Original Jamaican Curry Recipe with Chicken

When I think of Jamaica, I think of the time I visited there years ago and the Jamaican food I could never forget. The blend of smokey spices mixed with creamy tropical flavors created a taste I haven’t experienced before. Now take these flavor elements and couple it with dark meat chicken and you’ll have yourself an authentic Jamaican curry chicken recipe that will impress all of your guests!

This traditional Jamaican curry is much easier than it sounds. A brief marinade followed by a quick sauté and simmer and you’re all set! The end result will be tender, juicy chicken in a deeply flavored golden sauce. I love how this Jamaican dish leaves behind a herbed and smokey aftertaste bursting with flavor elements of the Caribbean. Ok, now I’m ready to go on vacation.

What is authentic Jamaican Chicken Curry made of?

The curry sauce itself has a smokey spice aftertaste that makes it different from many other types of curries. It is so much different than your traditional Indian or Thai curry that has become so popular in recent years. I would describe this curry as smooth, dark, and bursting with earthy flavors.. and it’s the best curry chicken recipe I’ve ever had.

Original authentic Jamaican curry can be made with a variety of meats such as pork, lamb, chicken, or beef, but it tastes best with chicken in my opinion. The finished dish includes seasonings and Jamaican curry powder blended with coconut milk, lemon juice, meat, onions, garlic, carrots, yellow potatoes, fresh herbs, bell pepper, and scotch bonnet pepper. The scotch bonnet is spicy, but not over the top.

What is Jamaican curry powder?

Jamaican curry powder is the main flavor of this dish. It can be purchased as a pre-mixed seasoning or made at home if you have the ingredients. This seasoning is made from turmeric, fenugreek seeds, ginger, all spice, mustard seeds, cloves, nutmeg, scotch bonnet, cumin, coriander seeds, and pepper.

All of the ingredients that are not powdered are toasted for about 3 minutes before being ground up. They are then blended with the rest of the powdered ingredients to make a unique Jamaican seasoning perfect for any meat or sauce!

What type of chicken should be used with Jamaican curry?

An entire chicken with the skin removed would be used to make authentic Jamaican curry. This includes the legs, wings, breast, thighs.. everything. The skin is removed since it simmers in a heavy bottomed pot which makes the skin soft and mushy. If the skin doesn’t get crispy, it’s honestly not worth eating in my opinion.

To make it easier, I always go with skinless chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are the best cut of chicken! Bone-in chicken thighs add a little bit more flavor but to save this busy momma some time, I went with boneless chicken thighs. I leave the fat on the thighs since most of it will melt into the broth as it simmers giving it more flavor. Chicken breast doesn’t offer as much flavor to this meal but still works great if you’re trying to cut calories!

What does it mean to “burn” the sauce?

To get that deep, Jamaican flavor, the Jamaican curry seasoning is “burned”, as most like to call it. This is also called a browning sauce. When I first heard the term “burn the curry”, I almost avoided making this, but the term isn’t to be taken so literally. Burning the curry really just means cooking it quickly in hot oil to allow the flavors to bloom more than they would be on their own. It’s a brilliant technique and adds so much flavor to this amazing dish!

What to Serve with Jamaican Curry Chicken

White rice. It’s the best option. The curry dish is traditionally served as is with no sides since it already includes meat, sauce, and veggies all together. This means sides aren’t really necessary, but if you like to meal prep like me, I need to add some sides to make it last longer.

Rice is a great option as it soaks up the excess sauce and oils that are in this Jamaican curry recipe. It also tastes GREAT. I use basmati rice since it does an excellent job holding its form without getting mushy in the curry sauce. Another tip – I always cook my rice in broth. Chicken broth in this case.

How to Store Jamaican Curry Chicken

Jamaican curry chicken can be stored in the freezer for 3 months or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Try to store any excess curry sauce separately as storing it together can make it too soggy which decreases its storage life.

This delicious meal can be reheated in the microwave stopping halfway through for a stir before returning it to heat. Even better if you can warm on the stove in a pot on medium heat stirring every few minutes until warmed through.

Tips for Cooking Original Jamaican Curry Chicken

Remove any skin from the chicken but leave the fat as it will melt down and add flavor.

Stir every 3-5 minutes when simmering to avoid the bottom of the pan burning the chicken.

Allow the chicken to sit outside of the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before cooking to get it closer to room temperature. It is never great to cook cold chicken as this results in an overcooked exterior and undercooked interior.

Always go with dark meat over white meat when cooking this dish as it adds more flavor.

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade:

• 3 lbs chicken – 1 whole chicken chopped into large pieces or a pack of skinless chicken thighs. All skin needs to be removed as it will get soggy. Chicken can be bone-in or boneless as both work well.
• 4 garlic cloves – peeled and chopped. I’m a garlic lover so I always add more (sometimes even a little garlic powder, too)!
• 1 tbsp ginger root – fresh ginger is best, but ginger seasoning works too. If you’re going with dry seasoning, use 1 ½ tsp.
• ½ lemon – ½ lemon will be used in the marinade and ½ will be used in the curry sauce so a whole lemon will be needed. Lime can be used in place of the lemon if preferred.
• 2 tbsp Jamaican curry powder – a blend of turmeric, fenugreek seeds, ginger, all spice, mustard seeds, cloves, nutmeg, scotch bonnet, cumin, coriander seeds, and pepper. If you’re not able to make this at home, I highly recommend Betapac Jamaican curry powder from Amazon.
• 1 Scotch Bonnet pepper – seeds removed and minced. Scotch bonnets aren’t readily available at most grocery markets, but you can buy scotch bonnet hot sauce instead. That’s what I did! Adjust according to heat preference as it’s spicy.
• 1 ½ tsp Turmeric – for color and earthy taste.
• 1 ½ tsp Cumin – to enhance the meaty flavor and bring out the scent.
• ½ tsp black pepper – season to taste
• Thyme – fresh sprigs do a better job at infusing the oils in the meat and marinade.
• Salt – to taste

Jamaican Curry:

• 3 large carrots – peeled and chopped into small slices. Chopped baby carrots work just as well.
• 1 large bell pepper – color of your choice. They all taste the same to me.
• 1 large onion – Spanish (brown) or purple.
• 4 garlic cloves – peeled and minced
• 2 tbsp ginger – fresh, but 1 ½ tsp will work fine if using dry seasoning.
• ½ lemon – juiced
• 2 cups baby potatoes­ – yellow baby potatoes, but 3 regular yellow potatoes peeled and chopped works well too!
• 1 ½ cup coconut milk – full fat. You can add more if you like it extra creamy. This is about 1 can of coconut milk you can buy at the store (I use Thai Kitchens brand).
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil – enough to brown your seasonings and sear your ingredients.
• Thyme – fresh time to infuse the sauce. I recommend throwing in the full stems and removing the bare stem once cooked.
• ½ tbsp Jamaican curry powder – enough to cook and add fragrance
• ¼ tbsp cumin – for added flavor

How to Make Authentic Jamaican Curry with Chicken

There are lots of ingredients that I listed above, but don’t let that fool you. This is actually a quick and easy chicken recipe that can serve several people. I personally got 6 meals out of it!

Let’s start with our marinade. In a large mixing bowl, blend together 2 tbsp Jamaican curry powder, 1 ½ tsp turmeric, 1 ½ tsp cumin, salt and pepper. Add 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp minced ginger, 1 scotch bonnet pepper chopped with seeds removed, juice from ½ a lemon, and fresh thyme. Blend thoroughly. This creates a somewhat dry marinade rub.