Instant Pot Jamaican Chicken Curry

My husband and I got married in Jamaica, and even before that, I had a soft spot for Jamaican food. I love the blend of spices, and the heat doesn’t drown out the flavor, it enhances it. When we were down there, I ate jerk chicken or pork almost every day, and eventually when I feel like making it again, I’ll also post my jerk pork recipe. But today is something different.

This recipe is inspired by one I found on a sadly now-defunct recipe website called Jamaican It Paleo several years ago. It was a delightfully spicy chicken curry stew with greens and sweet potatoes, and while it took forever to make, I ate it frequently. Obviously, once I switched over to keto, that stew became off-limits because of the sweet potato. I always meant to try to recreate it without the sweet potato, but I haven’t gotten around to it until now.

There are several keys to this recipe that I’ll mention in here. The first is the Jamaican curry spice. This is not the same as regular curry powder, so don’t substitute that. I am lucky to have a local spice market that carries it, so I just use that. If you buy yours, just make sure the mix doesn’t contain added sugar! If you can’t find it, there are multiple recipes online. This one seems to be pretty standard. All of the ingredients except for the fenugreek can usually be found in your local grocery store. The fenugreek can easily be found in an Indian grocery, as it’s frequently used in Indian food as well. You’ll need 1/4 cup of the spice blend for this recipe. The other key is what you do with it. Most recipes just call for adding the spices in after the meat cooks. You’ll want to coat the meat with it and let it sit and marinate for at least a couple of hours. The longer you let it sit, the more flavorful your end product will be.

So now that you know the crucial deets, let’s get started on the actual recipe. Cube 3 pounds of chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks, then put it in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and toss in 1/4 cup of Jamaican curry powder. Make sure all the pieces are coated, and put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. When you’re ready to cook it, set your Instant Pot to saute and add 2 tablespoons of avocado or coconut oil. You’ll want to cook the chicken in two or three batches. They don’t need to get brown and crusty, they just need to cook part-way and toast the spices. Stir them frequently, as the batches might be large enough that not every piece touches the bottom of the Instant Pot very well. Each batch should take about 6-7 minutes max.

While the first batch is cooking, chop half a medium onion, and, using gloves, remove the stem and seeds of one Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper and mince it finely. If you have ventilation in your kitchen, turn it on, and if not, open a window. Remove the first batch of chicken, add two more tablespoons of oil, and put in the second batch of chicken along with the onion and pepper. When it’s close to done, add a tablespoon of garlic and saute for another minute, then stir in a cup of chicken broth and scrape up all the lovely brown spices from the bottom of the pot. Add a can of coconut milk and set the pot for the Soup setting, or for about 30 minutes if your pressure cooker doesn’t have that particular setting. Allow for ten minutes of natural release, then use the quick release after that.

During the ten minutes of natural release, tear a bunch of collard greens into bite size pieces, making sure to remove the thick stems, then wash them in a salad spinner. If you can find callaloo, use it instead of the collard greens, as it’s much more authentic. I didn’t feel like hunting it down, so collard greens it was. Once the Instant Pot is able to be opened, add the collard greens to the chicken, stir them to wilt, then put the lid back on and pressure cook for another 5 minutes. Use the quick release, add up to two teaspoons of salt, and you have your stew. Serve it on its own or over cauliflower rice. Be careful dishing it up, especially if you have white countertops like I do, because the turmeric in the curry powder can stain. For the non-keto folks in your life, this would be great over mashed sweet potatoes or with some fried ripe plantains. This is one of those meals that ends up better after it sits overnight, so it’s perfect for meal-prep.

Instant Pot Jamaican Chicken Curry

A keto Jamaican stew made in the Instant Pot, with healthy leafy greens.

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Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Marinating Time 2 hrs

Total Time 3 hrs 30 mins

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Jamaican

Servings 8

Calories 463 kcal

Equipment

• Instant Pot or other pressure cooker

Ingredients

  

• 1/4 cup avocado or coconut oil divided
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup Jamaican curry powder see notes above
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 bunch collard greens or callaloo
• 2 tsp salt

Instructions

 

• Cut up the chicken thighs and put the pieces in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Add the curry powder and toss the chicken to make sure all the pieces are coated. Put the chicken in the fridge for at least two hours to marinate.
• Set your Instant Pot to saute and add two tablespoons of avocado or coconut oil. Put 1/3 to 1/2 of the chicken in the pot and saute, turning frequently, for about 6-7 minutes. Remove from pot and add two more tablespoons of oil, then add the remaining chicken along with the chopped onion and pepper. Repeat, then add the garlic and saute for about a minute.
• When the final batch of chicken is done, return the first batch to the pot, then add the chicken broth. Stir to scrape up the toasted spices from the bottom of the pot. When that's complete, stir in a can of coconut milk. Set the Instant Pot on the Soup setting, or for 30 minutes on high pressure. When the timer is finished, wait ten minutes, then use the quick release method.
• During the ten minutes of natural release, remove the collard green leaves from the thick center stem and tear them into tiny pieces. Rinse them in a salad spinner. Once you've opened the Instant Pot, put in the collard greens, stir them a bit so they begin to wilt, and then put the lid back on and pressure cook for another five minutes. Use quick release to open the cooker again and add the salt, being careful to taste after the first teaspoon to see if you need more. Serve by itself or over cauliflower rice.
• Macros per serving: 463 calories, 7 grams net carbs, 33 grams protein, 33 grams fat.

Keyword chicken, high protein, keto, lchf, low carb, meal prep, soup, spicy, stew

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