Jerk Chicken

I got excited about this recipe as soon as I made the marinade. The allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon in the oniony slush gave it a wonderful smell. The finished chicken didn’t disappoint.

I cooked this on my Big Green Egg, which made holding a steady low temperature very easy. I think the low temp is crucial here, as it allows the marinade to form a flavorful crust on the chicken without burning.

The only thing I’d change about this recipe is to up the amount of chile peppers in the marinade. I used one jalapeño plus one Thai chile, but I’d have liked a little more heat. I think habañeros would be ideal here.

There will definitely be a next time for this recipe. The flavors of this marinade are so good and the ingredients are things that I already had on hand, so it made for a very easy recipe to pull together. I loved the spiciness with that slightly sweet note that’s typical of jerk recipes. (I used brown sugar instead of regular sugar.)

So I admit that I didn’t actually grill the chicken; it was just too hot outside! However, I really wanted to try this recipe, so I decided to roast the chicken instead and it made for what I thought was a wonderful jerk chicken! I pan-seared the chicken first and then roasted it and basted it a couple times with the extra marinade. I can only imagine how good it’d be if I’d actually been able to grill it low and slow with the wood chips!

I wouldn’t change a thing about this recipe. It’s delicious, pretty darned simple, and straightforward. I used 1 split chicken and it cooked evenly. I think it’s important to invest in Jamaican allspice for this dish. The marinade created a glossy, mahogany crust that made the dish look as beautiful as it tasted.

This is the only jerk marinade recipe you’ll ever need. Sweet, savory, and with just the right amount of heat. I made this a second time with boneless chicken breast that I chopped up for a salad and served with a papaya dressing and it was so good that it’ll be served at my next ladies’ luncheon!

We all enjoyed this recipe very much. The chicken came out moist and tender. The final taste wasn’t as strong as other jerk that I’ve had in the past—it was a very delicate and flavorful taste. And it was a very easy marinade to make.

I look forward to trying it on pork. Next time I’ll add a bit more chile pepper, though, as I’d have liked it a tad spicier since we like a little heat. As is, it’s a perfect way to introduce kids to spiciness.

This jerk chicken is very close to what I had when in Jamaica. It was so good, I had to make the recipe twice! Once with the skin on and once with it removed. The chicken came out quite tender both ways.

The jerk marinade is really easy to make and only takes about 15 minutes to whip together. I also used a portion of the green from the scallions. If you can get the purplish scallion from the Caribbean, I think the taste would be even more authentic. You could even substitute fresh lime juice for the vinegar. One habañero should prove to be enough heat for most palates. For those who dare to like it hot, there’s room to play!

I really recommend using pimento lump to get the smoke effect going. Adding some soaked bay leaves to the top of your charcoal at the beginning will work quite well, too. The cooking does temper the heat of the chicken somewhat and, along with the smoke, helps to bring the flavors together.

This recipe is for flavorful, slow-grilled marinated chicken. The thick marinade is easy to prepare in the blender. The recipe is simple, but takes a while due to the marinating and long grilling times. I used a ripe jalapeño pepper and cider vinegar. This makes a very thick marinade. I placed the chicken and marinade in a resealable plastic bag, which made it very easy to squish around so the marinade completely covered all the chicken pieces, and also made for very easy cleanup.

My sense is that it’d be better to use all chicken thighs, for example, or all chicken breasts or all wings. That way they’d all finish cooking in about the same amount of time.

The final result was flavorful, tender, juicy chicken. I’d make it again, but next time I’d increase the heat either by adding a second jalapeño, trying one of the other hotter chile peppers, or adding a splash of Sriracha. I’d also make 1 1/2 times the marinade yield to allow more for basting, and I’d use only thighs. Because the jerk seasoning is unique, I’d suggest a side dish that doesn’t detract from it.

Jerk recipes intrigue me. I also have a thing for rubs and marinades, so this recipe practically leapt off the page at me. The marinade mellows as the meat cooks. It was the mildest jerk I’ve ever had. I’m used to more robust flavors so the only thing I’d change is to add more serrano peppers. That’s just a matter of taste, though. Everything was so very delicious. The allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon were subtle but there, and the flavors were very well balanced.

We used cut-up chicken and pork chops and both of us preferred the chicken. We grilled it low and slow and had to force portion control before we got carried away. As an added note, the recipe recommends marinating the chicken for 4 to 6 hours. We marinated ours for 8 hours, and it certainly wasn’t too much. In fact, I’d recommend marinating for at least that long for the best flavor, as our meat was still lovely and tender. In my opinion, 4 to 6 hours wouldn’t have been enough.