Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken
This spicy Jamaican slow cooker jerk chicken recipe just made an easy weeknight meal even easier. Why wait for the weekend for an incredible meal when you can put the crockpot to work for you? Whip up an easy weekday dinner and relax with the family.
Now, please don’t hit the exit button on this jerk chicken recipe just because it isn’t grilled or baked. I promise that using the slow cooker makes chicken just as tasty. I know you’re thinking: What about the crispy skin?
No problem. For that addictive, crispy skin, simply pop it under the good ole broiler for a few minutes, and you’re good to go.
Jerk Chicken in the Crockpot
Slow-cooker jerk chicken is a foolproof win for everyone. Your crockpot makes a delicious set-it-and-forget-it meal that fills the kitchen with beautiful aromas and a meal ready to serve as you walk in the door. And if you’ve never had jerk chicken, you’re in for a treat. Boy, is it an explosion of flavor!
I added pineapple juice for an extra tropical sweetness to complement the heat from hot peppers. And consider the sugar optional because I omitted it for a friend who doesn’t consume sugar, and she loved it. And lastly, adjust the amount of scotch bonnets or habaneros to your desired heat level.
How to Make Jamaican Jerk Chicken in the Slow Cooker
Marinate Chicken
- Trim excess fat off the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Rub it with the lemon and 2 teaspoons of Creole seasoning or salt and pepper. Put it in a glass mixing bowl or a large ziplock bag. (Photo 1)
- Jerk Marinade – Combine the scotch bonnet, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, white pepper, nutmeg, sugar, onions, thyme, ginger, soy sauce, pineapple juice, and bouillon in a food processor or blender. Pulse for about 30 seconds until blended but not completely smooth.
- Marinate – Pour ¾ of the jerk marinade over the chicken and mix to cover the chicken. Cover the bowl or seal the ziplock back and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Try not to touch the jerk blend with your hands because it’s spicy hot and can burn your hands or, worse, get in your eyes. If possible, use gloves. (Photo 2)
Slow Cook It
- Slow Cook – Carefully place the marinated chicken and marinade in the slow cooker so they’re tucked tightly. Put the lid on, turn it on high, and cook for about 3-4 hours or until the chicken is tender.
- Broil – After the chicken is cooked, remove it carefully from the crockpot and place it on a broiler pan or a baking sheet covered with foil. Be careful because the chicken will be fall-off-the-bone tender. You might have to use a spatula or tongs. Pour a little bit of the cooked marinade over the chicken. Adjust the oven rack so the top of the chicken is 4-5 inches below the broiler. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes or until the skin is crispy and golden brown. Don’t walk away because this happens quickly. (Photo 3)
- Sauce – While the chicken is crisping under the broiler, simmer the sauce from the chicken and the reserved jerk marinade in a saucepan for 5-7 minutes or until it reduces to the desired consistency. Brush over chicken and serve. (Photo 4)
Tips & Notes
- Set your crock pot on low for 5-6 hours to leave it cooking while you go to work.
- Please use gloves when touching the marinated chicken. Those hot peppers can hurt your hands and are worse if they get in your eyes.
- Make the marinade ahead with the jerk seasonings and fresh vegetables, and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days.
What to Pair With Crockpot Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Caribbean rice and beans is the classic pairing, but feel free to get creative with the recipes you prefer. African red beans and rice or pigeon peas and rice are delicious options.
More Spicy Caribbean Recipes to Enjoy
This blog post was originally published in December 2014 and has been updated with additional tips and gorgeous photos.
Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
- 6-7 chicken thighs or a 3-3½ pound chicken cut into pieces
- 1 lime or lemon
- 2 teaspoons (9g) Creole seasoning, poultry seasoning, or just salt and pepper
- 1 or more scotch bonnet pepper (or habanero)
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ tablespoon (1-2g) ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon (1-2g) ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) coarsely ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons (25-27g) dark brown sugar
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 green onions or scallions, chopped
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon (14-15g) fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce
- ½ cup (118ml) pineapple juice or fresh pineapple chunks
- 1 tablespoon (10g) bouillon powder (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken, trim excess fat, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub with lemon and 2 teaspoons of Creole seasoning or salt and pepper. Set it aside in a glass mixing bowl or a large ziplock bag.
- Combine the scotch bonnet, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, white pepper, nutmeg, sugar, onions, thyme, ginger, soy sauce, pineapple juice, and bouillon in a food processor or blender. Pulse for about 30 seconds until blended but not completely smooth.
- Pour ¾ of the jerk marinade over the chicken and mix to cover the chicken. Cover the bowl or seal the ziplock back and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Try not to touch the jerk blend with your hands because it's spicy hot and can burn your hands or, worse, get in your eyes. If possible, use gloves.
- Carefully place the marinated chicken and marinade in the slow cooker so they're tucked tightly. Put the lid on, turn it on high, and cook for 3-4 hours or until the chicken is tender.
