Jamaican Jerk Chicken – a well-seasoned grilled chicken with a Jamaican jerk marinade that has the perfect balance of heat, sweet and savory. You’ll want to make this all year round!
Bbq season is in full swing and July 4th is only a couple of days away. And am all in the mood for Jerk .
I am missing a couple of ingredients but do you think that would come between me and my fix? No way! Off to the grocery store for the other ingredients.
My Jerk chicken has been marinating in the fridge for a couple of hours now and cannot wait to get it on the grill.
This recipe comprises of the quintessential Jamaican ingredients – scotch bonnet, thyme and allspice which are a must for a jerk chicken. Some of the other spices are green onions, brown sugar, nutmeg, maggi and or bouillon cubes, cinnamon and of course- chicken.
This entire list of spices put together makes for one complex sauce – habanero burn, sweetness from the sugar and depth of flavor from the other spices. Although this recipe is significantly spiced, it is moist ,tender and one mouthful of flavor.
The “heat” level of the habanero or scotch bonnet is optional in this recipe. You can adjust it to suit your family needs especially if you have kids around.
This blend of spices comes together quickly in a blender or processor and all you have to do is let it marinade in a fridge for up to 24 hours. Sometimes I do not have the patience to let it marinade that long and just let it marinade for an hour or two.
It is traditionally serve with rice and peas, but I love it with fried plantain. This would be also pair well with the Caribbean Coleslaw here
Enjoy!
Tips and Notes:
- You can leave out the habanero or adjust it especially if you have kids around.
- Marinate the chicken for 1-2 hours, but preferably over night.
Grill Jerk Chicken - a well-seasoned grilled chicken with a Jamaican jerk marinade that has the perfect balance of heat, sweet and savory. You'll want to make this all year round!
- 8 -10 pieces of legs and thighs
- 1 lemon/lime
- Salt and pepper to season
- ½ tablespoon cinnamon powder
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 3 medium scallions (green onions) chopped
- 1 medium onion coarsely chopped
- 2-4 habanero pepper chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Maggi or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon bouillon powder optional
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 6 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon allspice coarsely ground
- 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger chopped
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
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Trim chicken of excess fat and pat dry with a cloth or paper napkin. Rub with lemon, salt and pepper
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In a food processor or blender, combine the following: cinnamon, thyme, green onions, onion, habanero pepper, soy sauce, maggi/bouillon, brown sugar, garlic, nutmeg. allspice, fresh ginger and ground pepper. Pulse for about 30 seconds until blended.
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Drench the chicken with 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 is extremely spicy hot. If possible, use gloves.
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When ready to grill, remove chicken from the jerk marinade and place on medium to high lightly oil grill. Reserve the marinade
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Cook chicken on the prepare grill 12- 20minutes, until juices run clear (internal temp of 165 degree F), turning often to optimize cooking and browning.You may also broil, or roast the chicken in a hot oven (425 degrees F).
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In a small sauce pan simmer the remaining marinade and the one from the chicken for about 7 minutes. Serve with the chicken or mix it before serving with the plantains.
Trim chicken of excess fat and pat dry with a cloth or paper napkin. Rub with lemon, salt and pepper. In a food processor or blender, combine the following: cinnamon, thyme, green onions, onion, habanero pepper, soy sauce, maggi/bouillon, brown sugar, garlic, nutmeg. allspice, fresh ginger and ground pepper. Pulse for about 30 seconds until blended.
Drench the chicken with 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 is extremely spicy hot. If possible, use gloves.
When ready to grill, remove chicken from the jerk marinade and place on medium to high lightly oil grill. Reserve the marinade. Cook chicken on the prepare grill 12- 20minutes, until juices run clear (internal temp of 165 degree F), turning often to optimize cooking and browning.You may also broil, or roast the chicken in a hot oven (425 degrees F).
In a small sauce pan simmer the remaining marinade and the one from the chicken for about 7 minutes. Serve with the chicken or mix it before serving with the plantains.
Loved this spice blend the only thing I did differently was to omitting the maggi , soy sauce in place of salt. I served this over white rice . Yum!
A friend at a local eatery turned me on to his fathers fresh scotch bonnet peppers and i was looking for a “1st time” guide…using simply breast this time…I will leave comment after trying….I love savory heat and will try using this to get me other half to be more open to trying “spicy” cooking
***from the presentation i’m sure this is gonna be yummy in my tummy!!!
thanks
Mike
Thinking about this for a beach vacation trip. What about doing all the prep and freezing the chicken in the marinade for travel? Thaw a few days later in the fridge and throw on the grill after being on the beach? Would this marinade handle that?
Hi Dawnmarie! It will definitely handle it – make sure you save some extra marinade for the sauce. Do let me know how it turns out. Thanks
Gonna cook this tomorrow. Thank you!!
Hi Cherisse! Please let me know how it turns out!
Yum! Now I am craving chicken! I love roasting whole chickens on Sunday evenings, and I always use the bones to make a broth. It’s a great way to have a surplus of broth in the freezer, and it’s so handy when anyone in my house gets sick! I will try this recipe the next Sunday I roast a chicken
Awesome! Do let me know how it works out for you.
Where does the Lemon/Lime come in?
Hi Tray! You add to the marinade .
great
looks delicious!!!
Going to make this dish in the upcoming days.
Thanks for the recipe.
Awesome! Do le me know how it works out for you . Thanks !
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes! You are bringing family dinners together many tastebuds at a time. My family now looks forward to dinner. I had to finally had to let them know it is all you!