Country Captain Chicken Is the Southern Dinner You Need To Make

Admittedly, the ingredient list for country captain chicken may give you pause at first glance—chicken with tomatoes, peppers, and…raisins? And curry powder? But I promise it adds up to something comforting and delicious.

Hailing from the low country of South Carolina, this iconic Southern dish incorporates flavors from further afield. Its exact origin remains a mystery, but some food historians believe the recipe came about from merchant ships (sometimes called “country ships” with “country captains”) bringing curry powder and other spices to the US from India in the 1800s, and intrepid cooks finding interesting uses for them.

And interesting (and delicious!) this dish definitely is. Rich chicken thighs are dredged in seasoned flour and crisped up in bacon fat, then braised until tender in a unique aromatic, vegetable-packed sauce. With pops of sweetness from plumped-up raisins, lots of warmth from fragrant curry powder, and crispy morsels of salty bacon and toasted nuts on top, you’ll be ready to say “ahoy!” to this chicken dinner.

How to Serve Country Captain Chicken

Rice is an important part of South Carolina cuisine, especially Carolina Gold. Spoon the sauce and chicken over cooked white rice and sprinkle it with the cooked bacon and toasted sliced almonds. You can also sprinkle the dish with unsweetened flaked coconut and/or chopped fresh cilantro, which are other common toppings.

Flavorful Chicken Dinners

• Feta-Brined Roast Chicken
• Nashville Hot Chicken
• Chicken Marsala
• Coconut Lime Chicken

Cook the bacon:

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s browned and crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon; reserve the fat in the Dutch oven.

Coat the chicken:

While the bacon cooks, in a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the curry powder.

Dust the chicken thighs in the flour mixture until they’re evenly coated; discard the remaining flour mixture.

Brown the chicken:

Return the reserved drippings to medium-high heat. Place the coated thighs, skin-side down, in the Dutch oven. Cook, undisturbed, until the chicken skin is crisp and browned, 8 to 10 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent over-browning. Transfer the partially-cooked chicken to a plate.

Make the sauce:

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt to the now-empty pot. Cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, until softened, about 8 minutes.

Add the remaining 4 teaspoons curry powder and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice and the raisins.

Finish cooking the chicken:

Bring the tomato mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Nestle the chicken, skin side up, into the sauce, adding any accumulated juices from the plate.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring the tomato mixture around the chicken occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the chicken registers at least 165°F, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve with rice and garnish with almonds, if using, and reserved chopped bacon.

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