Best Jerk Chicken Recipes

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken in a medium bowl. Cover with lime juice and water. Set aside.
• In a blender or food processor, place allspice, nutmeg, salt, brown sugar, thyme, ginger, black pepper and vegetable oil. Blend well, then mix in onions, green onions, garlic and habanero peppers until almost smooth.
• Pour most of the blended marinade mixture into bowl with chicken, reserving a small amount to use as a basting sauce while cooking. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.
• Brush grill grate with oil. Cook chicken slowly on the preheated grill. Turn frequently, basting often with remaining marinade mixture. Cook to desired doneness.

PERFECT BAKED JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the jerk rub by combining the salt, allspice, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and thyme. Toss the chicken pieces with the spice mixture, then cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 2 to 4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Pour the vegetable oil into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Place the chicken pieces skin-side up into the baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 20 minutes, until no longer pink near the bone. Turn the oven on to broil, and cook until the skin crisps, 2 to 5 minutes.

JERK RUBBED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH HOME-MADE MANGO-HABANERO HOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine all spices in a small bowl. Rub the skin side of the chicken with the rub and let rest for 30 minutes. Heat the grill to medium heat and grill the thighs, skin side down for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn the chicken, close the cover of the grill and move the chicken to the side (or cooler part) of the grill. Continue cooking for 6 to 7 minutes or until completely cooked through. Remove to a platter and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Serve fresh mango slices and Mango-Habanero Hot Sauce. Sprinkle leaves of cilantro on top.
• Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, mangoes, habanero and vinegar and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a few tablespoons of warm water or vinegar. Season with salt.

GRILLED JERK CHICKEN WITH MANGO CILANTRO SALSA

Steps:

• Puree all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a food processor until almost smooth. Piece the chicken with a fork to make tiny holes. Place the chicken in a large shallow baking dish and rub the marinade into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, depending on how intense you want the flavor to be. Preheat grill. Grill chicken on each side for 5 to 6 minutes or until cooked through.
• For the mango cilantro relish:
• Combine the mangoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and orange juice in a bowl and gently mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Whizz all the ingredients for the marinade in a blender to form a thick paste. It shouldn't be too runny, similar to the consistency of sweet chilli sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three weeks.
• Slit the chicken skin with a sharp knife, then put into a container. Pour over the jerk marinade, making sure the chicken is completely covered. You may not need all the marinade. Cover the chicken and place in the fridge for at least 4 hrs, but ideally 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the chicken in an ovenproof dish, cover with foil and cook for 30-45 mins. Remove the foil and baste the chicken with the juices from the dish, then cook for a further 10 mins. The skin should start to crisp up. Check the meat is cooked by cutting into the deepest part of the chicken. If the juices run out red, return to the oven for 10 mins more, or until the juices run clear. Serve with rice & peas or any of your favourite side dishes.

CARIBBEAN JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first seven ingredients. Remove skin from chicken; if desired, use a sharp knife to cut through the leg quarter joints. Add chicken to marinade; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 2 hours., Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Place chicken on greased grill rack; cook, covered, over medium heat 35-45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°-175°, turning occasionally.

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN AND SEASONING

Steps:

• Combine all but chicken, lime juice and oil in mixing bowl and whisk to mix well.
• Whisk together lime juice and olive oil.
• Rub chicken well with lime/oil mix. Do not marinate.
• Coat chicken with dry seasoning/spice mixture. The idea here is to get as much as possible to stick to the chicken. We store our seasoning in a leftover spice container with large sprinkle holes and use that to season. This is not a rub, so it should not be applied in rub fashion.
• Refrigerate 1-3 hours, then remove from refrigerator and allow to come to near room temperature.
• Prepare grill for direct/indirect grilling.
• Grill chicken over hot direct fire. Don't worry about the black, it's supposed to be there. In fact, 30-40% of the skin should end up black, but it will not be bitter.
• Once seared, remove to the indirect heat area of the grill and cook to 165* internal temperature.
• One quick dance across the direct heat before serving will help crisp it a bit.
• Serve with plenty of napkins.

