Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Spicy, perfectly sweet, and fall-off-the-bone tender, this Jamaican jerk chicken recipe is undeniably soul-satisfying! The bold flavors from the jerk marinade will have you (and your entire family) hooked after just one bite.
Who doesn’t love a little island flavor to spice up the weekly meal routine? I know I do! And this generously seasoned grilled jerk chicken ticks all the boxes for vibrant Jamaican food. With layers upon layers of flavor ‒ from the spicy peppers and warm cinnamon to the zing of the ginger and soy sauce umami ‒ this is a main course worth slowing down for.
And while oven-baked is convenient on a weeknight, there’s just something special about grilling. That smoky char is unbeatable.
The Best Jerk Marinade
As with many traditional recipes, there’s no single right way to make a jerk marinade. Every Nana has her recipe, and, of course, I’ve got mine.
But here’s why I think my jerk chicken marinade is top-notch: Fresh ingredients deliver more intense flavors. It’s got the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy. And pineapple juice, my top secret ingredient, delivers tropical vibes and tenderizing bromelain.
How to Make Jamaican Jerk Chicken
- Make the marinade, season the chicken, and marinate it.
- Grill or smoke the chicken, basting occasionally with the marinade. Simmer the remaining marinade until thickened into a sauce, and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- No grill? No problem. Roast your jerk chicken in a hot oven at around 425℉ (220℃) for 1-1½ hours.
- Skip the habaneros if you need a kid-friendly version.
- Convert this into a paleo-compliant recipe by replacing the sugar with coconut or date sugar.
- Rub some jerk marinade underneath the chicken skin carefully to maximize the flavor.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Make the marinade ahead and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days in a glass jar. Grilled chicken is always a welcome weekly meal prep ingredient, and it will stay good in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 4-5 months.
Ramp up your white bean chili, quesadillas, nachos, sandwiches, salads, tacos, and rice and beans with leftover jerk chicken. Remove the meat from the bones (of course, save the bones for stock), and use it in about any recipe that asks for cooked chicken.
Menu Ideas for Jamaican Jerk Chicken
My all-time favorite sides for this authentic chicken recipe are coconut rice and fried plantains. Then add a side of Caribbean coleslaw to get a little freshness in the mix.
As for drinks, try it with a sorrel drink to cool down the heat of those habaneros. Or, if you feel more like having an adult beverage, a pina colada will do the trick.
More Jammin’ Jamaican Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”U9wEZq6X” upload-date=”2021-04-28T19:14:31.000Z” name=”JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN.mp4″ description=”Jamaican Jerk Chicken – a well-seasoned grilled chicken with Jamaican jerk marinade that has the perfect balance of heat and sweetness. Amazingly tender, moist, and juicy chicken bursting with savory flavors on every bite. You’ll want to make this all year round!” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
This blog post was originally published in July 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
The Chicken
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces
- salt and black pepper to taste (¾-1 teaspoon of each per pound is average)
- 1 tablespoon (15g) jerk seasoning
- ½ tablespoon (5g) garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon (6g) onion powder
Jerk Marinade
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 green onions, chopped (green and white parts)
- 6-8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1½ tablespoons (9g) chopped fresh ginger
- 2-4 habanero peppers, chopped
- 1½ tablespoon (23ml) soy sauce
- 2-4 tablespoons (30-60g) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (12g) ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon (8g) ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon (3.5g) freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon (6g) chicken bouillon powder (optional)
- ¼-½ cup (60-120ml) pineapple juice or water (adjust to achieve the desired consistency)
Instructions
- Trim chicken of excess fat and pat dry with a cloth or paper napkin.
- Rub with salt and freshly ground pepper, jerk seasoning, garlic, and onion powder. Set aside while you make the marinade.
- Put the thyme, green onions, garlic, ginger, habanero, soy sauce, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, bouillon powder (optional), and pineapple juice in a food processor or blender. Pulse for about 30 seconds or until blended and smooth.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken, stir with your hands (please use gloves for this) until the chicken is completely coated. Marinate it in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours (see notes if using raw pineapple juice).
- When ready to grill, remove the chicken from the jerk marinade and place it on the lightly oiled, preheated grill (medium to high).
- Simmer the marinade that's left in a small saucepan for about 7 minutes to kill bacteria from raw chicken.
- Cook chicken on the grill for 15-20 minutes, until the juices run clear and the internal temperature is 165℉ (75℃) for the breasts and 175℉ (80℃) for the thighs and legs, turning often to optimize cooking and browning. Baste with some of the marinade while grilling.
- Serve the chicken with the simmered marinade on the side as a sauce. The marinade is also good on fried plantains.
Tips & Notes:
- Dried seasonings, like onion and garlic powders, are best for spice rubs because they keep the skin drier and crispier.
- Use fresh ingredients to make the jerk marinade for an authentic Caribbean taste.
- Marinate your chicken for around 30 minutes, but not more than 2 hours if using raw pineapple juice because those enzymes are powerful. If using canned or cooked pineapple juice, up to 24 hours will be fine.
- Please use gloves when touching hot peppers. Capsaicin in the eyes is not fun.
- Please remember that nutritional data is a rough estimate rather than a guarantee. It will vary significantly based on the ingredients used.
