The broth in this pot gets its deep color and savory backbone from bone-in chicken and a handful of aromatic spice, simmered long enough that the meat nearly falls off the bone. It’s one of those soups that fills the kitchen with thyme, allspice, and just a tickle of Scotch bonnet heat long before you ever lift the lid.

Every bowl comes loaded with tender pumpkin, carrot, yam, and chewy hand-rolled dumplings called spinners — the kind of satisfaction that leaves you full and feels like a slow Saturday done right.

Why This Soup Tastes Like Saturday Afternoon

In many Jamaican homes, Saturday is soup day. The pot goes on early and stays there until lunch, and what comes out is a golden, fragrant broth that’s part meal, part ritual. This version leans on simple root vegetables and whole spices to build that flavor without any fussy steps.

The spinners are my favorite part. They’re dense, slightly chewy, and soak up all that savory liquid. I keep coming back to this one because it’s honest food that fills you up and warms you through, no extra hype needed.

Ingredients

3 lbs bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks: skin-on gives the richest broth; you can pull the skin off after cooking if you prefer.
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks scallion, chopped, plus extra for garnish
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped, or 1 tsp dried
4 whole pimento (allspice) berries
1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper: do not pierce it unless you want serious heat.
1 lb pumpkin, peeled and diced: butternut squash is a fine stand-in.
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thick rounds
1 chocho (chayote), peeled, seed removed, and diced
1 small yellow yam, peeled and cut into chunks: white or sweet potato can work too.
1 ear corn, cut into 4 chunks
1 packet Jamaican chicken soup mix (optional): this adds a deep yellow color and an extra layer of savory chicken flavor.
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 cups water, plus more as needed

For the spinners
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup fine cornmeal
1 tsp salt
¾ cup water, plus a little more if the dough feels dry

Variations / Substitutions

Swap the pumpkin: Butternut squash, calabaza, or even sweet potato all give that soft, sweet flesh the soup needs.
Change up the starch: If you can’t find yellow yam, use white potato or dasheen, but add them a few minutes later since they cook faster.
Omit the spinners: The soup still works without them, but you’ll be missing that hearty, chewy bite; consider adding a handful of small pasta or just extra corn pieces.
Dial the heat: Leave out the Scotch bonnet entirely or pierce it on purpose if you want the broth to pack real fire.
Make it gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the spinners and skip the regular flour.

If you enjoy one-pot Caribbean soups, our Red Peas Soup recipe uses a similar slow-simmer approach and is worth trying next.

How to Make Jamaican Chicken Soup with Spinners

Step 1: Sear the Chicken and Aromatics

Heat the 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with a good pinch of salt and black pepper, then brown them in two batches until the skin is deeply golden, about 4 minutes per side. Move the seared chicken to a plate.

Lower the heat to medium and toss in the chopped onion. Cook, stirring now and then, until the onion softens and turns translucent, roughly 3 minutes. Add the garlic, scallion, thyme leaves, and pimento berries, and stir for 30 seconds until they smell fragrant.

Step 2: Build the Broth

Return all the chicken and any collected juices to the pot. Pour in the 8 cups of water, then drop in the whole Scotch bonnet pepper. If you’re using the soup mix packet, whisk it in now so it dissolves evenly. Bring everything to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat so the surface just bubbles gently.

Cover the pot and let the chicken simmer for 20 minutes. The broth will start taking on a pale gold hue, and you’ll catch the allspice and thyme in every waft of steam.

Step 3: Add the Root Vegetables

Lift the lid and add the diced pumpkin, sliced carrots, chopped chocho, yam chunks, and corn pieces. Give the pot a good stir and push any floating vegetables down into the liquid. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, until the pumpkin starts to soften and a fork slips easily into the thickest carrot slice.

At this point, the broth should look deeper in color and taste nicely savory. You can fish out a piece of chicken and check that it’s cooked through; the meat should pull away from the bone with a gentle tug.

Step 4: Drop in the Spinners

While the vegetables cook, make the spinners. Mix the 2 cups flour, ½ cup cornmeal, and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Drizzle in the ¾ cup water, working it with your hands until a firm, smooth dough comes together. If it feels crumbly, add water a tablespoon at a time.

Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll them into thin, roughly 3-inch ropes on a floured surface. Drop the spinners straight into the simmering soup one by one so they don’t clump. They’ll sink at first, then float to the top after 3 to 5 minutes once they’re cooked through. Scoop one out and taste; it should be tender and chewy, not raw in the center.

Step 5: Remove the Pepper and Ladle Into Bowls

Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift out the whole Scotch bonnet pepper and discard it. Taste the broth and add salt or black pepper if it needs it. Ladle the soup into deep bowls, making sure each serving gets a mix of chicken, vegetables, and a few spinners. Finish with a scatter of fresh scallion and a few thyme leaves, then serve hot.

A Few Notes for the Best Pot

Let the soup sit off the heat for 10 minutes before you serve it. The broth continues developing and the spinners finish absorbing flavor during that short rest.
If you accidentally pierce the Scotch bonnet, the soup will turn fiery quickly. Taste it right away; you can scoop out the pepper bits and add a splash of water to calm things down.
Work the spinner dough until it’s smooth and firm but not sticky. Too much moisture makes them gummy, and too little makes them crack apart during cooking.
You can roll the spinners up to 4 hours ahead. Keep them on a floured tray, covered with a clean cloth, and drop them into the soup right before serving.

Need to feed a smaller crew or double the pot? Here’s how to adjust:

Servings	Chicken	Pumpkin	Carrots	Spinner Flour	Water
4	2 lbs	12 oz	1 whole	1 cup	6 cups
6	3 lbs	1 lb	2 whole	2 cups	8 cups
12	6 lbs (use a stockpot)	2 lbs	4 whole	4 cups	16 cups

Storing and Reheating

Refrigerate: Cool the soup completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The spinners will absorb some broth overnight and swell up, but the flavor only gets better.

Reheating: Warm the soup gently on the stove over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen it. Stir often so the spinners don’t stick to the bottom.

Freeze: Portion the soup into freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months. For the best texture, leave the spinners out if you plan to freeze the batch, then cook a fresh batch and add them when you reheat. If you froze it with spinners already in, they’ll be softer but still tasty.

What Goes Well with Jamaican Chicken Soup

A thick slice of hard dough bread is the classic partner for mopping up every last bit of broth. If you want a little extra crunch on the side, fry up a batch of festival (sweet cornmeal dumplings) to dip and dunk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use boneless chicken instead?

Yes, you can, but the broth won’t be as rich. Use boneless thighs and reduce the initial simmer time to about 15 minutes so the meat doesn’t dry out.

Can I make this in a slow cooker or pressure cooker?

For a slow cooker, brown the chicken and aromatics first, then transfer everything except the spinners to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, then drop the spinners in during the last 20 minutes on high. A pressure cooker works too: cook under pressure for 8 minutes with a natural release, then add vegetables and spinners and simmer with the lid off until tender.

What if I can’t find yellow yam or chocho?

Use white potato or sweet potato in place of the yam, and either zucchini or a firm summer squash for the chocho. The texture will shift a little, but the soup stays hearty and full.

My soup isn’t that deep yellow color. What can I do?

The traditional golden hue comes from the optional soup mix or a pinch of turmeric. Stir in ½ tsp of ground turmeric along with the water, or add the soup mix packet for both color and extra chicken flavor.