JERK CHICKEN WINGS

Steps:

• Put yellow onion, green onions, garlic, habanero peppers, fresh thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, dried thyme, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, vegetable oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice, respectively, in a blender and blend until marinade is completely smooth.
• Place chicken in a large bowl. Pour marinade over chicken and toss to coat completely. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
• Place chicken drumettes on prepared baking sheet and reserve marinade left in the bowl.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
• Brush 1/2 the reserved marinade onto chicken and turn wings over. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Turn chicken and brush on remaining 1/2 the reserved marinade. Bake until tender and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Rest wings on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a serving platter.

GRILLED JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine salt, garlic powder, sugar, allspice, thyme, cayenne, black pepper, sage, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl. While beating with a wire whisk, slowly add vinegar, orange juice, soy sauce, olive oil, and lime juice. Add onion, green onions, and chile pepper and mix well. Add chicken breasts, cover, and marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove the chicken from the marinade; reserve.
• Cook chicken on the preheated grill, basting with the reserved marinade frequently, until no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, 6 to 8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

GRILLED JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make marinade:
• Blend all marinade ingredients in a blender until smooth.
• Marinate and grill chicken:
• Divide chicken pieces and marinade between 2 sealable plastic bags. Seal bags, pressing out excess air, then turn bags over several times to distribute marinade. Put bags of chicken in a shallow pan and marinate, chilled, turning once or twice, 1 day.
• Let chicken stand at room temperature 1 hour before cooking.
• To cook chicken using a charcoal grill:
• Open vents on bottom of grill and on lid. Light a large chimney of charcoal briquettes (about 100) and pour them evenly over 1 side of bottom rack (you will have a double or triple layer of charcoal).
• When charcoal turns grayish white and you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds, sear chicken in batches on lightly oiled rack over coals until well browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch. Move chicken as seared to side of grill with no coals underneath, then cook, covered with lid, until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes more.
• To cook chicken using a gas grill:
• Preheat burners on high, then adjust heat to moderate. Cook chicken until well browned on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust heat to low and cook chicken, covered with lid, until cooked through, about 25 minutes more.
• Serve chicken with salsa.

GRILLED JERK-SPICED CHICKEN WINGS WITH MANGO SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for high indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off).
• For the wings: Add the paprika, cayenne, allspice, nutmeg, garlic powder, cloves, ginger, minced garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to a small bowl and stir to combine. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture for the mango sauce.
• Put the chicken wings in a large bowl with the remaining spice mixture. Toss to evenly coat. Reserve the wings while you make the sauce.
• For the mango-cilantro sauce: Put the orange juice, mango jam, 1 tablespoon reserved spice mixture, honey, cilantro, orange zest, scallions and Scotch bonnet in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and reserve at room temperature while you grill the wings.
• Place the chicken wings on the grill over the indirect heat zone. Cover and grill for 5 minutes. Flip the wings and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Move the wings directly over the heat and cook until nicely charred and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the wings from the grill and toss with the reserved sauce. Pile onto a platter and garnish with chopped cilantro.

JERK CHICKEN AND PINEAPPLE SKEWERS

Steps:

• For the jerk marinade: Combine the brown sugar, lime juice, orange juice, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, allspice, ginger, salt, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, bay leaf, chile and scallion in a food processor and puree. (You can mix in a bowl if you don't have a food processor.)
• For the kebabs: Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken (reserve any extra marinade for later use). Seal the bag and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Sprinkle the red onion with salt and pepper. Assemble metal skewers with the chicken, red onion, pineapple and peppers, alternating each ingredient. Brush the kebabs with the remaining marinade.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Spray the grill grates with cooking spray.
• Grill the kebabs until the chicken registers 165 degrees F in the center on an instant-read thermometer, about 4 minutes per side. Serve warm.

