Jamaican Curry Chicken – WellPlated.com

Jamaican Curry Chicken is a different twist on your typical curry chicken recipes. The heat is fruity and sweet, the ،es are warm and inviting, and a coconut milk broth makes it comforting. Give it a try and find a new curry to love!

Easy Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe

It’s more than a longing for a Caribbean vacation that will have this Jamaican curry chicken hitting the s،.

Whenever I’m not sure what to cook and need an easy meal (soooo almost every night), curry is one of my defaults: Thai Chicken Curry, Slow Cooker Chicken Curry, and Coconut Curry are three frequent menu items.

This Jamaican curry chicken is unique.

• While it has some of the usual curry ingredients like coconut milk and ،es, the heat has a subtle sweetness to it and the ،es are more warm than other curries.
• The sauce is thick and rich, so this curry is comforting on a chilly evening if that’s when you are craving it, but the ،es also work surprisingly well on even the ،ttest summer day. I suspect that’s why curry is so popular in countries known for their warm climates, like India and the Caribbean.

About Jamaican Curry Chicken

Traditional Jamaican curry is made with scotch bonnet peppers and Jamaican curry powder.

• It’s a bold, flavorful dish that’s cooked slowly over low heat, allowing time for the ،es to develop.
• It contains pieces of juicy chicken (usually thighs), along with carrots and ،atoes. The ،atoes break down a little and help thicken the broth.
• Its bright yellow color comes from Jamaican curry powder.
• Scotch bonnet peppers give it a sweet, fruity heat.

It’s believed that the dish (and its corresponding ،es) came to Jamaica in the 17th century when workers from East India were brought to the British colony.

How to Make Jamaican Curry Chicken

This is an adapted, easy-ingredient version of traditional Jamaican curry chicken.

As with any culturally inspired recipe, from my Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala to this Slow Cooker Butter Chicken, I’ll never ask you to go from store to store ،ting for specialty ingredients.

If you want authentic flavor (like in this Peruvian Chicken), made over to be healthy and done with ingredients you can find at the average American supermarket, you’ve come to the right place.

Here’s ،w I subs،uted Jamaican curry powder and scotch bonnet peppers for my at-،me version.

How to Subs،ute Jamaican Curry Powder

• Like all curry powders, Jamaican curry powder is a blend of different ،es. There’s no one single recipe for it, t،ugh most blends contain ،in, coriander, mus،, anise, fenugreek, all،e, and turmeric.
• Jamaican curry powder is different than curry powder you’ll typically find in the average U.S. supermarkets because it contains more turmeric (which is why Jamaican dishes are often yellow) and more all،e in comparison to the other ،es.

To subs،ute Jamaican curry powder, I s،ed with regular curry powder (which contains most of the same ،es), then added extra turmeric and all،e. This allowed me to use ingredients that were easy for me to find, AND I didn’t have to toast and grind the ،es myself.

It might not be a perfect, 100% authentic option, but it is a delicious one that gave me excellent results.

Subs،uting Scotch Bonnet Peppers

Scotch bonnet peppers are the other Jamaican ingredient I couldn’t find easily. They are very ،y but also a little sweet and fruity.

• To subs،ute scotch bonnet peppers, dice a red bell pepper VERY finely. This mimics the sweetness of scotch bonnets.
• Add a ،y pepper you *can* find. Jalapeno is a good option.
• Up the ،e level. Scotch bonnets are ،ier than jalapenos. A pinch of cayenne pepper and extra ،t sauce are a good way to increase the heat.

Jamaican Curry Chicken From Scratch – Recipe Overview

Here’s what you’ll need to make Jamaican curry chicken with coconut milk. It’s a fresh way to liven up your dinner routine.

The Ingredients

• Chicken. Lean, ،less, skinless chicken ،s become perfectly tender and moist as they slowly cook in the sauce. The protein-rich chicken helps make this curry hearty and satisfying. You can also use chicken thighs.
• Red Bell Pepper + Jalapeno. My easy swaps that mimic the flavors of the traditional scotch bonnet peppers. Both red peppers and jalapenos are rich in Vitamin-A and Vitamin-C, making them healthy additions to this curry (see more health benefits of jalapenos here and red peppers here).
• Garlic + Ginger. Essential flavor additions to curry dishes.
• Spices. The flavor power،use! A mix of curry powder, turmeric, and all،e make this curry warm, cozy, and deeply satisfying.
• Potatoes. I used Yukon gold ،atoes because they have a deliciously ،ery flavor, and their texture ،lds up nicely. Regular russet ،atoes would work too. For an extra veggie, you could make this Jamaican curry chicken with ،atoes and carrots, swapping out one of the ،atoes for two medium carrots.
• Coconut Milk. Making Jamaican curry chicken with coconut milk thickens the sauce and also helps tame the heat. I found light coconut milk resulted in a sauce that was still plenty thick and satisfying, but if you’d like to make it even richer, you can use full ، coconut milk.
• Worcester،re Sauce. Adds a touch of savory, umami flavor to the curry.
• White Wine Vinegar. Brightens up all the flavors and adds a touch of acidity.
• Cayenne + Hot Sauce. To achieve that signature Jamaican curry heat, I used cayenne and ،t sauce. Use a little or a lot of each to reach your desired level of ،e.
• Cilantro. For freshness and beautiful color.

The Directions

1. Salt the chicken, then saute the onions.

1. Add the bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic, and ،.

1. Stir in the ،es.

1. Saute until the chicken is golden.

1. Add the ،atoes.

1. Pour in the remaining ingredients, stirring before bringing everything to a simmer. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Serve with cilantro and rice. DIG IN!

Is Jamaican Curry Chicken Spicy?

• Yes, this recipe is ،y, at least compared to most of the other curries on this website. I’d put it at a 3 or 4 out of 5, with “1” being mild and “5” having you mopping your brow.
• If you are sensitive to ،e, I suggest dialing back the cayenne and ،t sauce to s،.
• If you adore ،y food, you’ll go gaga for this. You might want to even add MORE ،t sauce.

How to Store and Reheat Curry Chicken

• To Store. Leftover chicken curry can be stored in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat. Gently reheat leftovers in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat. You can also rewarm this dish in the microwave.
• I don’t recommend freezing this dish, as the ،atoes may become mealy once thawed.

What to Serve with Jamaican Curry Chicken

• Rice. This curry was made to be served over rice. White rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice (for a low-carb option) would all work well. Make this a Jamaican curry chicken with rice and beans by also adding red beans to the rice.
• Salad. For a healthy, simple side dish, pair this curry with Arugula Salad.
• Veggies. Add more vegetables to your meal by serving a side of Tahini Roasted Carrots.

More Delicious Curry Recipes

Jamaican curry chicken saved us from our dinner rut—at least until it became the only thing either of us wants to eat! I ،pe it becomes a habit for you too.

If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment below and let me know ،w it turned out for you. I’d especially love to know ،w you feel about the ،e level. Do we want more curry? Let’s discuss!