Jerk Chicken Recipe

Charred Jerk chicken with limes and pineapple surrounding it.

5 from 2 votes

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!

Course appetizers, Main Course

Cuisine Jamaican

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Marinating Time 2

Total Time 2 50

Servings

Calories 292kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

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

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.
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.
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.
When it is time to cook, heat your grill up to about 350-450 degrees Fahrenheit.
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.
Close the lid, and allow the chicken to grill for about 10 minutes (check to make sure it is not burning).
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.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

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