- After the chicken is cooked, carefully remove it from the crockpot and place it on a broiler pan or a baking sheet covered with foil. Be careful because the chicken will fall off the bone. You might have to use a spatula or tongs.
- Pour a little bit of the cooked marinade over the chicken. Adjust the oven rack so the top of the chicken is 4-5 inches below the broiler. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes or until the skin is crispy and golden brown. Don't walk away because this happens quickly.
- While the chicken is crisping under the broiler, simmer the sauce from the chicken and the reserved jerk marinade in a saucepan for 5-7 minutes or until it reduces to the desired consistency. Brush over chicken and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Feel free to use breast for a lower-fat meal, but reduce the cooking time for juicier meat.
- If you don’t have dark brown sugar, but you do have white sugar and molasses, mix a teaspoon of molasses into 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. You could even leave out the sugar completely and add a tablespoon of molasses to the marinade.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
I followed your recipe but added some coconut milk in the blender and it made the chicken more juicy and full of flavour! Overall was an amazing recipe! Will definitely be making it again!
Hi Jessica! Glad it was a success! Thanks for taking letting me know.
Hi! How much coconut milk did you use?!!
Go with 1/2 cup coconut milk
I am making this no but noticed that a few edits need to be made. You did not include the ginger and garlic in the instructions (but they were listed in the ingredients list). I assume that they are part of the marinade…but you may want to fix that so that people don’t overlook adding them as they are critical. Also, if you are going to call green onions scallions in he ingredients list, I would call the that also in the instructions to avoid confusion for your more beginner cooks for the same reason (your instructions say to add onions twice). Other than that, this looks good and I am marinating it now to put in the slow cooker tomorrow morning. Thanks!
Duly noted , changes have been made. Thanks Carolyn!
Happy Cooking!!!!
I’ve got it marinating now. I KNOW it’s going to be awesome. Two additional minor edits. On step 2 it says to add onion TWICE (should just be the one white onion). Also, ground white pepper is in the ingredients list, but it never says to use it (should probably be part of step 2 as well?). Happy cooking!! 🙂
Hi chef, recipe has been updated. Thanks for pointing this out to me . Happy Cooking!!!
Wish I could find the recipe fjrom the guy that had jerk chicken in Jamaica on the water at the resorts
The jerk chicken man
I wish so too! This would satisfy your cravings for now.
The ingredients listed Ginger and Garlic, but they are not referenced in the instructions. Do then go into the processor with the rest of the ingredients?
Yes they do.
This was just okay for me. I think I added too much cinnamon or allspice. The flavor was a bit off, but it was still tasty.
Sorry to hear about this. Just reduce the cinnamon and allspice when you give it a try next time.
I am so excited to try this recipe out. I have not had proper jerk chicken since spending time in Jamaica and I miss it dearly. I have tried to immitate the flavor experimenting on my own with my own spices and have failed miserably so now seeing the list of things you have shared to use I can see why, I don’t think I would have ever gotten it right on my own.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us, I am very much looking forward to adding it to my meal plan.
The Broke Dad
Awesome! Do let me know how it works out for you. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
Loved this. To lighten up a bit, I removed the skin and fat before cooking marinating overnight, and also before cooking also threw in one sweet potato and one russet potato (both skinned and cut into very large chunks) and put them in the bottom of the slow cooker under the chicken. Cooked in a slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours. Used the drippings with the reserved marinade to make sauce, but as there was no skin I didn’t do the baking round. In any case, it was all FANTASTIC. Will likely be a regular addition to the fall/winter weekend repertoire. Made along with your Caribbean Rice and Beans (with coconut milk) to accompany, and me and hubby were like pigs in sh*t eating seconds and thirds 🙂 Thank you for the recipes, Imma. *PS there is something weird with my browser and I’m trying to give this 5 stars but I can only mark four 🙁
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with me.
Great recipe, have been searching for one to cook at home since my favourite jamaican restaurant closed down. I made double and shredded half and made patties out of it, turned out great (all the shop bought patties here in the UK have hardly any filling). Will be making this a regular dish.
Awesome! So glad to hear it worked out well for you. Thank you for the taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
Hi im a, thanks for posting this recipe. I have been looking for a good jerk chicken recipe for years. I tried this one and the chicken cooked nicely in the slow cooker. The flavour was nice, but a bit muted and not pow. Lack of flavour has been the problem in all the recipes I’ve tried but I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Do you think it may be that I need to get better quality spices? I take the skin off the chicken to make it healthier – don’t know if this has an effect. Please help. V
No skin of wouldn’t be the culprit here. These are some of the things you might consider doing
– Saute the spices first for about a minute or more to release some of the flavor before blending.
– Double the marinate for the chicken
– Get fresh ingredients and spices
Hope this helps.
would i need to add any liquid besides the marinade to the crockpot?
No you don’t .
if I dont have a slow cooker what do I do?