A huge hit with my son, insisted I share the recipe with his wife, so she can make it too (we didn’t have pineapple juice, so I am looking forward to trying that and I left out the hot chili – my son is the only one who can tolerate them). I also made your jerk seasoning and have plenty left over to try the recipe when our visitors arrive later this month. Thanks Imma for your website, I look forward to trying out some other recipes, with ingredients I can find in Scotland, lol
Amazing to see your attachment. Thank you so much, I am sure you would love all recipes once you try them. Keep loving:)
Best recipe and I baked it! I used Grace mild jerk seasoning and what ever wasn’t in there I added separately like the pimento and ginger etc. I put the chicken on a bed of onions in my Tagine with the lid and heated it stove top until steaming hot and then put in my oven at 325 F for 45 to 50 min. Best flavor! I didn’t even have to bother broiling it afterwards for more flavor. My boyfriend thought it was the best jerk he’s had.
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
Very authentic!!! LOVE IT SO MUCH!
I’m glad that you love this as much as I do. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
ive made this on the grill an its AMAZING!! now i would like to make in the oven, so i can have it during the winter months anytime. Is the process the same & if so how long do i cook in the oven
Yes it is . Cook for about 35-40 minutes or more until chicken is fully cooked . Check out this chicken here https://www.africanbites.com/oven-baked-jerk-chicken/
I’ve made this 3 times, and I pair it with southern greens, and Carribbean rice and peas. Marinating over night is a must. Love this recipe.
Can’t wait to make this? How big of a chicken do you normally use?
I normally use a broiler/fryer chicken around 2 1/2 to 4/12 pounds 🙂 Let me know how this recipe turns out for you, Kristen!
You might want to prepare Coconut Rice with your chicken and maybe some Chocoflan for dessert 😉 Enjoy!
Looks very delicious and yummy
Absolutely delicious
Glad you enjoyed it, Andrew!
I made a fresh mango salsa to go with this and the balance between the spice in the chicken and the fruity coolness of the salsa was amazing.
Yum!! Thank you, Vicky!
When baking chicken how long at 425?
Hi Danielle! Cook the chicken at 425℉ for the first 10 minutes, then lower it to 350℉ and continue cooking for 25 minutes. You can also check if the chicken is cooked by inserting a thermometer to the thickest part of the meat and the internal temperature should be 74℃.
I used scotch bonnet and such a good recipe! Thank you!
Yay! Thank you, Freya! 🙂
I love your Jerk Chicken recipe. Jerk is probably the best thing you can do to chicken.
Will the jerk seasoning and marinade work for shrimp?
I haven’t tried it yet, Allen, but it should work. Just don’t over marinate the shrimp and make sure it’s peeled. Let me know how it turns out 🙂
I made this for my best friend from Jamaica for a Caribbean themed birthday dinner I threw her and she said this was like her grandmothers recipe! That made me so happy and I loved it so much too, I make the jerk seasoning from Imma in bulk with dried herbs and spices and will make this twice a month. I go to Costco to get the organic whole chickens, freeze one then cook one at a time after marinating them for the whole 4 days! I definitely make sure to get the marinade and spices inside the skin. Normally, I will spatchcock the chicken so all of the skin gets crispy. It’s amazing during on the grill but if I bake it, I broil the chicken on high the last minute after patting a little butter on the top. I serve this with fried plantains and coconut rice. Perfection!
Another awesome message, Anastasia. Thank you for sharing 🙂
It tasted ok but idk mine cane out kind of bitter and I added less cinnamon and nutmeg than the recipe even called for.. but it tasted like that was what was bitter. Not sure what went wrong.
Sorry it came out bitter for you, Melissa! Hmm… maybe the cinnamon and nutmeg didn’t blend well? Hopefully when you try next time, it turns out great. Try to make sure to blend it well or lessen it. Keep me updated 🙂 Thank you for your comment!
I made this chicken for my birthday and it was excellent! I live in an apartment, so I don’t have a bbq. I spatchcocked a whole chicken and broiled at 450° for around 50 minutes with the marinade in the pan. The marinade browned slightly and I used it as a sauce. It gave the chicken an excellent smokey flavor. I also substituted one habanero for a seeded jalapeno, because my friends are weak. 10/10 would make for my birthday again.
My chicken was a disaster. I used boneless thighs. Chicken turned to mush. Seems like the marinade turned it into mush. Note to self never used boneless chicken. I was so thrilled because I made the rice and beans and the coleslaw 🙁
So sorry it didn’t work out well for you. Make sure you oil your grill well enough so the chicken doesn’t stick to it.
Did you include the pineapple juice? It is too enzymatic and not good for long marinades. I would add the Pineapple juice to the basting portion of the jerk marinade
I gave the boneless chicken thighs a try and marinated it for 8 hours. I put them on the grill with a little oil, the jerk chicken came out just fine!
Thank you for your recipes immaculate bites, they have been very helpful!
Thank you so much for the feedback, James!
I’m glad that you’re enjoying the recipes. Happy cooking!
I have made this recipe three times already! This has become a family favorite, I did keep out the habanero peppers but I followed the recipe to a T and it’s delicious every time.. I double up on the recipe so have more sauce left over
Awesome!!! This is a family favorite too! Glad you love it, Ronni :).
Absolutely awesome recipe and great instructions! It was my first time ever making jerk chicken and it went down a treat!
Thank you! X
Glad to hear it worked out well. Thanks
very nyc
Hey do you have a recipe for jerk gravy to go with this
Sorry I don’t have one at the moment.
Use the excess marinade for gravy. Simmer it it will thicken
Or add pineapple juice
If for adults add rum
If you need to think it out
Hi Ray, Thanks for sharing