Caribbean Chicken Thighs Recipes

JAMAICAN BROWN STEW CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place habanero, thyme, garlic, ginger, light parts of green onions, brown sugar, black pepper, kosher salt, smoked paprika, allspice, and vinegar for marinade into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
• Make 2 slices into the skin side of each thigh, perpendicular to the bone, about 1 inch apart, cutting all the way down to the bone. Add chicken thighs to the marinade and toss thoroughly until evenly coated. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the chicken and transfer to the refrigerator, 12 hours or overnight. If possible, toss several times during the marinating time.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade. Scrape off any chunks of marinade from chicken into the bowl and reserve for later.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, deep, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until almost smoking hot. Add chicken and brown well on both sides, about 5 minutes, working in batches if necessary. Once all the chicken is browned, remove to the marinade bowl and reserve.
• Heat the same pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt; saute in the fat until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar and cook until everything caramelizes and turns a dark brown, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Carefully add chicken broth, ketchup, and bay leaves to the pan; bring to a boil. Add carrots, bell peppers, browned chicken thighs, and reserved marinade.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and no longer pink in the centers, and the sauce has reduced and thickened, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, skimming the excess fat that comes to the top and basting the chicken with the sauce occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning. Toss in reserved sliced green onions. Serve immediately.

CARIBBEAN SMOTHERED CHICKEN WITH COCONUT, LIME, AND CHILES

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a shallow Dutch oven or casserole with a lid over high heat.
• Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and add to the hot oil, skin side down. Sear, flipping once, until browned on both sides and the fat renders, about 5 minutes.
• Push the chicken to one side of the pan, add the thyme and onions to the other side, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Cook, stirring, until the onions get some color, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, chile, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the coconut milk and ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring.
• Arrange the chicken in a single layer skin side up and surround with the onion mixture. The skin should be just above the liquid line. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Uncover and stir in the lime juice. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and lime zest.
• Serve immediately with lime wedges.
• DO AHEAD: The cooked chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

JAMAICAN CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Mix together the first 9 ingredients in a small bowl.
• Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat.
• Coat pan with cooking spray.
• Add chicken to skillet; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done.

CARIBBEAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Puree all ingredients except chicken in food processor. Add marinade and chicken to re-sealable plastic bag, mix thoroughly and let marinate, refrigerated, for 4 to 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat grill to high, remove excess marinade from chicken and place on grill. Grill each side of chicken for 3 to 4 minutes then place on a pan and finish in the oven for 15 minutes.
• Squeeze a lime wedge over each piece of chicken and serve.

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Whizz all the ingredients for the marinade in a blender to form a thick paste. It shouldn't be too runny, similar to the consistency of sweet chilli sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three weeks.
• Slit the chicken skin with a sharp knife, then put into a container. Pour over the jerk marinade, making sure the chicken is completely covered. You may not need all the marinade. Cover the chicken and place in the fridge for at least 4 hrs, but ideally 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the chicken in an ovenproof dish, cover with foil and cook for 30-45 mins. Remove the foil and baste the chicken with the juices from the dish, then cook for a further 10 mins. The skin should start to crisp up. Check the meat is cooked by cutting into the deepest part of the chicken. If the juices run out red, return to the oven for 10 mins more, or until the juices run clear. Serve with rice & peas or any of your favourite side dishes.

JAMAICAN CURRY CHICKEN AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Place chicken in a large bowl. Season chicken with the garlic powder, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, making sure it's evenly coated. Let come to room temperature.
• Heat a deep Dutch oven or heavy pan over medium-high. Drizzle in the olive oil. Add sliced onions, season with salt and pepper. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir to combine, and cook until soft and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, stirring to keep the garlic from scorching, and cook for 30 seconds or until tender. Using a pair of tongs or a spoon, remove onions and garlic from the pan; set aside in a bowl.
• If needed, add more oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the room-temperature chicken to the pan, and sear chicken on both sides, in batches if necessary, until golden brown, about 7 to 8 minutes total.
• Sprinkle curry powder over and around chicken. Let the spices bloom and toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Add reserved onions and garlic to the pan. Using a paring knife, pierce the Scotch bonnet pepper. Add to the pan. Add potatoes, and stir to evenly coat chicken and potatoes.
• Pour in chicken stock to nearly cover the chicken. Add the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Bring to a simmer. Remove Scotch bonnet pepper. Cover pot and cook for 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender and falling off the bone. Taste and adjust the curry powder, salt and pepper as needed.
• In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 1/4 cup water to form a slurry. (The chicken curry can be eaten as is, like a soup, or slurry can be added to thicken the sauce to a gravy-like consistency.) Add 1 tablespoon of the slurry, and bring to a boil to thicken, adding more slurry to reach desired consistency. Retrieve bay leaf and thyme stems and discard. Serve with rice.

CARIBBEAN BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º.
• Trim loose skin from chicken thighs. Peel and mash bananas with a fork, adding coconut cream, chili powder, lime juice, zest, salt and pepper.
• In a frying pan, heat oil and fry onion and pepper until soft. Add chicken, skin side down and fry until golden.
• Arrange chicken and vegetables in a baking dish, then add rum to frying pan and stir to combine juices and any sediment. Pour liquid over thighs then add banana and coconut sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 75 minutes. Remove foil the last 30 minutes.