Trinidad Chicken Roti Recipe – Juicy bite-sized chicken and chickpeas enveloped in warm Indo-Caribbean sauce loaded with spices make for an unforgettable meal. This dish comes together in no time and gets everybody excited about sitting around the dinner table.
This dish is one hundred percent approachable despite sounding like something elaborate. You’ll need to gather up several spices, yes, but otherwise, it’s a piece of cake. You simply add everything to a pot and let it simmer.
In fact, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is, especially when the rave reviews start pouring in. I’m not exaggerating when I say everyone loves this dish!
Content…What Is It? |
What Is Trinidad Chicken Roti?
Technically, roti is an unleavened flatbread popular in Indian and Caribbean cuisine. Trinidad chicken roti refers to the curry-like chicken filling that goes inside. This dish hails from Trinidad and Tobago, where the island nation’s inhabitants like to pay homage to their Indo-Caribbean roots. That delivers some insanely good curries and seafood dishes.
And this chicken roti from Trinidad is no exception. Think buttery-rich, spicy chicken without the copious amount of butter. Equally delicious, and maybe slightly healthier? That’s what I’m telling myself anyway. 😜
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken – Grab some boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- Chickpeas – Canned chickpeas pack added fiber, protein, and flavor to this roti dish.
- Potatoes – Cubed potatoes add substance and texture to this meal. They also taste divine slathered in the spicy sauce.
- Chicken Broth – Trinidad chicken roti is saucy! It gets that way, thanks to the chicken broth.
- Spices – This dish is so flavorful, thanks to an amazing list of herbs and spices. Here’s what you’ll need: diced onion, minced garlic, white pepper, thyme, chicken bouillon powder, cumin, smoked paprika, allspice, curry powder, nutmeg, and if you like some heat, a little cayenne powder too. 😅
How to Make Trinidad Chicken Roti
Marinate
- Prep Chicken – Place the chicken in a large bowl or saucepan. Then, add the salt, garlic, thyme, white pepper, and curry powder. (Photo 1)
- Season – Mix the chicken with a spoon or your hands until it is well coated with the seasonings. (Photo 2)
- Marinate – Set it in the fridge and marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.
Cook it Up
- Saute – Heat a large saucepan with oil. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, cumin, allspice, smoked paprika, nutmeg, and curry powder, and stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes. The onions should be translucent.
- Chicken – Next, toss the chicken into the pan. Sauté everything for 2-3 more minutes. (Photo 3)
- Simmer – Finally, add chickpeas, chicken bouillon, potatoes, cayenne, white pepper, and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer until the sauce thickens, which might take about 20-30 minutes. (Photo 4)
- Serve – Taste test and adjust the salt, spiciness, and thickness by adding more broth as needed.
Recipe Variations
- Use a different cut of chicken. Any cut of chicken will work in this dish. Just debone it (if needed), cut it into bite-sized pieces, and proceed.
- Make it vegan. Skip the chicken altogether and replace chicken broth with vegetable broth for a vegan roti. Just make sure you double or triple the chickpeas.
- Add extra veggies. Feel free to add peas, carrots, or any other veggie you love that tastes great in curry.
Tips and Tricks
- Add a little chicken broth if you notice the chicken sticking and starting to burn.
- Cut up the chicken before you marinate it. That way, the spices have even more area to penetrate and can add plenty of flavor.
- Get all your spices together before you start sauteing. Otherwise, you might burn the onions, garlic, and chicken as you poke around for the seasonings. (It’s a long list, as you probably noticed.) 😆
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Make the chicken roti, let it cool, and store it in the fridge for up to three days before serving. You can also freeze it for up to three months. Reheat thawed roti on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. The same goes for leftovers.
What Goes With Trinidad Chicken Roti
Serve chicken roti with Buss Up Shut—Paratha for a more authentic take on this Trini dish. It also goes great with a steamy bowl of garlic rice and fried plantains or some Jamaican rice and peas. Wash it down with some sorrel drink, especially if you made it extra spicy. ❤️🔥
More Mouthwatering Trinidadian Recipes to Try
This blog post was originally published in April 2017 and has been updated with additional tips and beautiful photos
Trinidad Chicken Roti
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 2½-3 pounds (1-1.5kg) chicken thighs (boneless, skinless, and cut into bite-sized pieces)
- ½ teaspoon (1g) white pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5g) minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon (1g) dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) curry powder
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) chicken bouillon
Chicken Roti
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) canola oil (more if needed)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced garlic
- 1½ teaspoons (3g) thyme, fresh or dried
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons (3-4g) smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground allspice
- 2-3 tablespoons (14-22g) curry powder
- 1 teaspoon (2g) ground nutmeg
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
- 1 tablespoon (10g) chicken bouillon
- 2 cups (260g) cubed potatoes
- ½-1 teaspoon (<1-2g) cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon (2g) white pepper
- 3-4 cups (700-950ml) chicken broth
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Place chicken in a large bowl or saucepan, then add salt, garlic, thyme, white pepper, and curry powder.
- Mix chicken with a spoon or your hands until well coated. Set aside in the fridge and marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.
- When ready to cook, heat a large saucepan with oil. Add onions, garlic, thyme, cumin, allspice, smoked paprika, nutmeg, and curry powder. Stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent.
- Then add the chicken, stir, and sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Add chicken stock if necessary to prevent burning.
- Next, add chickpeas, chicken bouillon, potatoes, cayenne, white pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce thickens (it might take 20-30 minutes).
- Adjust with salt, pepper, and broth for taste and consistency.
