Jamaican Curry Chicken

Name: Jamaican Curry Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 24 min
Total time: 1 h 44 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 3 lb (1400 g) bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on, patted dry; drumsticks left whole, thighs cut in half through the bone if large; 3 tbsp (18 g) Jamaican curry powder, divided: 2 tbsp for the marinade, 1 tbsp for cooking; 2 tsp (8 g) kosher salt; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 4 cloves (15 g) garlic, finely grated or minced; 1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral vegetable oil; 1 large (250 g) yellow onion, diced into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces; 3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens kept together; 6 sprigs (6 g) fresh thyme, left whole; 1 whole (8 g) scotch bonnet pepper, left whole and uncut; 6 berries (1 g) whole allspice (pimento) berries (optional); 2 cups (480 ml) water or low-sodium chicken stock; 1 lb (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks; 1 medium (100 g) carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) thick rounds (optional); 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Bone-in chicken is rubbed with Jamaican curry powder, garlic, and ginger, then seared and braised on the stovetop with thyme, onion, and a whole scotch bonnet until the sauce turns golden and silky. Potatoes cook right in the pot and soak up the gravy. Serve with rice and peas or plain white rice.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 24 min
Wait: 40 min
Total: 2 hr 24 min
Makes: 6 servings (about 10 pieces of chicken with potatoes and sauce)

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Ingredients

6 servings

3 lb (1400 g) bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on, patted dry; drumsticks left whole, thighs cut in half through the bone if large
3 tbsp (18 g) Jamaican curry powder, divided: 2 tbsp for the marinade, 1 tbsp for cooking
2 tsp (8 g) kosher salt
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
4 cloves (15 g) garlic, finely grated or minced
1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral vegetable oil
1 large (250 g) yellow onion, diced into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces
3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens kept together
6 sprigs (6 g) fresh thyme, left whole
1 whole (8 g) scotch bonnet pepper, left whole and uncut
6 berries (1 g) whole allspice (pimento) berries (optional)
2 cups (480 ml) water or low-sodium chicken stock
1 lb (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks
1 medium (100 g) carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) thick rounds (optional)
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice

Equipment (5)

5½–6-quart (5–5.5 L) heavy-bottomed pot or braising pot with lid
Large bowl for marinating
Wooden spoon
Instant-read thermometer
Cutting board and chef's knife

Steps

Before you start

This recipe is cooked entirely on the stovetop; no oven is needed.
Marinate the chicken at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge for deeper flavor. If marinating longer than 30 minutes, keep it covered in the fridge.
Look for Jamaican-style curry powder (it's usually more turmeric- and allspice-forward than Indian blends). Standard curry powder works but tastes different.
The scotch bonnet goes in WHOLE and uncut for fruity aroma with moderate heat. Do not let it burst, and wash your hands after handling it.
Cut the potatoes just before using, or hold them in cold water so they don't brown.

1
Season and marinate
- Pat the chicken dry and place it in a large bowl.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the curry powder, the salt, black pepper, grated garlic, and grated ginger.
- Massage the seasoning into every piece, including under the skin where you can.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight).
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Chicken is evenly coated in a yellow-orange paste with no dry patches of spice
Tip: Pat the chicken dry first so the paste clings instead of sliding off.
2
Prep the vegetables
- While the chicken marinates, dice the onion, slice the scallions, peel and cut the potatoes into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks, and slice the carrot into ½-inch (1 cm) rounds.
- Keep the potatoes in a bowl of cold water until needed, then drain well before using.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Potato chunks are roughly equal in size so they cook at the same rate
3
Sear the chicken
- Heat the oil in the heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers.
- Working in two batches so the pot isn't crowded, place the chicken skin-side down and cook 4–5 minutes until the skin is deep golden.
- Flip and cook 2–3 minutes more.
- Transfer to a plate.
- Leave the drippings in the pot.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Skin is deep golden and releases easily from the pot; chicken does not need to be cooked through
Tip: Keep the heat at medium. The curry paste scorches and turns bitter at higher heat.
4
Soften the aromatics
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the onion, scallions, and carrot (if using) to the drippings.
- Cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with no browning
Tip: If the bottom of the pot looks dry or starts to stick, add 2 tablespoons of the water.
5
Bloom the curry
- Sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon curry powder.
- Stir constantly for 45–60 seconds until it smells toasty and darkens slightly, which cooks off the raw, dusty taste.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Spice smells toasty and has darkened slightly; it should not smell burnt
Tip: Pour in the water right away if it begins to stick or darken too fast.
6
Add liquid and chicken
- Pour in the water (or stock), scraping the bottom clean.
- Return the chicken and any juices to the pot, skin-side up.
- Tuck in the thyme sprigs, the whole scotch bonnet, and the allspice berries (if using).
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Liquid reaches a steady boil
Tip: Don't pierce or cut the scotch bonnet; a burst pepper makes the sauce very hot.
7
Braise the chicken
- Reduce the heat to low so the liquid barely bubbles.
- Cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice gently.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Chicken is tender and the liquid has turned a deep golden-yellow
8
Add the potatoes
- Drain the potatoes and nestle them into the liquid, pushing them down so they are mostly submerged.
- Cover and keep simmering over low heat for 25–28 minutes, until a paring knife slides into a potato with no resistance.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Potatoes are fork-tender and the thickest chicken piece reads 175°F (80°C) on an instant-read thermometer
Tip: Stir gently, only once, so the potatoes don't break apart.
9
Thicken the sauce
- Remove the lid.
- Fish out the thyme stems and the scotch bonnet (and allspice berries if you can find them).
- Increase the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Sauce coats the back of a spoon and a line drawn through it holds for a second
Tip: For more heat, mash a little of the scotch bonnet flesh into the sauce, but start with a tiny amount.
10
Finish and rest
- Turn off the heat.
- Stir in the lime juice.
- Let the pot sit, covered, for 10 minutes so the sauce settles and the flavors come together.
- Serve over rice with plenty of sauce.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Sauce is slightly thickened and clings to the chicken and potatoes

Good to know

Tips

Keep the pot at a gentle simmer after the boil. Hard boiling toughens the chicken and breaks up the potatoes.
Browning the skin well builds a lot of flavor, but keep the heat at medium so the curry coating doesn't burn.
Skim any excess orange fat from the surface before serving if you prefer a lighter sauce.
Serve with rice and peas, white rice, or roti to soak up the sauce.

Make ahead

Marinate the chicken up to 24 hours ahead in the fridge. The finished curry also tastes better the next day, so you can cook it fully 1 day ahead and reheat.

Storage & reheating

Cool within 2 hours. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days. Freeze up to 3 months (potatoes soften slightly after freezing). Reheat gently in a covered pot over low heat with a splash of water until steaming hot, to 165°F (74°C). Not recommended at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Substitutions

bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks → bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts cut into large pieces. Add them at the braising step and check at 20 minutes; breast is done at 165°F (74°C) and dries out faster.
scotch bonnet pepper → habanero pepper. Very similar heat and fruitiness; use it whole as well.
Jamaican curry powder → standard curry powder plus ¼ tsp ground allspice. Gets closer to the Jamaican flavor, though it won't be identical.
Yukon Gold potatoes → sweet potatoes or cubed yams. Cook slightly faster; check after 20 minutes.