This authentic Jamaican Jerk chicken recipe is marinated in a delicious blend of spices and grilled to perfection for the perfect weeknight meal!
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 25 minutesminutes
Refrigerate: 3 hourshours
Total Time: 3 hourshours45 minutesminutes
Ingredients
1peeled sweet onion
3green onions
1scotch bonnet pepper or 1 habanero pepper or 2 jalapeños
6garlic cloves
6fresh thyme sprigs
1teaspoonpeeled fresh ginger
2tablespoonsbrown sugar
¼cupsoy sauce
¼cupwhite vinegar
½cuppalm or olive oil
juice of 2 limes
1tablespoonsea salt
½teaspoonground black pepper
1tablespoonground cinnamon
1teaspoonnutmeg
½teaspooncloves
3poundsof mixed chicken things and drums or breasts
Instructions
Add all of the ingredients but the chicken to a blender and blend on high speed until slightly chunky resembling apple sauce.
Transfer the mixture to a plastic zip bag, casserole dish or plastic container and completely submerge the chicken.
Cover and keep in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, 400° to 450°.
Take the chicken out of the marinade and cook on the grill for about 25 minutes turning the chicken every 8 minutes or so to develop a light char. The chicken should reach 165° internally before removing from the grill.
Garnish with green onions and lime wedges and serve.
Notes
Chef Notes:
Make-Ahead: This recipe is best eaten as soon as it is cooked.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This will freeze, cooked first, covered for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Place on a cooking sheet tray lined with parchment and bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until hot. Likewise, you can heat up in the microwave on a microwave-safe plate until hot.
You can also use this same marinade and method with steak, fish, pork or vegetables.
The longer you can marinate up to 24 hours the more flavorful it will be.
Do not be alarmed if your chicken is lightly charring, it is supposed to happen when grilling jerk chicken.
I usually like to close the door on the grill after the first flip of the chicken to help roast it better.