Tips & Notes:
- Add a little chicken broth if you notice the chicken sticking and starting to burn.
- Cut up the chicken before you marinate it. That way, the spices have even more area to penetrate and can add plenty of flavor.
- Mise en place is essential, so tet all your spices together before you start sauteing.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Xav says
I couldn’t be happier to have found this recipe. Chicken roti has been my favourite dish for years now. There was a restaurant in Montreal where I live that made a Roti so good I would go nearly every week or daily if I was working close by. Sadly it closed permanently. I’ve tried every Roti spot i could find hoping to eat one as delicious… no luck. Then a friend made some using this recipe, PERFECT! thank you for bringing this delicious meal back to me. Tonight will be my first attempt.
ImmaculateBites says
Oh thanks Xav! Thank you so much for taking time out to share your thoughts with me. Am sure you are going to nail it. Happy Cooking!!!!
Janice says
I was just looking at your Chicken Roti. It looks delicious, I have one question, what do you use for the wrap? I didn’t see any mention of that. Please let me know.
Thank you
Janice
ImmaculateBites says
I used this . However, you can use any flat bread you have on hand . Here’s another one . Tortillas work as well.
Mrs. D says
Made this today and it was wonderful! This recipe is a keeper!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know.
Jane says
Thank you for this recipe. I volunteer at a guest house and we have several families that love spicy food. I do have a question. There’s garlic listed for the marinade for the chicken. then when prepping it says to “add the onions, garlic …… but there’s no garlic listed in the ingredients for the prep of the roti. How much garlic do I add to this part of the recipe? thanks.
ImmaculateBites says
About 1/2- 1 teaspoons garlic would do just fine.
Katrina says
I’m so excited to make this dish! Question – you mention garlic in the marinade and then again in step 4 when cooking, however I don’t see garlic listed in the list of ingredients for the roti, just the marinade. How much garlic do you add with the onions etc. once the cooking starts? Thanks a lot!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Katrina! You add 2 teaspoons minced garlic. Happy Holidays!!!
damon says
My Caribbean food game is pretty tight, even though I’m a white guy from Canada, haha. Jerk chicken, sure, I make my own habanero hot sauces, and I’ve even made patties from scratch. but this was a true pleasure. really really good, thank you.
I can see myself making this again lots of times, and for more guests to impress.
this recipe was perfect for a colder november sunday dinner, thanks for making me look good.
Damon
ImmaculateBites says
Aww thank you Damon! My pleasure! So glad to hear it’s going to be on a dinner rotation. Happy Cooking!!!!
Amelia Jarvis says
Iv been wanting to recreate a chicken curry a friend from Trinidad use to make when I was a girl. It was the yummiest food on the planet iv never forgot it. I found this recipie in the hopes of it being that one, and while it wasn’t it was the yummiest meal iv ever made!! I’m back to do it again after a couple weeks and for good friends coming to dinner. This one you’re gonna wanna do in about Tripple batch cause you’ll crave it every day for a week!! Definitely make the roti. I did it perfect my first time ever from this recipie.
ImmaculateBites says
Totally!!! I crave this like CRAZY. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. Glad to hear it’s going on a menu rotation.
Cary says
This looks amazing, so I’m making it tonight, and I’m SO excited! I have one question: 1.5 tsp smoked paprika is on the ingredients list twice. Is it just 1.5 tsp, or is it 3 tsp total? I’m assuming just once, but I love spices, so I don’t want to miss out on anything if it’s supposed to be doubled! Thanks for this great recipe!
ImmaculateBites says
I love paprika and usually cook with more than the required amount. 1 1/2 teaspoons does the job here. Add some more if desired . It adds a deep rich color and flavor too. Happy Cooking!!!
Cary says
Thanks so much!! I made it with the 1.5 tsp, and it is AWESOME!! This is definitely going into the meal rotation!!
Dahlia says
I have been making curry chicken for years with just the curry powder. However, I used you recipe this week and I an never going back to my old way. The spices in this recipe really made a huge difference. The flavors were orgasmic. My family and colleagues love it tremendouly! Now they want more. Thank you for sharing!
ImmaculateBites says
Orgasmic? Yes!!! So happy to hear it was a hit with everyone. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with me.
Ashley says
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I made it this weekend followed everything exactly except I used chicken breasts. It was delicious and my entire family loved it. I also used your chapati recipe to make chapati to go with it. Perfect!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for the feedback Ashley.
Monica says
This was so so so good. It put my boyfriend into a food coma haha. I made this with the roti recipe you provide. I finally have made yummy tasty roti thanks to you! My roti always ends up so cakey, but your roti recipe with this curry is divine. Thanks for sharing! (I used Jamaican curry powder & I also used 1/4 cup of coconut creme).
ImmaculateBites says
Oh my! I hope he is out of the Coma Now-Hahaha. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
Svetlana says
I love your recipes Imma! I wanna make this in a slow cooker. Can you please tell me how I should adjust the cooking times? I would probably cook it on high for 3.5 hours. But what about potatoes? Can I put them with the chicken in a slow cooker at the same time?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, you sure can cook the chicken and the potatoes at the same time. And yes for 3.5 hours.
Ken says
Wow. This was really good. Thanks!!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Glad you approve ken!
Angela says
Looks wonderful – very excited to try after coming back from the West Indies. Do you par bake your potatoes?
ImmaculateBites says
No I don’t I just cut it in bite size pieces. Then cook until fork tender.
Cloda says
Can’t wait to make this very soon. Sounds like just the ticket for this homesick Trini.
ImmaculateBites says
It sure is, do let me know how it works for you!