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Jamaican Jerk
This Jerk Chicken recipe is your favorite spicy, crisply barbecued chicken from Jamaica made at home with an easy marinade! It’s famous for an addictively delicious reason – taste why! This Jerk chicken is a juicy flavor bomb exploding with complex smoky, spicy yet sweet, fragrant, aromatic notes and tantalizing crispy charred crust. It’s outrageously flavorful thanks to marinating overnight in a dynamic jerk sauce made with potent chili peppers, aromatics and complex seasonings and can be cooked on the grill or in the oven. Serve this Jamaican Jerk Chicken along with coconut rice, mango salsa or pineapple salsa, and escape to the Caribbean year-round, without even leaving your kitchen!
👥 10 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 6h 15m⏳ Prep: 6h🔥 Cook: 15 min👤 Jen📖 carlsbadcravings
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- food processor
- oven
- baking sheet
📝 Preparation Steps
1
MARINATE CHICKEN
2
Add all of the Jerk Chicken Marinade ingredients to a food processor and pulse, then process until mostly smooth. Pour over chicken in a large resealable plastic bag.
3
Marinate chicken in the refrigerator 4 to ⏱️ 24 hours. (If using chicken breasts, only marinate up to ⏱️ 12 hours or else it can become mushy.) Let chicken sit at room temperature for ⏱️ 20-30 minutes before cooking.
4
HOW TO COOK CHICKEN ON THE GRILL
5
Note: These instructions are for bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks – see below for different cuts of chicken. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, 425-450°F, clean and grease grates with vegetable oil.
6
Grill chicken skin side down first (if leaving on). Grill for ⏱️ 5-7 minutes per side with the lid CLOSED, or until chicken is cooked through and an internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Adjust the temperature if the chicken is browning too quickly. Let chicken rest for ⏱️ 5 minutes before serving.
7
HOW TO COOK CHICKEN IN THE OVEN
8
If you choose to cook the chicken in the oven, consider adding 2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke to the marinade for that smoky flavor.
9
Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Line the chicken in a single layer so the pieces aren't touching. Bake at 400 degrees F for ⏱️ 35-45 minutes (depending on thickness), until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F.
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