Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Jamaican

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 40

Chill time: 6

Total Time: 6 55

Servings:

Calories: 368kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

This Jamaican Jerk Chicken is deeply flavorful and beautiful in presentation. Be sure to allow the chicken to chill in the marinade for no less than 4 hours, preferably overnight. The coconut rice and mango salsa bring it all together.

Print Recipe

Equipment

Gas, charcoal, or electric grill
Meat thermometer

Ingredients

¼ cup lime juice extra, if needed
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoon soy sauce
½ cup brown sugar light or dark
1 tablespoon fresh ginger chopped
4 Scotch bonnets stemmed, roughly chopped
2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
8 scallions roughly chopped
6 whole chicken legs
coconut rice for serving
mango salsa for serving

Instructions

Place all ingredients (except chicken, rice, and salsa) in your food processor. Process until smooth. The consistency should be like thick tomato sauce. If too thick, add a little extra lime or orange juice.
¼ cup lime juice, 1 tablespoon orange juice, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 teaspoon soy sauce, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, 4 Scotch bonnets, 2 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon ground mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 8 scallions
Place the chicken in a large dish and cover with the marinade. (you may need to use two dishes). Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for no less than 4 hours or up to overnight.
6 whole chicken legs
Set up your grill to a 2-zone heat set-up with no heat on one side and direct heat on the other side. Place the chicken, skin-side down, on the no-heat side. Close the grill lid and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, basting with extra marinade a time or two.
Lift the grill lid and carefully flip the chicken over, still on the no-heat side. Close the lid and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 165 to 175°F.
Carefully move the chicken to the direct heat side and cook until lightly charred, about 3 to 5 minutes. See NOTES about cooking the skin on the direct-heat side.
Remove the chicken from the grill and serve immediately with the coconut rice and mango salsa.
coconut rice, mango salsa

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.

The peppers will give the marinade some heat, which is traditional for jerk. It's not overly spicy at all. However, if you want very little spice, do your best to remove any seeds from the peppers. We highly recommend using protective gloves when handling the peppers. If not, be sure to wash your hands with warm water and soap before proceeding.

Take extra care when grilling the chicken skin-side down. If you place the chicken (skin-side down) on the direct heat side, the skin may stick to the grates. We recommend spraying the grates liberally with oil bef

Nutrition