Jamaican Jerk Chicken originates from Jamaica. Jerk refers to a way that a meat,is seasoned and cooked). This jerk chicken is marinaded in in a thick sauce, including the traditional allspice. Instead of using more traditional hot Scotch Bonnet peppers,) this marinade is made with jalapeno. The chicken turned out to be so moist and flavorful! We really enjoyed this tasty chicken recipe, and the Citrus Mashed Plantains are a perfect side dish to complement this Caribbean themed grilled dinner.
Summertime is when my cast-iron Dutch Oven is lovingly tucked away into my kitchen cupboard, until the summer temps start to drop. That’s when our Weber grill has it’s winter cover removed, is given a gentle scrubbing and is made ready to prepare grilled recipes. Heaven!
We own a gas grill, and it has its own merits. It’s perfect for when you want to grill a quick burger or chicken kebabs. However, when it comes to flavor– to us, nothing beats the flavor of charcoal and/or wood chips.
Wait. I take that back–just a little. The very best barbecue, in our opinion, is with a fire pit and real wood. But, that’s for the reaaaaaaaaaaally serious pit-masters. So, we have been working on learning ways to work with charcoal and wood chips to make our faves–like brisket, and baby back ribs, to name a few.
I’ve never had Jerk Chicken, and I have been missing out! Jerk Spice originates from Jamaica. Meat is marinaded with a blend of spices– always including allspice, and habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers. I like a leeeetle bit of spice and heat to my food, but I’m pretty wimpy when it comes to turning up the scoville range of peppers. So, with this recipe, I used jalapeño peppers. There are plenty of other goodies that I tossed into the blender– cinnamon, cumin, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger…. maybe not exactly a 100% authentic version you’d find on Jamaica– but it is absolutely delicious!
My Vitamix whirred all the ingredients into a thick, brownish marinade. I bought three organic chickens and asked my butcher to quarter them– which he gladly did. After placing the chicken into a large gallon-sized zip-loc bag, I poured the marinade over it and gently mixed it all up– then placed it in the refrigerator overnight. I let the chicken come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before starting to grill.
The next day, Craig lit some charcoals and set up the grill for “indirect heat”. If you’re not familiar with that phrase, it means that he heated up coals to one side of the grill. That way, once he got a nice sear on the chicken, he could move it “off heat” to cook very slowly. Oh, yum!
Quartering the chicken is a good strategy for me– I’m a chicken breast kinda gal, while my men are more dark meat lovers. Win!
Jamaican-Style Jerk Chicken
Equipment
- a meat thermometer
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice from about 2 limes
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons ground allspice
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 bunches scallions 6 to 8 per bunch, roughly chopped
- 2 jalapenos chopped; canuse habaneros or Scotch bonnets
- 1 3-inch piece ginger peeled and chopped
- 3 whole chickens quartered (you can ask your butcher to do it for you)
Instructions
- Put the olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, allspice, sugar, thyme, salt, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, scallions, jalapenos and ginger in a food processor (I use my Vitamix) and blend until smooth.
- Put the chicken into resealable bags and evenly distribute the marinade among the bags. Seal tightly, thoroughly coat the chicken in the marinade and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 30 minutes but preferably overnight. NOTE: I recommend at least 8 hours to allow for the spices to flavor the chicken.
- Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. NOTE: We used our Weber grill to prepare this chicken, and the flavor was amazing!
- Grill the chicken skin-side down on direct heat, turning once halfway through, until both sides are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. NOTE: Watch closely, as there is sugar in the marinade and the chicken can burn very quickly.
- Transfer the chicken pieces to indirect heat and grill until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear, 15 to 20 minutes more.
Notes
Citrus Mashed Plantains
Ingredients
- 2 black plantains
- 1 lime zested
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
Instructions
- Add the plantain to a pot of boiling water and cook 9 to 11 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot.
- Off the heat, stir in the butter and lime zest; season with salt and pepper.
Outstanding Debby! I've been a huge fan of Jerk (Jerked?) meats and even some kinds of fish, for years. What a great reminder to make it again. Your sauce/marinade is nearly identical to what I make and you obviously have it nailed. Plantains are also a favored treat, but I've never tried mashing them. I generally make long slices on the bias, dust with flour and pan fry in a combination of butter and EVOO. Great pix of a wonderful meal and I can easily understand why your Craig and son enjoyed it all so much. Best wishes and I hope you enjoy your fall trip to Europe.
The other Craig…
-The other Craig
Looks delicious Debbie. I like the way he cooked it with a little black.
I get such grill envy in the summer. Such is the life of an apartment dweller! I want your chicken badly.
I'm in the charcoal grill camp myself. To me a gas grill doesn't really feel like grilling. If I ever have a house with a yard, I will be buying myself a nice Weber grill.
My brother uses a caja china since he has a yard, but he can't dig a pit in it. That's where I get my barbecue on – when he has a pig roast.