There are many instructions on how to cook Jamaican/Caribbean chicken curry. (By the way, Jamaicans usually call it curried chicken.) I like to use an original Jamaican curry chicken recipe from my Jamaican friends.
Some people say that it is a 3-step process to cook it – brown the chicken pieces, simmer with the seasonings and then add the liquid. I’m sure that’s a good way to cook it, but that’s not how my Jamaican friends do it.
They simply put everything in the pot and simmer it on low for 1 and a 1/2 to 2 hours. The key to a good curry is the Jamaican curry powder and the brand that my Jamaican friends use the most is CHIEF Curry Powder.
This curried chicken recipe is really simple. The only way that you can mess it up (okay, the one way that I messed it up once) is to cook it in a crockpot. Curried chicken is best when cooked simmering in a pot on the stovetop…not in a slow cooker. “My guys” still bring up that misstep months later!
Original Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe
Jamaican Curry Chicken
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs chicken, cut up into pieces
- 4 tbsp curry powder
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 cup of water
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- Seasoned salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Place the chicken, curry powder, sliced onion, cup of water and potatoes into a large pot and mix together. Cover the pot* and let everything simmer together over a low heat for 1 and a ½ to 2 hours (depending on how thick you like the consistency of your curry gravy).
*9/30/13 Update: A reader emailed to see why her curry wouldn’t thicken. She was using too much water (1 cup is plenty) and she was not covering her pot. If you do both of those things, your curry should thicken up nicely.
Notes:
- For a more flavorful curry, season chicken with half of the curry powder the night before (or 2 to 3 hours before cooking). Cover and refrigerate the seasoned chicken in a container along with the sliced onions. Add the rest of the ingredients when you are ready to cook the curry.
- At the one-hour point, test the curry to see if it is at your desired flavor. If not, you can add another tablespoon of curry and any other preferred seasonings. (I prefer a stronger curry, so I tend to use a total of 5 tablespoons of curry powder.)
White rice and beans, cabbage or macaroni and cheese are all great sides to serve with this Jamaican curry chicken recipe.
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