Caribbean chicken stew is the dish I crave when the sky turns gray and I want a little warmth on the plate. Chicken gets marinated in garlic, cilantro, and thyme, then braised with coconut milk, molasses, and tender root vegetables.
What Makes This Caribbean Chicken Stew Special
- Chicken marinated overnight in a fresh herb and garlic rub
- A rich sauce built on coconut milk and molasses
- Hearty potatoes, yam, carrots, and plantain in every bowl
- Warm spices like ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon
This is slow comfort food, the kind you start the day before and finish low and slow in the oven. The marinade does the heavy lifting, so the rest is mostly browning and layering.
Scrape up the browned molasses bits in the pot; that is where the deepest flavor lives.
Save this recipe
Enter your email and I’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Why You’ll Love This Caribbean Chicken Stew
- The herb marinade soaks deep into the chicken for big flavor in every bite
- Coconut milk and molasses make a sauce that is sweet, savory, and a little smoky
- This tropical chicken stew is a full meal once you spoon it over rice
Ingredient Notes
These are notes on the key players, not a full list. You will find the exact measurements in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Chicken pieces with skin on brown beautifully and stay juicy
- Cilantro, garlic, and thyme form the fresh marinade base
- Molasses adds deep sweetness and rich color to the sauce
- Coconut milk gives the stew its creamy, tropical body
- Potatoes, yam, carrots, and plantain make it a hearty one-pot meal
For equipment you really only need a large Dutch oven and a wooden spoon. The oven does most of the work once everything is layered in.
How to Make Caribbean Chicken Stew
Making Caribbean chicken stew takes a little planning because of the marinade, but the active work is simple. Brown, build the sauce, layer, and braise.
- Coat the chicken in the herb rub and marinate in the fridge for 24 hours
- Brown the chicken in heated oil and molasses, working in batches if needed
- Cook the onion in the pan drippings, then add coconut milk, tomato paste, and spices and simmer 3 to 4 minutes
- Return the chicken to the pot and pile the vegetables on top
- Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 90 minutes, then serve over white rice
This recipe serves about 8 and reheats wonderfully, so it is great for a crowd. The marinade can be done up to 24 hours ahead, which is most of the prep out of the way.
Storage Options
This stew tastes even better the next day once the flavors settle. Cool it fully before storing.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days
- Freeze for up to 3 months, though the plantain softens more after thawing
- Reheat gently on the stovetop until warmed through, adding a splash of water if needed
Variations & Substitutions
This dish is forgiving and easy to adjust to your taste. Here are a few ways to change it up.
- Use boneless thighs for a quicker braise and easier serving
- Swap the white potatoes for all sweet potato or add chickpeas for extra heartiness
- Add more jalapeno or a Scotch bonnet for serious heat
What to Serve with Caribbean Chicken Stew
Caribbean chicken stew is a meal on its own, but a few sides make it feel like a feast. Keep them simple so the stew stays the star.
- Fluffy white rice or rice and peas to catch the sauce
- A crisp cabbage slaw or simple green salad
- Warm crusty bread for mopping the bowl
If you love a warming bowl, the roasted poblano soup hits a similar cozy note. And for another bold, saucy dinner, the poblano and tomatillo enchiladas are a great pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need to marinate the chicken for Caribbean chicken stew?
The 24-hour marinade gives the deepest flavor, but a few hours will still help if you are short on time.
Can I make it less sweet?
Yes, cut the molasses back to taste. It builds color and richness, so a little still goes a long way.
What can I use instead of plantain?
Try an extra carrot or a piece of sweet potato. You will lose a bit of that tropical sweetness, but the stew is still delicious.
Can I cook it on the stovetop instead of the oven?
Yes, keep it at a low simmer, covered, until the chicken and vegetables are tender.
This is the bowl I want on a cold, gray evening, warm with spice and rich with coconut. Make it the day before, let it braise low and slow, and dinner takes care of itself.
Caribbean Chicken Stew
Save this recipe
Enter your email and I’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs chicken pieces I used legs and breasts with skin on
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- _____________________
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 Tbsp molasses
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 13.6 oz an light coconut milk
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp powdered ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- _______________________
- 2 large white potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 large yam peeled and cubed
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced into large rounds
- 1 plantain peeled and sliced into large rounds
Instructions
- Combine cilantro, garlic, peppers, thyme, oil and salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Spread mixture over raw chicken pieces and place in a large plastic bag. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for twenty four hours.
