Trinidad Chicken Roti
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.
Question: i haven’t made the recipe yet. But if you’re using chicken broth as a base instead of water, should you add less of the chicken boillion powder?
Yes you should . Adjust chicken powder to desired taste .Enjoy!
My family loved it! Thank you.
You’re welcome, AA! I’m happy that your family loved it 🙂
Amazing!! My 4 year old absolutely loved it! He wants it in his lunch tomorrow as well. Thank you for posting!
Great! Thanks for the feedback.
This recipe was brilliant, thank you!
This was delicious. Perfect chicken roti recipe I will continue making it!
YESS!Thanks so much.
This is the first review I’ve ever given…. Mostly because I’m never really wowed, and I have to tweak. If I have to tweak, is not good. This was bang on. It had flavor, it had texture, and not one complaint. We’re a hard bunch to please. If anyone tells you they had to tweak it, they’re nuts! Fabulous recipe! Knocked it out of the park!
Thats’s so sweet of you. Thanks so much.
Just wanted to say thank you for this recipe. I always come back to it. My wife and her parents were blown away the first time I made it for them. It is a staple in our household.
Glad to hear this . Thanks for taking time out to share this with us .
So I made this during the summer, and it was indeed the best thing I’d eaten in months. However…I have to wonder, is it really meant to be 1 WHOLE teaspoon of nutmeg? I had an incredibly unpleasant reaction following eating this curry (INTENSE physical anxiety/fast heartbeat), and later looked up that 1-3 tablespoons of nutmeg is considered toxic and possibly fatal. I split this curry with only one other person, and even half a teaspoon of nutmeg resulted in a pretty bad time for me.
Yes it is .I make it all the time . Always remember that recipes are a guide – adjust spices or takeout as needed.
There is a Trinidadian place in town that makes a version of this with beef. Could beef be swapped out for the chicken in this recipe? If so, what cut of beef do you suggest using? And would the spice ingredients and measurements remain the same?
Yes you can make that swap. I would use stew beef , cook until tender. Adjust liquid as needed. Hope this helps.
Recipe looks great but no instructions for making the actual roti skin
I’m guessing you didn’t read through the entire article. She has a direct link to making the roti https://www.africanbites.com/paratha-buss-shut/
Thanks Irie! Appreciate you taking time out to provide the link.
Very yummy , my family loved it
Glad to hear this.
This was delicious! Very authentic. Next time I’ll add a little fresh ginger. Thanks!!
Thanks for the feedback.
This meal was one of the recipes that I went to heaps years back when my cooking skills were still finding their feet. I was searching through the site for something to use with chicken, lo and behold it came back to me.
Happy to say it is just as good as it always has been. It struck that right level of spiciness, the chicken was tender, plus substituting sweet potato in there adds another dimension.
Thumbs are up.
Thank you for this recipe! It is flavoured just how I wanted it and I will be coming back for this recipe whenever I want a good roti filling!!
I found that the liquid was very watery in consistency and not at all thick, even after I cooked it for over 30 mins and added cornstarch. Do you have any recommendations? I want to be able to fill up some roti bread without a mess.
Thank you!
Hi Steve, you might have to cook it longer in order to achieve the thick consistency you desire. About 15 minutes more .
Hi there! I was wondering what hot sauce you add and how much you add to make it spicier as you mentioned. As well, how much paprika would you add?
Thanks!
You can use any hot sauce you have on hand. I have used a variety and they all work.
I would personally suggest “Valentina”.