This bold Jamaican-style Jerk Chicken is bursting with flavour and spice. Marinated in a punchy jerk blend and ready in just 30 minutes, it pairs perfectly with rice and peas or steamed vegetables for a satisfying dinner.
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Savor every bite of this juicy, spicy Jamaican Jerk Chicken marinated to perfection with bold heat, fragrant herbs, and just a touch of sweetness. As one of Jamaica's most beloved dishes, it's always my go-to when I'm grabbing Caribbean takeout. I used to wonder what gave the marinade its iconic flavour, so after plenty of experimenting, I finally cracked the code to recreate this fiery favorite at home.
For more delicious jerk recipes, try this Jerk Chicken Salad and Shrimp Rasta Pasta.
Why This Recipe Works
- This Jerk chicken recipe is packed with flavor and makes a great side dish.
- It pairs well with rice and peas, as well as Three Cheese Mac 'n Cheese and Buffalo Chicken Thighs.
- It is easy to double or triple this recipe to feed a larger crowd.
- You can adjust the marinade to suit your taste.
Jerk Chicken Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Chicken: For this jerk chicken recipe, I use chicken drumsticks and thighs; however, you can use any piece of your choice.
- Jerk marinade: I use a homemade Jamaican jerk marinade for this recipe; however, you can use shop-bought marinade instead.
Tips and Substitutions
- Chicken pieces: Swap chicken thighs and drumsticks with chicken wings, chicken fillets or even a whole chicken instead.
- Grilling: Space out the chicken pieces to ensure that they cook evenly and don't stick together.
- Basting: Reserve some marinade for basting. This will ensure that the chicken pieces remain moist.
How to Make Jerk Chicken
Step 1: Add chicken thighs and drumsticks to a bowl. Add jerk marinade.
Step 2: Rub the marinade into the chicken well, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Step 3: Place marinated chicken on an oven rack. Make sure they are spaced out. Roast in a preheated oven at 200C/400F for 35-40 minutes. Make sure you flip them and baste with the marinade halfway through. Alternatively, you can grill it for 10-15 minutes.
Step 4: Make sure you flip them and baste with the marinade halfway through. Alternatively, you can grill it for 10-15 minutes.
Step 5: Serve this mouth-watering jerk chicken with a wedge of lime, garnished with fresh herbs, yellow rice and fried Plantain.
Recipe FAQs
The main flavor of jerk marinade is spicy scotch bonnets, herby thyme, and Caribbean seasonings like allspice, garlic, and onions.
Jerk chicken is typically quite spicy due to the scotch bonnets, but you can easily adjust the heat by using more or fewer peppers to suit your taste.
Place leftover jerk chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days and reheat in the microwave before serving.
More Delicious Caribbean Recipes
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Jerk Chicken
Equipment
- Food processor
- mixing bowl
- Oven rack
Ingredients
- 1 kg or 2.2 Ibs of chicken thighs and drumsticks
Marinade
- 3 sprigs of thyme or 2 tablespoon of dried thyme
- 3 spring onions
- 1 onion
- 1-3 Scotch bonnets
- 2 teaspoon of fresh ginger or ginger powder
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- ½ lime juice
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar
- 1.5 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- ⅓ cup of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of browning optional
Instructions
- Add all of the marinade ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Reserve ¼ of the marinade for basting.
- Then, add chicken thighs and drumsticks to a large bowl. Pour over jerk marinade and rub it in thoroughly, and make sure the chicken is well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight for deeper flavour.
- For roasting arrange marinated chicken on a wire rack, leaving space between each piece. Roast for 35-40 minutes, flipping and basting with extra marinade halfway through.
- For grilling, cook chicken for 10-15 minutes, turning and basting midway for a smoky, charred finish.
- Plate up the jerk chicken hot with a wedge of lime and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Pairs perfectly with rice and peas, fried plantains, or steamed vegetables.
Notes
- Chicken Options: Feel free to substitute thighs and drumsticks with wings, fillets, or even a whole chicken.
- Grilling Tip: Arrange the chicken pieces with a bit of space between each to promote even cooking and prevent sticking.
- Moisture: Set aside a portion of the marinade for basting as the chicken cooks; this keeps it juicy and enhances the flavor.
Dave
This chicken was so magnificent and flavourful! A proper crowd pleaser.
Jen Sim
Thanks, Dave. Glad you enjoyed it.
Samantha
Followed this recipe for a dinner party and it turned out delicious! Everyone loved it ! Will definitely be making this again 🙂
Jen Sim
It's one of my favorites. Glad you enjoyed it Samantha 🙂