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5.0 from 36 votes

Oven-Baked Jerk Chicken

Boldly flavored, sweet-and-spicy, this jerk chicken recipe takes the "boring" out of chicken!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 300 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 10 chicken drumsticks 4 ounces each, skin on
Optional garnish:
  • 2 Tablespoons parsley or cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease the foil well. It's important to line the pan to prevent major cleanup as the honey caramelizes.
  2. In a small bowl, using a fork, combine the coconut oil, honey, allspice, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, cloves, cumin, salt, and pepper, to make a paste.
  3. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the paste on top, spreading it all over the drumsticks.
  4. Bake until the chicken is fragrant, browned, and cooked through, 35-40 minutes, depending on your oven. Aim for an internal temperature of 165ºF. Baste the chicken midway through baking.
  5. Garnish the chicken with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve.

Notes

  • You can use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs in this recipe. They'll need around 40-45 minutes in the oven, depending on their size. Check with a thermometer to make sure they are done, aiming for an internal temperature of 165°F when not touching the bone.
  • If the seasoning paste hardens on the cold chicken pieces and is impossible to spread, bake the chicken for 5 minutes to soften the paste and then spread it, as I do in the video below. Continue baking, basting one more time midway, until the chicken is cooked through (the internal temperature should reach 165 ºF), 30-35 more minutes.
  • Check the chicken after the first 30 minutes in the oven. If it's darkening too much on top, loosely cover it with foil and continue baking until it's cooked through.
  • You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To avoid drying out the chicken, reheat them very gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power, or enjoy them cold, picnic-style.

Nutrition Information

Serving 2drumsticks Calories 300kcal (15%) Carbohydrates 8g (3%) Protein 28g (56%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Sodium 654mg (27%) Sugar 7g (14%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 300

% Daily Value*

Serving 2drumsticks
Calories 300kcal 15%
Carbohydrates 8g 3%
Protein 28g 56%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Sodium 654mg 27%
Sugar 7g 14%

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