Caribbean chicken casserole recipe

A delicious, warming Caribbean chicken casserole spiced with cinnamon, ginger and cayenne pepper.

This is a brilliant family dish. Like a lot of Caribbean food, it has a little spice from the cayenne pepper, but not too much. If your family are sensitive to spice, go easy on the cayenne and serve topped with a dollop of plain yoghurt to counteract the heat. We used chicken thigh fillets in this recipe. They are one of the cheaper cuts to buy but they work really well because they're flavoursome and tender. Use bone-in chicken thighs if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 2cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
• 2tsp cayenne pepper
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 1tbsp plain flour
• 1tbsp vegetable oil
• 300ml hot chicken stock
• 750g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 400ml can coconut milk

Method

1. To make this casserole recipe, heat the oil in a deep pan. Brown the chicken all over in batches and set aside. Drain all but 1 tbsp of the fat.
2. Gently fry the onion until softened. Stir in garlic, ginger and spices and cook for 1 min. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for another min.
3. Remove pan from heat and stir in the stock. Add sweet potato and chicken. Return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hr. 
4. Just before serving, stir in the coconut milk and check the seasoning.

Top tip for making this Caribbean chicken casserole

For an extra fruity sweetness, you can stir through a handful of pitted prunes or dried cherries before serving. Sprinkle a little chopped coriander on the top for garnish.

You might also like...

• Chicken casserole recipe
• French chicken casserole
• Sausage casserole with potatoes

Read our tried and tested reviews of the best slow cookers.