What’s the Difference Between Stew Chicken and Brown Stew Chicken?

Beef stew and brown stew chicken are both traditional chicken dishes found all over the world. While they have some things in common, brown stew chicken is not the same as regular stew chicken in a few important ways.

What is Stew Chicken?

Stew chicken is chicken that has been cooked in a tasty liquid, usually chicken thighs or drumsticks that still have their bones in them. The chicken is cooked slowly for a long time until it is very tender.

A basic stew chicken recipe involves

• Chicken pieces
• Aromatics like onions, garlic, carrots, celery
• Seasonings like black pepper, thyme, allspice
• Liquid like chicken broth or stock

The chicken is seared to add flavor, and then it is cooked slowly in broth and seasonings for at least an hour, or until the meat is very tender and falls off the bone.

Stew chicken emerges extremely tender and infused with the flavors of the stewing liquid. It is typically served with rice, potatoes, or crusty bread to soak up the delicious braising liquid.

What is Brown Stew Chicken?

Brown stew chicken starts with the same concept of braising chicken pieces in seasoned liquid, but it has a few added steps that result in a richer, more complex flavor.

The characteristics of brown stew chicken include:

• Browning the chicken first to caramelize it
• Extended marinating time for the chicken (ideally overnight)
• Use of ingredients like browning sauce, scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, and allspice for deeper flavor
• Longer cooking time resulting in very tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken

To make brown stew chicken, the chicken is first marinated overnight in spices. Then it is seared in oil and browned sugar to caramelize the exterior and give it a golden brown color.

The chicken is cooked slowly in the tasty stewing liquid for at least an hour and up to two or three hours to get it as tender as possible. The chicken gets very soft and soaks up all the complex flavors from the long braise.

What’s the Difference?

While both dishes involve braised chicken, there are some key differences:

• Marinating Time: Brown stew chicken marinates for hours, ideally overnight. Regular stew chicken may just be seasoned right before cooking.

• Browning: The chicken pieces are browned in oil and sugar to caramelize them and give them a rich, golden color. Stew chicken may be seared but doesn’t go through this browning process.

• Cooking Time: Brown stew chicken cooks for a minimum of 1 hour but usually 2-3 hours for ultra-tender meat. Stew chicken has a shorter cooking time of 1 hour typically.

• Ingredients: More robust seasonings and spices like browning sauce, scotch bonnet peppers, and warm spices like allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

• Flavor: Thanks to the above factors, brown stew chicken has a deeper, more complex, layered flavor than regular stew chicken.

Origins and Cuisine

Stew chicken is found across cuisines globally, from French coq au vin to Chinese chicken adobo. But brown stew chicken has distinctly Caribbean origins.

It is a staple in Jamaican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and other West Indian cuisines. The use of spices like allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, and extended braising developed from traditions of these areas.

The technique of browning the chicken first also helps preserve the meat in hot climates before refrigeration was widely available.

While regular stew chicken certainly has worldwide popularity and variations, brown stew chicken is unique to the sunny Caribbean.

How it’s Made – Step by Step

To highlight the differences, here is a simplified step-by-step overview of how each dish is made:

Stew Chicken

1. Season chicken pieces with spices like garlic, thyme, salt and pepper.
2. Sear chicken in oil to develop flavor.
3. Add aromatics like onions, carrots, celery.
4. Pour in chicken broth and seasonings.
5. Simmer for 1 hour until chicken is cooked through and tender.

Brown Stew Chicken

1. Marinate chicken overnight in robust spices and seasonings.
2. Sear chicken in oil and brown sugar to caramelize it.
3. Add aromatics like onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes.
4. Pour in chicken broth.
5. Simmer for at least 1 hour, ideally 2-3 hours.

As you can see, the extra steps of marinating, browning, and extended braising result in an ultra-flavorful, fall-off-the-bone brown stew chicken.

Serving Suggestions

Both stew chicken and brown stew chicken pair deliciously with simple starch sides to soak up the luscious braising liquid.

Some excellent accompaniments include:

• Rice (plain white rice or flavored rice like coconut rice or jasmine rice)
• Beans and peas like red kidney beans or pigeon peas
• Vegetables like roasted potatoes or sweet plantains
• Pasta or bread

A fresh salad or vegetables balance out the rich chicken. For brown stew chicken, hot sauce or peppers add a spicy kick.

In Summary

While both dishes involve braising chicken in flavorful liquid, brown stew chicken has defining characteristics that set it apart from regular stew chicken.

The keys to remember are extended marinating, browning, more robust seasoning, longer cooking time, and origins in Caribbean cuisine.

If you see a recipe for “brown stew chicken” you can expect a deeply flavorful braise with ultra-tender meat and wonderfully complex spices. It’s perfect comfort food any night of the week!