Easy Jamaican Jerk Chicken
About the Recipe
Good Jerk Chicken is always a hit for dinner or any summer party. My method for preparing this dish captures the simple but complex flavors of the Jerk marinade without all the work required for authentic Jerk Chicken slow-cooked over a flame. Besides, it's very difficult to get the pimento wood from Jamaica, required to make authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken or pork.
However, I cook my Jerk Chicken over hardwood coals on the grill to help give it that authentic flavor. If you have a BBQ smoker you could cook it in there as well. Adding the extra layer of hardwood smoke from the grill or pit gives it that dimension of flavor that other oven recipes don't have.
I remember taking Jerk Chicken and Gungu Rice and Peas to an office party one time, and people kept asking how I got the flavor so delicious. The grill was the hack, so make sure you go through this extra step to make your Jerk Chicken the best around.
Variations
This dish is kind of like BBQ in the States. It is going to be made differently depending on where you get it, but it is primarily seasoned smoked chicken. You can play with the different spices, but Pimento (allspice berries), scallion, scotch bonnet peppers, and thyme are at the heart of the flavor base.
Another way that it is like BBQ in the US, is that Jerk is generally not made at home in Jamaica. It is usually served at roadside stands or jerk shacks in Jamaica. Just like in the States. we normally don't have 10-12 hours to smoke pork or beef for a meal, but we are all too happy to hit our favorite BBQ joint for that delicious smoked meat.
Another way to enjoy Jerk is with pork. Jamaican Jerk Pork is more common than chicken. At least it is in my family. Jerk pork made in the oven is usually served at some family gatherings. But like the chicken, smoke the meat on the grill for that great smokey flavor.
Serve it with Rice and Peas and a Cucumber Tomato Salad.
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you will at least need the following equipment:
- A large mixing bowl
- Dutch oven
- Cutting board
Optional and suggested additions:
- Grill or BBQ smoker
- .5 cup Dark Soy Sauce (I use Sweetened Soy Sauce)
- 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
- .25 cup Badia brand Jerk Seasoning (Jamaican Style)
- .5 Bunch Green Onions (Cleaned, Crushed and cut in half)
- 1 ea Scotch Bonnet Pepper (Or habanero pepper)
- 1 cup White Vinegar
- 1 cup Water (Cold)
- 1.75 cup Chicken Stock
- .25 cup Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Badia brand Jerk Seasoning (Jamaican Style)
- The Marinade
Wash the chicken thighs in equal parts water and distilled white vinegar. Drain and discard this liquid.
Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs inside of a 2.5-gallon ziplock bag and coat all the chicken evenly. Refrigerate overnight or for 24 hours. You can also use a mixing bowl and cover it while it is in the fridge.
- Grilling the Next Day
2 hours before cooking, remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator.
Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Light your charcoal grill and when the coals are ready, covered in white ash and no more white smoke, spread them over half of the grill leaving the other half free to move the chicken after it is charred.
Add the grill grate over the coals, and wait 10 minutes.
When the grill grate is hot, add half the chicken to the grill grate over the coals and cover with the lid on for 5 minutes with the vent open.
Remove the lid, flip the chicken, and cook for another 5 minutes until the chicken pieces don't look raw, but still are on the inside.
Move the grilled chicken to the other side and brush with some of the the 2nd marinade.
Add the second half of the chicken to the grill over the coals.
When the second half of the chicken is ready to be moved to the other side, remove the first half into a large Dutch oven and cover.
Move the remaining chicken to the non-flame side of the grill then brush the chicken with the 2nd Marinade and cover for 10 minutes.
Uncover and remove the remaining amount of chicken and place it in the Dutch oven.
Bring the chicken inside, cut the chicken thighs into large chunks, and place them back in the Dutch oven. Pour the remaining amount of the 2nd marinade into the Dutch oven and coat all the chicken.
Place the Dutch oven into the pre-heated oven uncovered and bake for 20 minutes.
Stir the chicken and juices and bake for another 20 minutes or until the liquid has been reduced by half.
Remove from the oven and serve with Rice and Peas or Gungu Rice and Peas, a Cucumber Salad, and a bottle of Ginger Beer.
If you like your Jerk really spicy, you can add a couple of additional scotch bonnets to the marinade, and save them for the 2nd marinade to roast in the oven.
If you are having friends over, double or triple this recipe. They will eat a lot and will want to take some home.
I usually use chicken thighs because they are very forgiving to your cooking time and temperature, and are still delicious. I also use the boneless skinless thighs because I prefer that.
You can use a whole chicken cut up with the bones in. In Jamaica, this is typically how you will find it, then chopped into pieces with a cleaver.
