Dinner recipes - Cassareep Chicken: Guyana’s
Rich. Sticky. Packed with Guyanese flavor 🔥🇬🇾
This is Cassareep Chicken — a deep, dark, caramelized chicken dish simmered in cassareep (cassava extract) and slow-cooked until the flavor melts into every bite.
It’s sweet, savory, and a little bitter in the best way.
✨ Here’s how I make it:
– Chicken (seasoned well with thyme, garlic, paprika, pepper)
– Burnt sugar browning base
– Ginger, garlic, green seasoning
– ½ cup authentic cassareep
– Slow simmered until sticky perfection
🍚 Best served with white rice, ground provisions, or fried plantain.
📌 Save this for your next Caribbean cooking moment.
Cassareep Chicken is a traditional Guyanese delicacy distinguished by its unique cooking ingredient—cassareep, which is a thick, dark, bittersweet cassava extract essential to imparting the dish’s signature flavor and deep color. Authentic cassareep should be used rather than substitutes like molasses, as it contains natural preservatives and distinctive taste components that elevate the dish. To prepare this dish, chicken pieces are cleaned with lime juice or vinegar to remove impurities and are marinated for at least an hour or overnight in a mixture of spices such as thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and optional hot peppers such as wiri wiri or scotch bonnet for a gentle heat. The cooking process involves browning sugar to create a caramelized base, which lends a slightly bitter sweetness balanced by aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger, onions, and green seasoning (a blend of scallion, garlic, thyme, and celery). The chicken is then simmered slowly in cassareep combined with chicken stock and optional soy sauce, developing a rich, sticky sauce that coats each piece thoroughly. Simmering for 45 to 60 minutes ensures that the flavors meld while the meat becomes tender. Uncovering the pot towards the end allows the sauce to thicken to a perfect consistency. Cassareep Chicken is ideally served hot alongside staple Caribbean sides such as white rice, fried plantains, ground provisions like cassava or sweet potatoes, or dhal and rice, which complements the complex flavor profile of the dish. This recipe not only celebrates the vibrant culinary traditions of Guyana but also offers a flavorful, hearty option for dinner enthusiasts interested in exploring diverse Caribbean cuisines. Leftovers taste even better as the flavors continue to deepen overnight, making it an excellent make-ahead meal choice. When trying Cassareep Chicken for the first time or preparing it at home, sourcing genuine cassareep from Caribbean or specialty stores is recommended. This ingredient is key in achieving the authentic bittersweet, smoky taste that sets this dish apart from other stewed or braised chicken recipes globally.
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