Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe

Name: Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 16 min
Cook time: 31 min
Total time: 47 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 2 Lbs Chicken Thighs; 2 1/2 Tbs Curry Powder; 1 tsp All-purpose Seasoning; 1 chopped Onion; 3 chopped Spring Onions; 1/2 Green Pepper; 4 Cloves Chopped Garlic; 1 chopped Scotch Bonnet; 3 sprigs Thyme; 3 tablespoons Olive Oil; 1/4 cup Water; 1 large Russet Potato; To taste Salt; To taste Pepper

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Chicken recipe with Jamaican flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 63 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · 47 min total

2 Lbs Chicken Thighs
2 1/2 Tbs Curry Powder
1 tsp All-purpose Seasoning
1 chopped Onion
3 chopped Spring Onions
1/2 Green Pepper
4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
1 chopped Scotch Bonnet
3 sprigs Thyme
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 cup Water
1 large Russet Potato
To taste Salt
To taste Pepper

Step-by-step instructions

Equipment.
Dutch Oven.
Instructions Add chicken thighs, all-purpose seasoning, 1 tablespoon of curry powder, onion, green onions, green pepper, garlic cloves, scotch bonnet pepper (if using), and thyme to a large bowl and combine, making sure all chicken pieces are covered with the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
One the chicken is done marinating, remove onions, peppers, and garlic cloves from chicken and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add remaining curry powder and stir, cooking for about 20-30 seconds. Add onions, green pepper, garlic cloves, thyme, and scotch bonnet pepper (if using) to pot and stir until onions have softened, about 3-5 minutes. If your onions and peppers are looking dry, add about 1 tablespoon of water.
Add chicken and ¼ cup of water to the pot. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-35 minutes.
When there is about 15 minutes remaining, stir in potato and continue to cook covered.
Once chicken is cooked and potatoes are softened, remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Why this works on a weeknight

Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe lands at about 47 minutes total — a little longer than our 30-minute target, but most of that time is hands-off simmering, which is why it earned a spot in our Weeknight Curries collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🌶️ Weeknight Curries Chicken Jamaican