JERK CHICKEN WITH RICE & PEAS

Steps:

• To make the jerk marinade, combine the spring onions, ginger, garlic, onion, scotch bonnet chillies, dried thyme, lime juice, soy sauce, vegetable oil, brown sugar and ground allspice in a food processor along with 1 tsp salt, and blend to a purée. If you're having trouble getting it to blend, just keep turning off the blender, stirring the mixture, and trying again. Eventually it will start to blend up - don't be tempted to add water, as you want a thick paste.
• Taste the jerk mixture for seasoning - it should taste pretty salty, but not unpleasantly, puckering salty. You can now throw in more chillies if it's not spicy enough for you. If it tastes too salty and sour, try adding in a bit more brown sugar until the mixture tastes well balanced.
• Make a few slashes in 12 chicken thighs and pour the marinade over the meat, rubbing it into all the crevices. Cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
• If you want to barbecue your chicken, get the coals burning 1 hr or so before you're ready to cook. Authentic jerked meats are not exactly grilled as we think of grilling, but sort of smoke-grilled. To get a more authentic jerk experience, add some wood chips to your barbecue, and cook your chicken over slow, indirect heat for 30 mins.
• To cook in the oven, heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the chicken pieces in a roasting tin with the halved lime and cook for 45 mins until tender and cooked through.
• While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rice & peas. Rinse the basmati rice in plenty of cold water, then tip it into a large saucepan. Add the coconut milk, spring onions, thyme sprigs, garlic and ground allspice.
• Season with salt, add 300ml cold water and set over a high heat. Once the rice begins to boil, turn it down to a medium heat, cover and cook for 10 mins. Add the kidney beans to the rice, then cover with a lid. Leave off the heat for 5 mins until all the liquid is absorbed.
• Squeeze the roasted lime over the chicken and serve with the rice & peas, and some hot sauce if you like it really spicy.

JERK CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH BARBECUE-PINEAPPLE GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and very lightly coat it with oil.
• Prepare the meatballs: In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, onion, egg, bread crumbs, jerk seasoning paste, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Using lightly wet hands, form the mixture into 12 meatballs, each a bit larger than a golf ball, and space them out on the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. (Alternatively, you can fry them in a nonstick pan coated in oil over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes per side.)
• While the meatballs cook, prepare the glaze: Whisk the pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion powder, red-pepper flakes and salt together in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until it reduces enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Slowly whisk into the sauce, increase the heat to medium and stir until you reach the desired consistency. (Sauce should look like a thicker gravy.) Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce and stir until coated. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, until the meatballs are evenly glazed and deepen slightly in color. Serve hot on their own or over rice.

JERK CHICKEN AND PASTA

Steps:

• Rub each breast half with 1/2 teaspoon jerk paste, and place in a shallow dish. Cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the grill for high heat. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, cook the egg noodles 6 to 8 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
• Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken 8 to 10 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook the garlic for one minute. Mix in the chicken stock, 1 tablespoon jerk paste, white wine, chopped cilantro, juice of 1 lime, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and stir in the heavy cream. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Do not allow it to boil.
• Pour the cooked egg noodles into the saucepan, and toss with the cream sauce. Divide noodles onto 4 serving plates, and top with grilled chicken. Garnish each serving with a cilantro sprig and the juice of 1/4 lime.

BBQ JERK CHICKEN WITH CARIBBEAN MANGO SLAW

Steps:

• Combine the jerk seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl. Rub the chicken with the jerk mixture (do not over season, or the dry rub will cake up and become too thick) and marinate, refrigerated, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Combine the mango puree, honey, sriracha, lime juice, beer and some salt and pepper in a small saucepan and heat until the mixture comes to a boil; set aside.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook without moving for 3 minutes. Flip over and brush lightly with the mango glaze. Continue cooking until cooked all the way through (to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F), about another 3 minutes. Remove from the grill and brush with more glaze. Tent loosely with foil to keep warm. Serve with Caribbean Mango Slaw.
• Combine the olive oil, honey, vinegar, mustard, sriracha, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl and whisk until well blended. Add the carrots, parsley, mint, cabbage and most of the almonds and mango and toss until well coated. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining almonds and mango.

