Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken
The best fresh Jamaican Jerk Chicken marinade for grilling chicken. It’s incredibly flavorful with a spicy kick for perfectly charred chicken.
Mix up your grilled chicken repertoire this summer and make a Caribbean-inspired jerk chicken marinade for the grill.
While traditional Jamaican jerk seasoning is made with scotch bonnet peppers, those are quite difficult to find. A good alternative is habanero peppers, but I went with serrano peppers, which are much milder in heat since my kids were eating this for dinner.
A unique and flavorful mix of aromatics, herbs and spices make up a traditional jerk seasoning blend. Jamaican jerk is such a versatile spice blend to have in your cupboard. It adds heat, dimension, and complexity to many a dish.
Ingredients In Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
- Chicken leg pieces – either legs, thighs or quarters
- Fresh ginger
- Serrano or Habanero peppers
- soy sauce
- lime juice
- brown sugar
- thyme leaves
- allspice
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- garlic
- green onions
How to Make Grilled Jerk Chicken
Trim the excess fat from your chicken leg pieces and place the chicken in a shallow glass baking dish or in a food storage bag.
In a food processor, combine the green onions, garlic, peppers, ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, thyme leaves, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pulse several times until the mixture is finely chopped. Pour the marinade over the chicken and turn the chicken to coat thoroughly.
Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
Heat the grill to medium-high heat (about 400° F) and oil the grates lightly with an oil-coated paper towel and tongs.
Grill the chicken, turning frequently until it’s cooked through and reaches 165° internal temperature (about 30-35 minutes). You may need to lower the temperature if you are getting flare-ups or burned chicken skin.
If you prefer to bake the chicken, heat the oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken on the pan and cook for 45 to 50 minutes until it’s cooked through. Broil for the last 5 minutes for crisp, browned skin.
What to Serve with Jerk Chicken?
Fresh pineapple, mango, avocado would pair beautifully with the heat of this jerk chicken recipe. It also goes well with a cilantro lime rice or a coconut rice and some grilled vegetables.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. Chicken leg or thigh pieces - bone-in skin-on
- 2 inch nob of fresh ginger peeled and sliced
- 2 Serrano or Habanero peppers stems removed
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup lime juice 1 lime
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 green onions
- 1 shallot
Instructions
- Trim the excess fat from your chicken leg pieces and place the chicken in a shallow glass baking dish or in a food storage bag.
- In a food processor, combine the green onions, garlic, peppers, ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, thyme leaves, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pulse several times until the mixture is finely chopped. Pour the marinade over the chicken and turn the chicken to coat thoroughly.
- Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat (about 400° F) and oil the grates lightly with an oil-coated paper towel and tongs.
- Grill the chicken, turning frequently until it's cooked through and reaches 165° internal temperature (about 30-35 minutes). You may need to lower the temperature if you are getting flare-ups or burned chicken skin.
- If you prefer to bake the chicken, heat the oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken on the pan and cook for 45 to 50 minutes until it's cooked through. Broil for the last 5 minutes for crisp, browned skin.
Other Chicken Recipes
Grilled Chicken Tacos With Pineapple Salsa
Cast Iron Brown Sugar Bourbon Chicken Thighs With Peaches
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