Best Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

PICTURED: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Although Jamaica’s national dish is ackee and saltfish, the most famous Jamaican dish would have to be jerk chicken. The star of this dish is a savory, savory marinade loaded with robust herbs and spices. This blend of aromatics and hot peppers gives the marinade a kick that takes you back to the sandy beaches of Jamaica bite after bite. The peppers used in jerk chicken are Scotch bonnet peppers. It is a beautiful and aromatic pepper whose true flavors shine through in Jamaican cooking. They can usually be found at any Caribbean specialty store or Latin supermarket. They are also used in Jamaican oxtail stew and chicken curry.

If you can’t get authentic Scotch bonnets, habanero peppers are best. In this recipe, the chiles have been seeded and deveined to make a milder, even kid-friendly marinade, but if you enjoy the nice scorch of hot peppers, throw them whole in the blender.

The sauce also has a subtle sweetness that comes from the pineapple juice and brown sugar to help beat the searing heat from the peppers. The enzymes in pineapple juice also help keep the chicken wonderfully tender when it’s on the grill. Warm spices like nutmeg, cloves and allspice round out the sauce, giving it that quintessentially Jamaican flavor.

Even if you don’t eat chicken, jerk sauce is incredibly versatile. Jamaicans are known to put it on everything from pork to fish to vegetables. It’s a great addition to any dish perfect for the grill or for adding extra flavor to everyday cooking. It keeps well in the fridge, and unused portions can even be frozen for later use. If you don’t have a grill, this recipe can easily be made in the oven. Simply bake at 425° until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°, about 30 minutes. If you prefer a more saucy jerk chicken like me, brush on the optional glaze during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Use leftover marinade for vegetables, tofu, or anything you want to taste like jerk.

Editor’s note: This recipe was updated on September 8, 2022 to reflect changes to the recipe and to include more information about the dish.

Learn more +

Read less –

Advertising – Continue Reading Below

Yields:

4

Preparation time:

0

hours

25

minutes

Total time:

0

hours

25

minutes

small yellow onion, chopped

green onions, chopped, plus more for serving

Scotch bonnet peppers or habanero peppers, seeded and deveined

1/4 tsp.

chopped fresh ginger (about 2 [2″] rooms)

1/4 tsp.

low sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp.

ground allspice or 10 whole allspice berries

1 1/2 tsp.

kosher salt, divided

1 1/2 tsp.

freshly ground black pepper, divided

(3 1/2 to 4 lbs) whole chicken, cut into pieces, or 4 lbs mixed chicken pieces

1/4 tsp.

ketchup (optional)

2 tbsp.

soy sauce (optional)

This ingredient shopping module is created and maintained by a third party, and imported on this page. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content on their website.

In a blender, combine the onion, scallions, bell peppers, garlic, pineapple juice, brown sugar, ginger, soy sauce, thyme, bay leaves, allspice, garlic powder, nutmeg, onion powder, cloves, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper until smooth.
Pat chicken dry; season with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper, then place in a large bowl. Pour 2 cups marinade over chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate chicken at least 2 hours or up to 12 for best results. (Refrigerate leftover marinade in an airtight container and use on other meats, vegetables, tofu, etc.)
Prepare a grill over medium-high heat; clean and oil the grates. Grill chicken, reserving marinade and turning occasionally, until chicken is seared and lightly charred in spots, 8 to 12 minutes.
Move the chicken to the coldest part of the grill (or reduce the heat to low) and brush it with the reserved marinade. Cover and grill until the chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°, 10 to 15 minutes for white meat and 18 to 20 minutes for dark meat.
If using optional glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together ketchup and soy sauce. Brush chicken on both sides with glaze and continue grilling, turning once, until glaze begins to bubble, 4 to 6 minutes longer.
Transfer the chicken to a dish. Garnish with green onions. Serve with lime wedges.

This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, on their website.