Use your Instant Pot to make this amazing Jamaican Chicken Curry. This Jamaican curried chicken is spicy, authentic, and finished in just 20 minutes!
Why You'll Love This Curry
- Flavorful and Spicy. Jamaican Chicken Curry is renowned for its rich, bold flavors, derived from a unique blend of spices including curry powder, allspice, thyme, and Scotch bonnet peppers. These ingredients create a deeply savory, slightly sweet, and notably spicy profile that is both invigorating and satisfying.
- Versatility. Jamaican Chicken Curry can be served with a variety of sides, including rice and peas, white rice, roti, or even bread. This versatility makes it a dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways.
- Comfort Food. Like many curry dishes, Jamaican Chicken Curry is often considered comfort food. It's hearty, filling, and warms you up from the inside, making it perfect for family dinners or when you need a bit of culinary cheer.
Overall, Jamaican Chicken Curry is a celebration of flavor, culture, and comfort, making it a beloved dish for many.
What is Jamaican Curry Chicken?
Jamaican Chicken Curry is a favorite standby in Jamaican cuisine. It's a chicken dish that's cooked low and slow to get all the amazing flavors infused in the chicken and vegetables. Using your Instant Pot you can achieve the same flavor profile and all the rich flavor in less than 30 minutes. This Jamaican curried chicken makes an ideal dinner if you are craving some Caribbean flare.
Do Jamaicans Say Curry Chicken or Chicken Curry?
While it may roll off of the tongue easier to say Chicken Curry because of how you you are used to ordering it in your favorite restaurant, traditionally in Jamaica you would refer to this tasty dish as Curry Chicken.
What Kind Of Peppers Do You Use
If you aren't familiar with Scotch Bonnet peppers, they are originally from Jamaica! Therefore, they are prevalent in Caribbean cuisine. They are fruitier and spicy! Scotch Bonnet peppers are cousins to the Habanero and hotter. Habanero peppers may be more commonly found in the grocery store, but I have found Scotch Bonnets at my regular grocery store in Texas.
Ingredients Needed
- Oil- Used as the cooking medium, it helps to sauté and release the flavors of the aromatics like ginger, garlic, and onions. It also aids in evenly cooking the chicken.
- Minced Ginger- Adds a fresh, zesty, and slightly spicy flavor to the curry. Ginger is a common ingredient in Caribbean cooking and contributes to the depth of flavor in the dish.
- Minced Garlic- Garlic is a key aromatic in many cuisines, including Jamaican. It provides a pungent, earthy flavor that forms the base of the curry's taste profile.
- Onions- When sautéed, onions offer sweetness and a rich, savory flavor that complements the other spices and ingredients in the curry.
- Jamaican Curry Powder- This is a blend of spices including turmeric, coriander, cumin, and more. It's essential for giving the dish its signature curry flavor and vibrant color.
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper- Known for its intense heat and fruity flavor, Scotch Bonnet is a staple in Jamaican cooking. It adds a spicy kick to the curry, but can be adjusted based on heat preference.
- Fresh Thyme- Adds a fragrant, earthy, and slightly minty note to the dish. Thyme is a popular herb in Caribbean cooking.
- Kosher Salt- Enhances the overall flavor of the curry, helping to balance and bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Ground Allspice- A quintessential Jamaican spice, allspice adds warm, sweet, and spicy notes, reminiscent of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs- The main protein of the dish, chicken thighs are favored for their tenderness and ability to absorb the flavors of the curry. They remain juicy even after cooking.
- Potatoes- They add substance and a comforting, starchy component to the dish. Potatoes also help to balance the robust flavors and heat of the curry.
Why Is Curry Popular In Jamaica?
Jamaican Curry Chicken is quite popular because of the traditional spices used and how affordable of a dish it is to make.
Not only is it tasty, and affordable, it is filling, easy to make, and the ultimate comfort food.
What's the difference between Jamaican Curry and Indian Curry?
One of the most notable differences between Indian Curry and Jamaican Curry is that Jamaican Curry uses Scotch Bonnet pepper and prepared curry powder. As you know, I never use curry powder in Indian Cooking, but I use it in this Jamaican Chicken Curry. I also use it in Vietnamese Bo Kho and in Japanese Curry Paste in this Japanese Curry without thinking twice!
But I don't use it in Indian cooking. I'm weird like that.
Jamaican curry powder recipes differ but they use some combinations of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, anise seeds, fenugreek seeds, and allspice berries etc. I buy it readymade and I've found Blue Everest Jamaican Curry Powder to be the best mix out there for this Jamaican curried chicken. Maybe one day I will make my own.
