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.
Stuart says
Wonderful dish. Made the curry powder with toasted whole seeds/berries where possible, and the roti bread from scratch. A bit of work but completely worth it! Delicious.
Imma says
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
MC Larose says
This is an awesome recipe!! Really tastes just like the rotis I’ve had in Caribbean restaurants! YUMMY!!!
Imma says
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
Andie Williams says
My whole family adores this recipe. I’ve been making it for years. SO EASY! I omit cayenne and add lots of frozen spinach to increase nutrients. I serve it with store bought roti and my favourite kohlrabi salad on the side.
Imma says
Great combination, I will try this too. Thank you so much for your love and support:)
Scootericity2022 says
One of my fave go-to recipes. I make a few minor adjustments, like adding diced ginger and garam masala. Don’t always add the chickpeas as potatoes and chickpeas are a bit heavy together. Make it in my Lodge cast iron dutch oven. Great served with cilantor and naan. Thanks.
Almost as good as chicken roti from The Real Jerk (Toronto restaurant). Sorry Lily lol.
Amina says
Sounds good that you adjusted as per your preference. Thank you for your feedback. Much Love!!!
Shannon G says
I love this recipe so much, it is a staple. I do struggle to thicken it up most times, it can simmer upwards of 2 hours sometimes which can feel defeating. I’m curious if this can be done in an instant pot and if so what the steps would be for that?
imma africanbites says
Hi, Shannon. That’s a good question, though I haven’t tried this using an instant pot. I’ll have to add that to my to-do list. As for thickening it up, are you using an electric or gas stove? Coz I’ve been cooking this over the stovetop and it thickens up pretty easily.
Shannon G says
I use a gas stove! And I always have to make a slurry to thicken it up. But with my new instant pot I’m wondering if it could work just as well..
Scootericity2022 says
I use a cast iron dutch oven (Lodge) which rebastes and thickens up the sauce perfectly. Takes a little longer than the 25-30 minutes in the original recipe. I slow cooked it for about an hour.
Amina says
Hope it turns out well. Thank you for trying our recipe. Much Love!!!
Ed Vocate says
Been in the family for years. I do not use nutmeg as I find it bitter. Everything else is amazing. Thank you for this recipe.
Cat G. says
This is a truly wonderful recipe, thank you so much! I had it with your parathi recipe and copied a Los Angeles pop up by adding red cabbage slaw and cilantro to make wraps. The only change I made was to simmer the chicken and broth about 20 min before adding the potatoes to be sure it thickened.
Tyrone Lopez says
Unbelievable. Favourite meal over the last decade. What a recipe!! Thank you for sharing!
Immaculate Bites says
Wow! Thank you, Tyrone! You may also try Peri Peri Chicken next time 🙂
Monique Aaron says
HI! Do you have a easy recipe for the Roti? I’ve tried before and it was a fail.
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Monique! You can try my Buss up shut paratha roti recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
Janice Swan says
Please disregard previous submission.
Immaculate Bites says
Thanks, Janice!
Kristina says
This is great, loved it!
Linda says
One of the best recipes I’ve followed. Well THE best according to my 10 year old daughter. Some meals she finds a bit too spicy but this recipe has the whole family making very satisfied noises whilst eating. We’re a family of 5 with very different tastes and this suited us all.
Thankyou for sharing.
Immaculate Bites says
Aww! She is sweet! Please say hello to your daughter and thank you! I’m happy to know that this is something you’ve all enjoyed. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Cassy says
Recipe is a massive hit with the family!
Immaculate Bites says
Woot! Thank you, Cassy! 🙂
Gord M. says
Made this the other day and it turned out great. I will be making this now on a regular basis. I followed recipe exactly except I simmered for close to 45 mn and it turned out perfect. I purchased the dal puri roti shells instead of making them and used Matouks hot sauce (green label) as a condiment on top. Thanks for this great recipe!
Gord M. says
Just to add to my previous review I forgot to give the recipe a rating, it is definetly 5 stars all the way!
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you 🙂
Immaculate Bites says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Gord! 🙂
Cinema613 says
Using this recipe for the second time know. Grew up eating roti just like it and now I can make my own, thank you!
Immaculate Bites says
Aww thank you! 🙂