Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Belizean Stew Chicken
Chicken marinated in recado rojo, browned in caramelized sugar, and stewed dark, served with rice and beans.
Belizean · easy · serves 4
prep 30 min · cook 50 min
~635 cal · 86g protein · 13g carbs · 23g fat · 1g fiber · 8g sugars · 8g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Stew chicken with rice and beans is the everyday soul food of Belize, the plate you will find at nearly any Belizean table or diner, especially on a Sunday.
The chicken is first marinated in recado rojo, the brick-red -and-spice paste of the region, then browned in caramelised sugar, a technique that gives the stew its deep, glossy colour and subtle sweetness, before being simmered until tender.
It is served with rice and beans cooked together in , plus fried and a little slaw. Rich, savoury, and comforting, stew chicken is the definitive taste of home for Belizeans, humble and everyday.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
3 lb bone-in chicken pieces
2 tbsp recado rojo () paste
Hard to find? Yucatecan achiote paste from a Mexican grocer - the same annatto-and-spice brick under its Mexican name; Belizean recado often leans a touch harder on black pepper
2 tbsp brown sugar, for browning
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp a splash of vinegar
Instructions
1
Rub the chicken (or tofu and mushrooms) with recado, vinegar, garlic, and thyme; marinate at least 30 minutes.
2
Melt the sugar in coconut oil over medium heat until it foams and turns deep amber, watch it closely.
3
Add the chicken and turn to coat in the dark caramel, searing until the pieces take on color all over.
4
Add the onion and a cup of water, cover, and stew 35-40 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy.
5
Serve over rice and beans with a spoonful of the dark gravy.
Belize City Creole kitchen.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Belize City. Rice and beans is not the same as beans and rice, and Belizeans will tell you so. Rice and beans means the two cooked together in coconut milk and is the national dish; beans and rice means them cooked separately and served side by side. Recado rojo, the annatto paste colouring the stew, has Maya roots.
🗺️
Belize. Belizeans distinguish rice and beans from beans and rice and mean two different things. Rice and beans is the two cooked together in coconut milk and is the national dish; beans and rice is them cooked separately and served side by side. Recado rojo, the brick-red annatto paste with Maya roots, is what colours and seasons the stew chicken.
🌍
North America. North America's table began with Indigenous foodways, the "three sisters" of corn, beans, and squash, plus chiles, tomatoes, and cacao, then layered on colonial, African, and immigrant influences. From Mexico's UNESCO-recognized cuisine to the Cajun and Creole pots of Louisiana and the fiery jerk of the Caribbean, the region turns ancient staples into something new. Barbecue, tacos, gumbo, and mole all carry stories of migration and adaptation.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Belize
Fry JacksPuffy, crisp triangles of fried dough eaten with refried beans, eggs, or jam, the golden centerpiece of a Belizean breakfast.
GarnachesCrisp fried tortillas topped with refried beans, cheese, and pickled cabbage, Belize's favorite street snack-lunch.
Belizean Bread PuddingA dense, dark bread pudding rich with coconut, raisins, and rum, spiced and baked until firm, a Belizean classic.
Browse all Belize recipes →
Good to know
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Make it a Belize meal
Seaweed ShakeDrink
Belizean Bread PuddingDessert
GarnachesLunch
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Cuisine
Diet
Frequently asked questions
What is Belizean Stew Chicken?
Chicken marinated in recado rojo, browned in caramelized sugar, and stewed dark, served with rice and beans.
Where does Belizean Stew Chicken come from?
Belizean Stew Chicken is a Belizean dish from Belize City, Belize.
Can Belizean Stew Chicken be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Belizean Stew Chicken recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Belizean Stew Chicken safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Belizean Stew Chicken take to make?
About 80 minutes total (30 minutes prep, 50 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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