How To Make Jamaican Curry Chicken
- Select sauté and once it is hot, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add ginger and garlic then stir briefly to toast the spices.
- Add chopped onion and cook until translucent.
- Add the Jamaican curry powder Scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, salt, and allspice.
- Use 1/4-1/3 cup of water to deglaze and then allow the water to evaporate.
- Add chicken, potato, and water. Cook under high pressure.
- Let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes and use a quick release for all remaining pressure.
Tips And Tricks For Making This Jamaican Curried Chicken
- You can make this low carb by leaving the potatoes out of the recipe. Omitting the potatoes reduces carbs by 6 gms per serving.
- You can serve this with rice to help cut down on the spice.
- All the heat in this recipe comes from the Scotch bonnet pepper, so reduce this if you need it less spicy.
What To Serve With Jamaican Chicken Curry
- Well now. How about some Jamaican Peas and Rice? I think those two together make just the perfect meal.
- A rice dish will be a great way to cut the heat of the peppers, you could also try this Perfect Brown Rice recipe.
- Tangy, sweet, spicy Roasted Pearl Onions are a snap to make in your air fryer for an easy, vegan side dish.
How Long Does It Last?
For the best results, use the timeline that your poultry has on the label. If it has a short date, or you froze your chicken on the day of expiration, try to consume this Chicken curry the same day you make it.
If your chicken has a few days before expiring, use that as a guideline for how long to keep leftovers.
This dish will not deteriorate in quality while sitting in the curry. If anything, it will continue to gain flavor.
More Delicious Curry Recipes
- Chicken Vindaloo
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Japanese Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooker Chicken Saag
- Chicken Curry Soup
- Katsu Curry
Pin It!
Now you have all the fixings for a delicious Jamaican Chicken Curry dinner! Make sure to share this recipe with your friends on Pinterest and Facebook so they can enjoy it as well!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) Oil
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Minced Ginger
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Minced Garlic
- 1 cup (160 g) onions, chopped
- 1.5 tablespoons (1.5 tablespoons) Jamaican Curry Powder
- 1 (1) Scotch Bonnet Pepper, sliced
- 3 sprigs (3) Fresh Thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Ground Allspice
- 1 pound (0.45 kg) Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 3 pieces each
- 1 (1) Potatoes, large, cut into 1-inch chunks (omit for keto/low carb)
- 1 cup (250 ml) Water
Instructions
- Heat the Instant Pot on Sauté and once it is hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add ginger and garlic, and stir for 20 seconds.
- Add chopped onion and mix well (about 1-2 minutes).
- Add the Jamaican curry powder, the sliced scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, salt and allspice and mix well.
- At this point, if you have any browning or sticking that has occurred, use 1/4-1/3 cup of water to deglaze, scraping well, and allowing the water to evaporate.
- Add chicken, potato, and 1 cup of water and set your Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. If you are NOT using potatoes, reduce water to 1/2 cup.
- Allow the pot to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes and then release all remaining pressure. Stir and serve.
Tips And Tricks For Making This Jamaican Curried Chicken
- You can make this low carb by leaving the potatoes out of the recipe. Omitting the potatoes reduces carbs by 6 gms per serving.
- You can serve this with rice to help cut down on the spice.
- All the heat in this recipe comes from the Scotch bonnet pepper, so reduce this if you need it less spicy.
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I was a little hesitant to make this based off a couple of reviews but glad I did! This definitely tasted authentic to me! Quick and not a lot of prep work or a ton of ingredients. My kind of dinner!!! Family agreed that this is going on the rotation for sure! I made it exactly as described! By the way, I noticed your website name... are you a gastric sleeve patient? I noticed the website name after I found this recipe and wondered!
URVASHI PITRE
Yes I am a sleever and so is my husband hence two sleevers 🙂 I came with that name when the website was just an online diary for myself.
And yes it tastes authentic. I asked two of my Jamaican friends to taste it before I posted it 🙂
Charlene
I really enjoyed this dish. So much so we made it twice in a week. It does get watery but I just took the chicken and potatoes out and added a little cornstarch slurry to thicken it a bit in the pot on sauté. On my second time around I added 2 tablespoons of curry powder and more scotch bonnet but I’m glad I experimented and eased into it. Thank you!
Jackie
Our family loves this chicken. I love that it comes together in the InstantPot. Only modification that I’ve made, I also out in a carrot in large chunks. I serve it with your peas and rice, it’s perfect!