- In a large dutch oven, heat oil and molasses. Brown chicken pieces in the molasses mixture. This may take two batches of browning for four pounds of chicken. (It did for me)Place browned chicken on a plate.
- Once chicken is browned, preheat oven to 375º.
- Cook onion in the leftover molasses/oil mixture that remains in the bottom of your dutch oven. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the stuck on cooked molasses as there is a lot of flavor in those bits.
- Cook onion until translucent. Add coconut milk, tomato paste, water, powdered ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Allow this to cook for three to four minutes.
- Add salt and pepper. Be sure to take a taste to see if it needs more salt.
- Place chicken pieces back in dutch oven on top of sauce. Cover with veggies.
- Add some more salt and a generous amount of fresh ground black pepper to the veggies.
- Cover and cook in oven for 90 minutes. Serve over white rice and garnish with cilantro or parsley and some diced red pepeper.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
As someone that’s better versed in photography than food, I just want to let you know that your food photography is beautiful! You obviously take the time to stage everything in a fresh, appealing manner and it shows! Keep up the great work!
Well, thank you very much! You just made my day. Truly. I’ve been working hard to understand my camera better and if I could show you how many food styling books I’ve devoured, oy. There’s a lot to know. Thank you so much for the compliment.
Cannot wait to try it – and I will make the margaritas to go with it!! AND I agree, the photos are mouth watering!
Thanks Lynn! So many people I know are on vacation right now. This is about as close as I can get to the beach. A warm one anyway.
This sounds so good, and I love coconut milk so I really can’t wait to try making this myself.
Thanks Anna! I too love coconut milk and it’s so good for you. I’m trying to use it in more recipes myself.
Maddy is absolutely right Melanie, your pix of your wonderful recipe are fantastic!! Your studying has paid off and you recipe development skills taking Giada’s original and making it much better, fabulous!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!! Well done!!
I live in a tropical country but not at all near the Caribbean. I have to say this recipe of yours uses many familiar flavours but all mixed together, I think it’s brilliant! Never had plantain in stew before. I can see how it will stand up to the heat and flavours. Nice.
This sounds devine. Do you think tofu would work if I wanted to make it veggie?
Do you think this would work in a crock pot? Is a dutch oven the same thing as a pyrex casserole dish with glass lid? I don’t have a dutch oven but loads of pyrex – ha! Thanks
Sure, you could toss this in a crock pot. Just be sure to brown the chicken in a skillet first. That initial step adds a lot of flavor.
Looks great! I think the coconut milk add was brilliant. I agree with you about plaitains though and think when I try this I will fry them and have them on the side.
Found this on Pinterest and tried this tonight, yeah should have marinate the chicken for 24 hours but it taste great. I did not use Plantain in my recipe because banana types have a reaction of stomach discomfort. Also in the small town which I from they only had bananas. Other wise might have tried it. So to add something in its place I added okra. Great smell in my kitchen can’t wait to take my left overs for lunch tomorrow, girls will be intrigued.
Yes, marinating for 24 hours makes all the difference. I’m glad you had good results though.
Oh wow – this looks wonderful and I can’t wait to try it, since I lived in the islands “many a moon” ago…
Hmm hmm. Now this is worth trying out. Will serve with plain rice (unsalted)
Thanks for sharing this.
Sounds yummy. I’m going to try substituting yucca for the potato.
My Husband is from Belize , so I know this will taste like home. However, can I use skinless chicken?
Thanks,
I don’t often comment on recipes, however this one is so good that I had to comment right away! I made the recipe as called for (however, I admit I did add a dash of allspice and a chopped tomato to the pot.) I don’t have a dutch oven, so I followed the instructions up to step 7, then put everything in the crockpot this morning on low. (I had marinated the chicken overnight and added the remains of the marinade to my pot.) It has been about 7.5 hours and the meat is just falling apart (I used thighs and skinless breasts). The flavors are so wonderful and really work well together. We travel to Jamaica every year, so anything “Caribbean” always catches my eye. Thank you for the great recipe – this one is a keeper!
AMAZING!! Going to try and make more of your recipes!! I really loved browning the chicken with the molasses!! It was hard not to eat right there!! The gravy was even more wonderful!! So much flavor. Just went to the caribean and had this dish! This is the real thing
This looks great… I tasted the sauce before I put it in the oven and it doesn’t have much taste. Does it get better after it’s cooked? The smell is intoxicating though. I also added some five spice powder and allspice.