Jerk Chicken Recipe

Try this Easy Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe for a deliciously simple version of Caribbean style roast chicken. This super tender, flavorful jerk chicken will quickly become a dinner favorite. Perfect for meal prep.

Here’s a fun bit of jerk history: the word jerk refers to a way of cooking that’s popular in Jamaica. All varieties of meats and even vegetables are traditionally marinated in a paste or rub that includes allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers. Then it’s slow smoked over long sticks of pimento wood.

Nowadays, you can get authentic Jamaican jerk eats from delicious smelling jerk huts on their island stomping grounds. So if you’re lucky enough travel to Jamaica, send me some tasty pics and I’ll live vicariously through you for a moment

Since most of us aren’t going to soak our chicken overnight in Scotch bonnet peppers and then slow-smoke it over long sticks of pimento wood, I’m here to share this simplified way of making delicious jerk chicken. [Aka, lazy but totally tasty.]

This easy jerk chicken recipe will result in extremely tender, tasty, smoky-ish chicken that can be made any busy weeknight. The jerk spice rub can be made weeks ahead of time and stored in your pantry for anytime use.

We’re keeping things simple for all the crazy busy home cooks who need an easy way to liven up their same-o chicken routine. I’m talking about myself, but feel free to join the club.

Common throughout the Caribbean, jerk chicken often refers to a spicy grilled chicken dish. Our recipe can be used for grilling or baking.

With spices such as allspice and cumin, the flavor profile tends to be earthy, exotic, and slightly sweet with a bit of sugar in the mixture.

This dish is definitely on the healthy side, especially if you don’t eat the chicken skin. Because it’s grilled or baked and not fried, it doesn’t absorb much oil (plus, we use olive oil for the paste.)

Yes, this is a great recipe for meal prep. Make a large batch at the beginning of the week, along with easy rice and beans, to enjoy for several days.

Easy Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

Try this Easy Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe for a deliciously simple version of Caribbean style roast chicken. This super tender, flavorful jerk chicken will quickly become a dinner favorite.

Prep: 10min

Total: 50min

Serving Size: 1 g

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 g, calories 232 kcal, Sugar 2 g, Sodium 654 mg, Fat 12 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Trans Fat 0.02 g, Carbohydrate 5 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 25 g, Cholesterol 117 mg, unSaturated Fat 8 g

Ingredients:

• 10 chicken legs
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 TB light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 heaping TB dried thyme
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instruction:

1. Prepare: Preheat oven to 425F with rack on lower middle position. Use paper towels to thoroughly dry chicken legs of excess moisture. Use fork to poke holes on all sides of chicken legs. Set aside.
2. Mix: In a bowl, combine all remaining ingredients to form a spice rub/paste mixture. Evenly rub mixture underneath the skin of chicken legs (easiest to use clean hands to really push the mixture as far underneath skin as you can) as well as on top of skin.
3. Bake: Place chicken on large rimmed/foil-lined baking sheet, with space in between each piece. For smaller-sized chicken legs, bake about 40 minutes; for larger-sized chicken legs, bake about 50 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve immediately, with drippings from baking pan.

How To Make Jamaican Jerk Chicken

FAQ

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