Some links are affiliated. This means I may earn a small commission from purchases made at no extra cost to you. Content is based off personal experience and not to be taken as or replace medical advice.
Jamaica is home to many mouth watering stews apart from the well known jerk and curry recipes. A beloved classic that is not as popular amongst outsiders but well known by Caribbean people is brown stew chicken. This vegan Jamaican brown stew chicken tastes just like the kind my mom used to make as a child. Its flavourful, authentic tasting, and feels like home.
What is brown stew?
Brown stew is a style of cooking/seasoning meat. Of course, this is a Caribbean vegan food blog so we’re going to be using plant based protein today instead of seasoning and cooking meat. I used to love this dish growing up as a child, even more than jerk!
Every Jamaican has their own style and recipe for cooking brown stew chicken. No taste is one and the same. Given the name, brown stew is typically made with browning which is just cooked sugar. My mom always made hers with soy sauce, so that’s what this recipe will call for.
Some links may be affiliated which means I may earn a small commission from purchases made at no extra cost to you (:
Meat replacements for vegan brown stew chicken
Not everyone is a fan of tofu and that is okay! This recipe can easily be replaced with other forms of plant based protein. Just remember to adjust cooking times according to the desired protein. If wanting an alkaline Dr. Sebi version, swap out the soy sauce for coconut aminos.
- Oyster mushrooms- My absolute favorite mushroom! This will taste amazing in this vegan Jamaican brown stew chicken recipe and give the dish a more in depth umami, meaty flavour.
- Cauliflower- I would suggest to create a batter and bake these before combining into the brown stew sauce.
- Seitan– Made from washed flower and pure gluten, seitan can act as a great soy free meat replacer for vegan brown stew tofu. Grab some wheat gluten with this link and make your own seitan from scratch.
What to serve with vegan brown stew chicken
Brown stew chicken is typically served with rice and peas. Lucky for us, rice and peas is a completely vegan and a gluten free Jamaican classic. Check out my rice and peas recipe and other tasty Jamaican sides linked below to serve with your flavourful vegan Jamaican brown stew chicken.
What you’ll need
This recipe consists of tofu and soy sauce but can be swapped with oyster mushrooms and coconut aminos to be soy free alkaline!
- Tofu
- Onion
- Scallion (Green Onion)
- Bell Pepper
- Tomato
- Carrot
- Thyme
- Scotch Bonnet
- Red Potatoes
- Garlic
- Ginger
Seasonings you need
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Soy Sauce
- Black Pepper
- Paprika
- No Salt Seasoning I use Mrs Dash, grab a bottle of your own with this link
- Jamaican All Purpose Seasoning Definitely needed for an authentic and tasty dish. Grab your own bottle using this link if you don’t have it.
- Ketchup Make sure this is free from High fructose corn syrup.
- Agave Syrup
- Water
- Cornstarch- Completely optional! Purposed to make the tofu extra crispy during frying.
How to make vegan brown stew chicken
1. Wash and chop your fresh produce minus the scotch bonnet and thyme. Optional to grate the ginger and garlic. Slice the tofu into thin pieces or desired size.
2. Optional to marinate the tofu with 2 tbs soy sauce and chopped produce for deeper, intense flavor (at least 5 minutes). Also optional, coat the tofu with a little bit of corn starch for extra crispiness.
3. Heat a pan of oil and fry all the tofu once cooked and fried. Using that same oil, remove the tofu to dry on a paper towel lined plate and sauté your fresh veg for at least 2 minutes or until fragrant.
4. Add in your dry seasonings, remaining soy sauce, potatoes, and water. Stir to combine, place lid on top, and allow to simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes.
5. Add in the ketchup, agave nectar, tofu, and extra water if needed. Add salt to taste and enjoy!
How to store vegan brown stew chicken
Vegan Jamaican brown stew chicken can last up to 5 days in the fridge making it great for meal prep! Simply store in an airtight container and reheat on the stove when desired. For a meal prep upgrade, make some of my delicious authentic Jamaican rice and peas and sort with the brown stew into small containers for the week.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Sharing is caring! Be sure to share with family and friends and save to your Pinterest board for later!
2 Comments
Michelle Monterrosa
December 13, 2022 at 3:50 am
Your recipes look delicious 😋
Tiffany
December 14, 2022 at 6:10 am
Thank you Michelle!