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Jerk Chicken Recipe

Jerk Chicken is a delicious Jamaican dish of grilled chicken infused with a spicy, smoky flavor. If you are craving a taste of the islands, give this recipe a try!

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Additional Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 292 kcal
Course: Main Course , Appetizer
Cuisine: Jamaican

Ingredients

Marinade Ingredients
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 scotch bonnet pepper
  • 2 small onions
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp all purpose seasoning
  • ½ orange bell pepper
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 tbsp allspice substitute pimento
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 6 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 inch ginger small piece
  • 1 cup water
Cooking Ingredients
  • 2 lb bone in chicken jointed, bone in, skin on
  • 5-6 limes halved
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • ¼ bottle Red Stripe Beer

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor. Put the lid on the food processor and run to combine until the marinade is smooth.
  2. To clean your 2 lb chicken using the Jamaican method, run 5 lime halves over the raw, uncooked chicken, using the lime juice to remove any slime on the chicken. You can also pour the vinegar and extra lime juice over the chicken and use your hands to rub it into the meat. Then, place your chicken in a large bowl and run cold water over the chicken, allowing it to soak for a second. Then, drain the water.
  3. Add the chicken into a large, clean bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken, cover, and place it in the fridge. Allow the chicken to marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
  4. When it is time to cook, heat your grill up to about 350-450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  5. Place the marinated chicken on the hot grill. Open the red stripe beer, and using your finger to block part of the opening, spray the beer on top of the chicken.
  6. Close the lid, and allow the chicken to grill for about 10 minutes (check to make sure it is not burning).
  7. Once the chicken is starting to brown and char on the outside, flip the pieces over and, once again, spray with red stripe beer. Continue flipping the chicken for another 10-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  8. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.
  • Note - the photos feature some limes for color, but jerk chicken is not usually eaten with limes.
  • Note - the photos feature some limes for color, but jerk chicken is not usually eaten with limes.
  • Marinade Ingredients
  • Fresh Thyme: Fresh ingredients are always best if you can get them!
  • Scotch Bonnet Peppers: You can add more peppers for more spice. If you cannot find scotch bonnet peppers, you could try substituting habanero peppers.
  • Onions: You will need both yellow onions and green onions.
  • Allspice or Pimento Berries: Pimento berries and allspice are synonymous and either of them will work. This is a key ingredient to this dish!
  • Soy Sauce: This is not always traditional. You can also use browning if you’d like!
  • Cooking Ingredients
  • Chicken: Jointed, bone in, skin on. You can buy a whole chicken, but I personally like to make Jerk Chicken with chicken thighs and chicken legs.
  • Limes: These are used to clean and tenderize the meat
  • Red Stripe Beer: Red Stripe is a Jamaican beer and I highly recommend trying to find it if you can for the perfect flavor profile. You could substitute it for any beer if you’d like or omit altogether.
  • Instead of a whole jointed chicken you can just use 2 pounds worth of bone-in chicken thighs or legs. I would not recommend boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe as the skin provides great flavor.
  • Be careful with the bonnet peppers when you are making your marinade. It’s a good idea to wear gloves to avoid skin irritation and start off slow. You can always add more spice to your marinade, but you cannot take it away once it is blended!
  • You can save any leftover marinade in an airtight container in the refrigerator and add a spoonful or two to other dishes

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 292kcal (15%) Carbohydrates 19g (6%) Protein 43g (86%) Fat 5g (8%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 1g Trans Fat 0.02g Cholesterol 116mg (39%) Sodium 2602mg (108%) Potassium 971mg (28%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 691IU (14%) Vitamin C 56mg (62%) Calcium 80mg (8%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 292

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 292kcal 15%
Carbohydrates 19g 6%
Protein 43g 86%
Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 0.02g 1%
Cholesterol 116mg 39%
Sodium 2602mg 108%
Potassium 971mg 21%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 691IU 14%
Vitamin C 56mg 62%
Calcium 80mg 8%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.