Jerk Chicken Recipe

If there was ever a dish that rejected the idea of bland chicken, it would be Jerk chicken. Coming from Jamaica, this culinary gift can benefit us all. Involving just a simple marinade, this dish will completely transform your standard chicken into something that will have you coming back for seconds. Packed full of big bold smoky flavor, this spicy chicken will change your life. Let’s learn a simple way to make it!

Is Jerk Chicken Healthy? 

Absolutely! The difference between standard (boring) chicken and jerk chicken has to do with the marinade. The marinade is made up of a few spices, fresh ingredients and some oil. The main job of the oil is to help the flavors spread and penetrate into the chicken. The oil actually offers a very minor increase in calories as the majority of the oil is discarded after the marinade is complete. Then the remaining oil falls off the chicken as it cooks. For a few calories, you can transform your bland chicken into a flavor packed experience. 

Essential Jerk Chicken Spices

There are two essential ingredients when making jerk chicken; Scotch Bonnet peppers and Allspice Berries.

Typically, we use allspice in hearty winter dishes in scarce amounts, but today we are using ¼ cup of the dried berries. This gives the chicken a warm hearty flavor profile.

As for the scotch bonnet peppers, these are wonderful fruity flavored peppers. They offer a wonderful sweetness and depth of flavor. However, scotch bonnet peppers are quite difficult to acquire in America. Therefore, we will be substituting in habanero peppers for this dish. While not strictly traditional, we are here to learn how to make realistic cooking possible for everyone. Scotch bonnet peppers are preferred, but habaneros will suffice. 

What to Eat With Jerk Chicken

There is not a single side to pair with jerk chicken; instead, there are a multitude of options. My favorite, and easiest, is plain white rice. The flavor-packed chicken has plenty of flavor to carry the rice. An added bonus here is that you can add as much rice as you need for your macros. Traditionally, you will see rice and peas, coleslaws, breads and much more. These are all wonderful options and definitely something to experiment with. 

Techniques: 

While definitely not necessary, I like to make my jerk chicken with a deboned whole chicken. This way, I can purchase a whole chicken which saves me money and I have some chicken carcasses to make homemade stock. The process of deboning a chicken is simple and once you learn it, this skill will offer you many great options for cooking. My favorite thing about deboned chicken is the even cooking and its ability to soak up flavors from marinades quickly. 

I like to debone my chickens of the spine and rib cage, leaving the bones in the legs and wings. You can remove all the bones if you want, but this is my preference. If you want to learn how to do this, watch my video on deboning a chicken here.

Jerk Chicken Recipe Notes: 

• While a smoker is more traditional and highly recommended, you can also use an oven. Simply set up the oven for roasting at 400 deg F and cook skin side up. If you need more color on the skin, you can broil the chicken to finish it off. 
• If the legs of your chicken start to break apart from the breasts during the cooking process, don’t worry. This is completely fine and doesn’t ruin a thing.
• You don’t have to use a whole chicken for this recipe. I just prefer the variety of dark and light meat and enjoy making chicken stock with the carcass. You can use boneless skinless chicken breast and it will be great.

Jerk Chicken Recipe

The nutrition facts below are for 8 oz of breast with skin and 2 cups cooked rice. Depending on the part of the chicken you eat, the fat and protein amounts will vary.

Course: DinnerCuisine: American

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

869

kcal

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, deboned (breast works great, too)

• 5 green onions

• 5 cloves garlic

• 1 knob fresh ginger, about 2 inches long

• 2 TBSP dried thyme

• 2 habaneros

• 1/4 cup allspice berries, whole (or 3 TBSP ground allspice)

• 1/4 cup avocado oil

• 1 TBSP brown sugar

• 1 TBSP kosher salt

• 1 TBSP black pepper

• 2 tsp onion powder

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp clove, whole

Directions

• Debone whole chicken, reserving carcass for stock.
• Place shallow cuts through the skin side of the chicken. Place two cuts on each breast and leg. The cuts allow for the marinade to penetrate. Cuts should be approximately ¼ inch (6mm) deep. 
• Add all ingredients, except chicken, into blender and blend until smooth.
• Combine marinade and chicken, making sure all sides are coated in marinade. Let marinade for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
• Bring smoker up to 400 degrees F.
• Remove chicken from marinade and wipe off excess marinade. 
• Place skin side down on the smoker over the heat source.
• After 15-30 minutes the skin will be properly crispy. Once crispy skin has been achieved, move the chicken to second shelf and continue to cook skin side up.
• Cook until the breast reads 165 degrees F.
• Let chicken rest for 10 min before slicing.
• Serve over steamed rice and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

• Nutrition facts are for 8 oz of breast with skin and 2 cups cooked rice.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 869kcal
• Fat: 24g
• Carbohydrates: 94g
• Protein: 67g