Jerk Chicken Recipe

5 from 2 votes

This Jerk Chicken is hot hot hot from habañero and full of flavor from spices like allspice, fresh ginger, and cinnamon. Paired with a cold beer, this is the perfect dish for any time of the year.

Prep Time8

Cook Time30

Total Time8 30

Course: Appetizer, Dinner

Cuisine: jamaican

Author: Adrianna Adarme

Equipment

1 blender
1 large bowl
1 pair of tongs
1 outside grill or grill pan

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice and zest from 2 limes
5 to 8 scotch bonnet peppers or 10 habanero or serrano stems removed
1/2 yellow onion roughly chopped
8 garlic cloves peeled
3 scallions pale green and white part only
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (from 5 sprigs of thyme)
1 (2-inch) knob fresh ginger peeled
2 teaspoons kosher
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
3 pounds chicken (skin-on) I had a mix of dark meat: wings, drumsticks and thighs
1 lime for garnish
10 cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions

To Make the Marinade:

In a blender, add the olive oil, soy sauce, lime zest and juice, peppers, onion, garlic, scallions, brown sugar, thyme leaves, ginger, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Pulse until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken to a large bowl. Pour the jerk marinade over the chicken, cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

To Grill the Jerk Chicken:

To Cook on a Grill: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Rub the grill with oil. Place the chicken on the grill over a medium flame, and cook for about 10 minutes per side. I like to check on them to make sure they're not getting too much heat. Feel free to move them away from the flame if this happens and cover. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165F.

To Cook the Jerk Chicken in a Grill Pan:

First step is to open all your windows. You’ll need proper ventilation because the cooking of the marinade creates some intense vapors.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Spray a grill pan, set over medium-high heat, with cooking spray or rub a light coating of canola oil all over.
When hot, add the chicken, skin-side down, cooking on each side until browned for about 5 minutes. You may need to do this in batches, depending on how big your pan is. Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet and place in the oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked throughout. Garnish with wedges of lime and cilantro leaves.

Notes

Tips and Tricks:

Heat Levels: Five scotch bonnet peppers will give you jerk chicken with a kick (I love spicy food). While eight scotch bonnet peppers will give you super spicy jerk chicken. Heat enthusiasts should 6-8 scotch bonnet peppers.

Nutrition