Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken
Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken — Super flavorful and Super Easy Jerk Chicken with just the right amount of heat made in a crock pot. 
Now don’t hit the exit button on this slow cooker Jerk chicken because it isn’t grilled or baked. I promise this crockpot version is just as tasty as the other versions and is perfect for this time of the year. I know you are all thinking: what about the crispy exterior? 
Folks, you can have that too with some help from your good ole broiler – all you need is a few minutes and you are good to go. 
Chicken in the crockpot is a totally foolproof win for everyone. Perhaps you have enjoyed jerk chicken in your lifetime (If not, I heartily recommend doing so). It is truly one of life’s pleasures. Boy, it is an explosion of flavor.
If you feel too intimidated by it then here is a super easy way to make the chicken in the crockpot. But first you need the quintessential Jamaican ingredients Thyme -Scotch bonnet pepper- Check All spice -Check Check Some of the other co-stars are; green onions, brown sugar, nutmeg, maggi and/or bouillon powder, cinnamon and of course- chicken. This entire list of spices put together makes for one complex sauce – habanero spice, sweetness from the brown sugar and depth of flavor from the other spices. The pineapple acts as double whammy – depth of flavor and sweetness 
It is really a spicy dish. However, it can be made mild to taste. I kept the recipe very mild. If you are a heat seeker you can definitely add one, two or 10 more. HECK, you can add what ever you want. Who am I to rain on your parade? But, PLEASE, make sure you do have plenty of water or milk to drink if you decide to go overboard with the peppers. Cause you are going to NEED it! Enjoy! Hey wait! Pair it up with this Caribbean Coconut Rice and Beans for a tropical treat. 
Don’t want a slow cooker Jerk then make this Oven Version here . 
Or want a one pot Jerk meal? I’ve got you covered right here 
Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken Recipe
Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken — Super flavorful and Super Easy Jerk Chicken with just the right amount of heat made in a crock pot.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 20 minutes
Caribbean
Servings 5 -6
Ingredients
- 1 lime or lemon
- 6-7 chicken thighs or 3 -3 1/2 pound chicken cut up
- 2 teaspoons creole seasoning (replace with salt and pepper or chicken spice)
- 1 or more Scotch Bonnet Pepper (Habaneros)
- 6 garlic cloves , chopped
- ½ tablespoon cinnamon powder
- ½ tablespoon allspice coarsely ground
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 medium onion , coarsely chopped
- 3 green onions or scallions , chopped
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger , chopped
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- ½ cup pineapple juice or pineapple
- 1 tablespoon bouillon powder (optional)
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Trim chicken of excess fat and pat dry with a cloth or paper napkin. Rub with lemon, and 2 teaspoons creole spice or season with salt and pepper
- In a food processor or blender, combine the cinnamon, garlic, ginger, thyme, green onions/scallions, onion, habanero pepper, soy sauce, Maggi/bouillon, brown sugar, onion, nutmeg, allspice, white pepper and pineapple juice or chunks. Pulse for about 30 seconds until blended
- Drench the chicken with 3/4 of the jerk marinate, place in a zip lock bag and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Try not to touch the jerk blend with your hands because it extremely spicy hot- If possible use gloves or just place the chicken pieces and marinate in the slow cooker so that they are tucked tightly. Cover the slow cooker, turn it on to high, and let it cook for about 3 hours or more
- After chicken is cooked carefully remove the chicken and place it on a broiler pan or a baking sheet covered with foil. Be careful because the chicken would be really tender. You might have to use a spatula or tongs. Add a little bit of the cooked marinate on the chicken. Adjust the rack in your oven so that the top of the chicken is 4-5 inches below the broiler. Broil on high for about 3 – 5 minutes or until the skin is crispy and deep brown. Don’t walk away from the chicken – this really acts quickly. Broilers can burn food.
- While the chicken is getting crisp simmer the the sauce from the chicken together with the remaining jerk marinade in a saucepan for about 5-7 minutes. or until reduced to desired consistency.Brush over chicken .
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 372kcal (19%)| Carbohydrates: 18g (6%)| Protein: 23g (46%)| Fat: 23g (35%)| Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)| Cholesterol: 132mg (44%)| Sodium: 571mg (25%)| Potassium: 429mg (12%)| Fiber: 2g (8%)| Sugar: 4g (4%)| Vitamin A: 530IU (11%)| Vitamin C: 21.3mg (26%)| Calcium: 54mg (5%)| Iron: 1.6mg (9%)
Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 372
Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 132mg44%
Sodium 571mg25%
Potassium 429mg12%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 23g46%
Vitamin A 530IU11%
Vitamin C 21.3mg26%
Calcium 54mg5%
Iron 1.6mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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.