Geera Chicken Neck Recipe (Trinidad-Style)
Geera chicken neck is a popular Trinidad and Tobago cutters, seasoned with geera, curry, fresh herbs, and plenty of pepper. Cooked down until tender and coated in all those spices, it’s the kind of thing you put out with some toothpicks and watch disappear.
This geera chicken neck recipe comes from my dad and was one of those things he would make when we were liming. His version could get pretty spicy, so if you’re a pepper mouth, feel free to add more pepper sauce while it cooks.
I make mine with plenty of geera, curry, fresh herbs, and chopped hot pepper, then cook everything down until the chicken neck is tender and coated in all that seasoning. I usually keep the extra pepper sauce on the side for anyone who wants more heat.
What is geera chicken?
Geera is what we call cumin in Trinidad and Tobago, and it’s the main flavor in geera chicken. The chicken is heavily seasoned with geera, curry powder, fresh herbs, aromatics, and pepper, then cooked down until tender with very little liquid left in the pot.
You can make geera chicken with different cuts of chicken, but chicken neck works especially well for cutters. The small, bony pieces are perfect for picking up with a toothpick and nibbling while liming with friends.
How to make geera chicken neck
Ingredient notes
- Chicken neck: Cut the necks into roughly 2-inch pieces. You can also use other bony chicken pieces or another cut of chicken if you want to make this as more of a meal.
- Geera: Geera is cumin and gives the chicken its main flavor. I use Chief geera powder, but you can use another geera or ground cumin powder.
- Curry powder: I often use Chief Spicy Curry Powder, but regular curry powder works just as well. You can adjust the heat separately with the hot pepper and pepper sauce.
- Fresh herbs and aromatics: Onion, garlic, thyme, chadon beni, and pimento peppers build the seasoning for the chicken. If you don’t have fresh pimento peppers, pimento sauce works too.
- Hot pepper and pepper sauce: I chop the hot pepper for this recipe so the heat gets throughout the chicken. Add pepper sauce to taste toward the end, or add more while it cooks if you like your geera neck really spicy.
- Oil: Use a neutral cooking oil for chunkaying the garlic and cooking the seasoned chicken.
- Water: Add only as needed while the chicken cooks to keep it from sticking. The finished geera chicken neck should be cooked down rather than left with gravy.
See the full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card below.
1. Prep and season the chicken neck
Soak the chicken neck pieces briefly in water and vinegar, then rinse and remove any white residue. Pat the chicken dry.
Add the geera, curry powder, chopped garlic, thyme, onion, chadon beni, pimento pepper, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to coat the chicken, then cover and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight for more flavor.
2. Chunkay the garlic
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the 2 whole garlic cloves and cook until dark brown, allowing the garlic to flavor the oil. Remove the garlic cloves from the oil and discard.
3. Fry the seasoned chicken
Add the seasoned chicken neck and chopped hot pepper to the flavored oil. Stir well, then let the chicken fry for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the seasoning cooks into the chicken before adding any water.
4. Cook until tender
Add a small amount of water, cover the pot, and let the chicken neck cook. Check it periodically, stirring and adding a little more water whenever the pot gets too dry or the chicken starts to stick. Keep the pot covered between checks and continue cooking until the chicken neck is tender.
5. Cook down and finish
Once the chicken neck is tender, remove the cover and let any remaining liquid cook off, stirring as needed. The finished chicken should be dry, with the geera and curry seasoning coating the pieces rather than sitting in a gravy.
Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper if needed. Add a little pepper sauce for extra heat, or serve additional pepper sauce on the side for anyone who likes it hotter.
Serving Suggestions
For cutters, serve geera chicken neck hot on its own with toothpicks and pepper sauce on the side. You can also pair it with hops bread or sada roti.
To make it more of a meal, serve it alongside dhal and rice. The dhal works especially well with the dry, heavily seasoned geera chicken. Fried ripe plantains or a fresh cucumber and tomato salad also make easy sides.
How to store and reheat geera chicken neck
Store leftover geera chicken neck in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen chicken neck in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat it in the microwave until hot, or warm it in a pot on the stovetop with a small splash of water to keep it from sticking.
FAQs
It can be. I use chopped hot pepper in mine and add a little pepper sauce toward the end. For less heat, use regular curry powder and adjust the hot pepper and pepper sauce to suit you. If you’re a pepper mouth, add more pepper sauce while the chicken cooks.
Yes. Chicken neck is your choice when making this as cutters, but thighs, drumsticks, wings, etc. can become geera chicken. Cooking time changes depending on the cut.
More Cutters to Try
Recipe
Geera Chicken Neck
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the chicken neck pieces briefly in water and vinegar. Rinse, remove any white residue, and pat dry.
- Season the chicken with the geera, curry powder, chopped garlic, thyme, onion, chadon beni, pimento pepper, salt, and black pepper. Mix well, cover, and marinate for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the 2 whole garlic cloves and cook until dark brown. Remove the garlic cloves from the oil and discard.
- Add the seasoned chicken neck and chopped hot pepper to the flavored oil. Stir well and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add a small amount of water, cover the pot, and cook for about 30 minutes. Check periodically, stirring and adding a little more water whenever the pot gets too dry or the chicken starts to stick. Keep covered between checks and continue cooking until the chicken neck is tender.
- Once tender, uncover the pot and allow any remaining liquid to cook off, stirring as needed. The chicken should be dry and coated in the geera and curry seasoning rather than left with gravy.
- Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper if needed. Add pepper sauce to taste and serve hot.
Nutrition
Notes
- I use Chief geera powder, but another geera or ground cumin powder can be used.
- I often use Chief Spicy Curry Powder, but regular curry powder works just as well.
- For a spicier geera chicken neck, add pepper sauce while the chicken cooks.
- For less heat, add a small amount toward the end and serve additional pepper sauce on the side.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour. If you have the time, season it the night before and refrigerate overnight.
Recipe Printed From ThisBagoGirl.com
Easy to follow recipe , resulting in a tasty meal