Jerk Chicken

• servings: 5-6
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 1h + overnight marinade

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (around 3 lbs, or you can do about 3 lbs of various bone-in cuts)

Jerk Marinade

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp ground thyme

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp ground allspice

½ tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp dried ginger

¼ tsp cinnamon

⅛ tsp nutmeg

1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeds and ribs removed (or sub for a habanero)

Sauce

1 tsp of marinade (reserved)

½ onion, chopped (don’t use a red onion or the sauce will be pink)

⅛ cup pineapple juice (or ¼ cup pineapple chunks)

⅛ cup white vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 lime, juiced (or ⅛ cup of juice)

1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeds and ribs removed (or sub for a habanero)

Directions

Spatchcock the chicken and set aside. This is a pretty simple step overall and is definitely explained best by watching a video, so look up one before you try it. The one from Food Wishes is pretty good.

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a food processor / blender and blend until a paste forms. Reserve 1 tsp of the marinade for making the sauce later, then use the rest of the jerk marinade to cover the chicken. Coat it well, even rubbing under the skin if you have extra. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.

Remove the chicken from the fridge at least 20 minutes before cooking.

If you’re grilling, preheat the grill to a medium-high heat, then place the chicken rib-side down on the grill. Grill over a small flame, turning occasionally, until well browned and cooked through, 35-40 minutes.

If you’re cooking it in the oven, preheat it to 400 F, and place the chicken, rib-side down, on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Bake the chicken until browned and the internal reads 165 F, about 35-40 minutes.

Whichever way you cook it, let it rest for 10-15 minutes at room temperature before slicing.

While the chicken is cooking, add all the sauce ingredients, including the reserved 1 tsp of the marinade, to a food processor / blender. Blend until the sauce reaches your desired level of chunkiness. Transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Allow it to cool to room temperature before serving.

With the sauce ready and the cooked chicken rested, chop up the chicken as desired and serve hot. Works great with rice or lentils to offset the richness.

Notes

Jamaican chicken marinated with a blend of spices and grilled. The spice marinade uses spices found in many Jamaican dishes, like allspice, thyme, and scotch bonnet peppers. The ‘jerk’ method of cooking originates from Jamaican natives, developed to preserve and cook meat while hiding from the Spanish and then English colonizers. Jerk chicken is now a popular dish served around the island, and is an incredibly flavorful recipe to throw on the grill. It’s even eaten on Christmas and other celebratory occasions in Jamaica. Adjust the heat level by adding or using less scotch bonnet peppers.