Jamaican Chicken Stew for #eattheworld

Welcome to our November 2020 post for the Eat the World project, led by Evelyne of CulturEatz. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!

For this month's assignment, Evelyne invited us to pack our bags and head to the beaches of Jamaica! I think we could all use a little bit of a tropical vacation right now. I am missing the beaches something fierce. In addition to a quick FL beaches trip most years, I missed out on my Caribbean diving trip this year with safety and travel restrictions in mind. I am looking forward to travel being a possibility again starting hopefully next year, but in the mean time a brief trip to Jamaica through this delicious dish helped just a little! 

This stew is so very easy, pantry friendly, and full of wonderful flavors, textures, and spices. I LOVED the addition of the curry flavor in this dish. It kind of reminded me a of slightly spicy chicken chili. There wasn't a huge excess of liquid, but just enough that it's perfect served over some rice to sop up that extra flavor.

This tasty stew comes together in no time as well - which is always a huge bonus on work nights around here. In addition to working from home (which I've found really means it's hard to separate home time from work time in the evenings) and helping my 7 year old with virtual school, her schedule can be hectic and afternoon / evenings are often pretty busy and the hours just fly by. Every day I feel like I am commenting on how quickly the day has passed.

Come see all the tasty Jamaican dishes we're sharing with you today!

Pandemonium Noshery: Pumpkin Rice 

Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Jamaican Stew Peas 

Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Jamaican Chicken & Pumpkin Soup 

Palatable Pastime: Jamaican Jerk Chicken Burger 

Sneha’s Recipe: Jamaican Saucy Jerk Chicken Wings With Homemade Jerk Seasonings 

CulturEatz: Jamaican Ginger Beer Recipe 

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Banana Fritters 

Sugarlovespices: Jamaican Beef Patties 

Making Miracles: Jamaican Chicken Stew

Jamaican Chicken Stew

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice 

2 teaspoons olive oil 

1 cup chopped onion 

1 TBS minced garlic (jarred)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces 

1 teaspoon curry powder 

1 teaspoon dried thyme 

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper 

1/4 cup dry red wine 

2 tablespoons capers 

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

Directions

1. Prepare the rice via your preferred method while you prep the stew (I love using my Instant Pot for rice - just put 1 cup of liquid - broth or water - and 1 cup of rice in the instant pot, hit the "rice" button and that's all there is to it)!
2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add in the onion and saute about 5-6 minutes, until it begins to get a little color on and starts softening. Add in the garlic and saute another minute. 
   
3. Add in the chicken, and season with the curry powder, thyme, allspice, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Cook the chicken for about 3-5 minutes, allowing it to brown a little on each side.
4. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a low simmer, cover, and simmer about 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
5. Serve over the cooked rice.

Recipe adapted from MyRecipes