GRILLED JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• Make jerk rub: In a food processor combine jerk rub ingredients and process to a paste, stopping once or twice to scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Cut several small slits in chicken and rub all over with jerk paste. Refrigerate, tightly covered, overnight. Preheat a barbecue grill and adjust heat to low. Grill chicken for about 40 minutes, turning once, until dark brown and crusty. Let cool and slice. Alternatively, bake chicken at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes, then broil 2 to 3 minutes until crisp.
• Make dressing: On work surface sprinkle coarse salt over garlic and chop to a fine paste. Whisk garlic paste with lime juice and a few drops of hot sauce, to taste. Whisk in vegetable oil until emulsified. Assemble salad: In a bowl combine salad ingredients with chicken. Pour dressing over, toss to coat and arrange on a lettuce leaf lined platter.

JERK-STYLE CHICKEN WITH SPICED BASMATI RICE PILAF AND GREEN BEANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the chicken: put the butter, soy sauce, allspice, peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg, scallions, thyme, garlic, lime zest and juice, chile and ginger in a food processor and pulse, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary with a rubber spatula, until a paste forms.
• Arrange the chicken pieces on a baking sheet, rub with the marinade and generously sprinkle with salt. Let marinate for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat and brush lightly with canola oil.
• Place the chicken skin-side down on the grill pan. Reserve any leftover marinade on the baking sheet to use later. Cook until slightly charred and marked, flipping halfway through, 5 to 8 minutes total (the chicken will not be fully cooked, it will finish cooking in the oven).
• Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the chicken skin-side up on the rack, leaving ample space between each piece. Top the chicken with the reserved marinade from the baking sheet and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the rice: Put the rice in a large bowl, cover with 4 cups cold water and soak for 30 minutes. Strain well, reserving the soaking liquid.
• Heat a medium skillet over medium. Add the butter and onions and cook until they are translucent but not brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin seeds, cayenne and cinnamon stick and toast for about 1 minute. Add the drained rice and stir gently until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Add the reserved soaking water and gently stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Cover the pan and turn off the heat. Let rest for about 10 minutes, then season with salt and fluff with a fork. Remove the cinnamon stick.
• For the green beans: fill a large bowl with ice water and set a colander inside the ice bath. Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a generous handful of salt. (The water should taste like sea water.) Add the green beans and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to the colander ice bath.
• When ready to serve, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and toss in the beans to warm them gently. Top with the lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt.
• For the honey glaze: Simmer the honey in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it foams and turns golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the vinegar and return the pan to the stove. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes more to allow the vinegar and honey to cook together. Season with salt and set aside.
• Place a large spoonful of rice on each plate and arrange the chicken and green beans around each portion. Drizzle the chicken with the honey glaze.

MISS OLLIE'S JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Blend chives, chiles, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, rum, salt, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves in a blender until smooth. Place chicken in a large bowl and pour jerk marinade over. Turn thighs and drumsticks several times to coat. Cover and chill, turning chicken pieces once, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Remove chicken from marinade, wiping off any excess, and let come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Discard marinade.
• Prepare grill for 2-zone heat (for a charcoal grill, bank two-thirds of coals on one half of grill and scatter remaining coals over other side; for a gas grill, set one burner to high heat and the remaining burners to medium-low heat). Lightly brush grate with oil. Arrange chicken drumsticks and thighs, skin side down, on grate over hottest part of grill and grill, turning halfway through, until lightly charred, 5-10 minutes. Move chicken to cooler part of grill and continue to grill, turning several times, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 20-25 minutes longer.
• Transfer chicken to a platter and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Smash the allspice as fine as possible using a mortar and pestle. Put in a food processor and add the seasoning salt, peppers, green onions, thyme and 1/2 cup water. Blend to the consistency of lumpy oatmeal and pour into a bowl.
• Rub the chicken with the jerk seasoning and stuff the jerk seasoning between the skin and the meat. Place the chicken pieces into a storage pan and let marinade overnight (at least 12 hours).
• Remove the excess seasoning from the chicken. Heat the grill to high heat (about 350 degrees F) and then place the chicken meat-side down first as to not let the chicken burn too quickly. Flip the chicken every 5 to 7 minutes until the skin has a nice brown color with grill marks, and then every 7 to 10 minutes on lower heat until cooked, around 40 minutes total or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
• Chop each quarter into 4 to 5 pieces to get the real Jamaican jerk experience.