You can make it in a pot. Follow instructions as suggested. Bring to a boil and let it simmer until tender. Adjust water /juice as needed.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this awesome recipe 🙂 I made the marinade exactly as you suggested, they don’t sell Creole seasoning where I live though so I made the seasoning from a recipe by Emeril, and chose to bake the thighs since our crockpot is too small and absolutely loved them. I’ve been searching for nearly 2 years for a recipe that reminds me of the chicken my husband and I had while on our honeymoon in Jamaica and this recipe took my right back there 🙂
Wow, Nathalie! – My Pleasure! I appreciate your kind comments, and am thrilled that this recipe brought back those fond Jamaican memories and did hit the spot.
Hey! Love your blog! I don’t have any pineapple juice. Do you think substituting it with orange juice (not from concentrate) will work?
It will work. If you like you can omit the pineapple too.
Can I omit the soy sauce? And as much as I lik
You sure can Maria, make it to suit your tastebuds.
Can I omit the soy sauce. And can the sodium be reduced? I’m sodium sensitive.
Hello! I saw this recipe and I’m so excited to try it out! This looks delicious!
Just a couple of questions:
Can I make the jerk marinade a day or 2 in advance, or do I have to use it almost immediately? And can I use boneless chicken to do this?
Thank you!
Hi Sharon! You sure can make the jerk marinade in advance and yes, to boneless chicken .
Thank you so much for the recipe!!
It was my first time trying a jerk chicken. Ended up making a meal for my family and a friend, everyone loved it! Already trying to plan when to make it again. Used 1 habenero pepper in place of the hard to find Scotch pepper. That left it with a very nice light spice which worked out well for the non-spicy eaters in the family.
Thanks again!
Hi David! Thanks for the detailed feedback , always happy to hear when it works out just fine.
I am new to cooking and have a question about this recipe. Do I put the marinade that the chicken was in in the slow cooker also or will the marinade that is on the chicken be enough? I also prefer chicken wings, how many would this recipe work with?
Thanks — Dee
Hi Dee! The marinade for the chicken is enough (2/3 of the marinade). You reserve 1/3 to make the sauce, to pour over the chicken. I would use the same amount of pounds of chicken about 3 1/2 -4 pounds of chicken wings. Be sure to adjust the cooking time – chicken wings will cook in a shorter time. Please let me know how it works for you. Thanks.
I am also a new follower and am making this recipe with chicken wings. I used ALL of the sauce to marinate the wings overnight and forgot to put aside some for the sauce. What do I do now? Should I set aside some of that marinade now and put he rest of it in the slow cooker with the wings?
Love your recipes!! I’ve made quite a few.
No worries . Set aside some sauce, and simmer as stated in the instructions. Glad to hear the recipes are working out for you. Happy Cooking!!!1
New follower here…I’m going to make this for my pot luck at the end of the month. My students love spicy food as do I, and this looks perfect!! Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Kat! Welcome glad you are here, there is a lot of spice happening in this kitchen. Please let me know how it works for you.
I am prepping this today for dinner tomorrow. I’m excited to taste it! Quick question, is the chicken super spicy? I have a 6 and 4 year old that do not like spicy foods. Should I reduce the amount of scotch bonnet habenero or eliminate it completely? I do not want to compromise the taste!
I know what you mean.I would completely eliminate it, if they don’t like spicy food.
I loveeeeeeeee your blog! New follower here and I must say you have one of the best recipes. clear and easy to follow(heaven to a foodie like me ). I will be trying a bunch of these and will put which ever one I decide to try on my blog. Keep up the good work.
YAY, for a new follower!!!! And thank you for the sweet compliment about my blog.Do let me know which one you try! Love your outfits!!!
I am obsessed with the look of this…..I am making this asap!! You are a legend Imma!! The flavours of this look amazing! I was wondering if I chicken skin would crisp up under the broiler after slow cooking, I kept meaning to research or experiment and now I don’t have to! I’m preparing my shopping list right now and this is going on the list!
Nagi, I love your enthusiasm -very contagious . You always make me smile . Let me know how it works out.
This jerk chicken is finger lickin good- sweet , spicy and everyone wanted more . Paired it with your caribbean coconut rice – YUM! Thanks for keeping my husband happy.
Glad it was a hit with everyone ….Sarah, you keep your husband happy – taking the time to make him some home prepared meals and more importantly the LOVE you put in it is PRICELESS. He is a lucky man.
Yes, yes, yes! I am so making this! Awesome idea to let it get all good and tender in the slow cooker and then crisp up the skin under the broiler. I know those chicken bones were ready to slide right out when you took the chicken out of the slow cooker! 🙂
Tekesha, they sure are-soft and tender with crisp skin. Let me know how it turns out.
Step 5 it says that you are taking the remaining marinade and reducing it and the re adding it to the cooked chicken. Is this safe being that it was marinating in raw chicken ? btw this recipe looks fantastic cant wait to try it !
Yes it is. But if you want to be more prudent, you can cook the chicken with the marinade. Then after it’s ready use some of the liquid from it to add to the reserved one.