social. Don’t forget to grab your free fitness journal before you go!
Wow this is nice