Jamaican Jerk Chicken
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Channel island vibes with this fiery grilled jerk chicken—full of deep flavor, perfect char, and just the right amount of heat. Just marinate, grill, and enjoy!
Jerk is a style of cooking that originated in Jamaica, and like a lot of things in food history, there’s some debate about where the name comes from. Some say it’s from the Spanish word charqui (for dried or jerked meat, like jerky), while others think it refers to the way the meat is constantly turned—or “jerked”—to soak up all the spices and cook evenly. The marinade ingredients—soy sauce, allspice, nutmeg, Chinese five-spice, and fiery Scotch bonnet peppers—are a perfect example of Caribbean cooking, which blends African, European, Indian, and Asian influences into something totally its own.
This grilled jerk chicken recipe, adapted from Food & Wine, is my go-to recipe. For best results, marinate the chicken overnight. The marinade is also great on beef, pork, or shrimp (although for shrimp, marinate for only 30 minutes to 1 hour), so feel free to double and freeze it for other uses. Pair jerk chicken with cilantro lime rice and a black bean salad for a delicious summer meal.
“My Jamaican born husband said it was good. Enough said!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Jamaican Jerk Chicken
- Onion and Scallions: These build the base of the marinade, adding a mix of sweet and savory flavor.
- Scotch Bonnet or Habanero Peppers: These two peppers are close cousins with a similar fruity heat. Scotch bonnets are traditional in jerk chicken and bring an authentic Caribbean flavor, but habaneros—mostly grown in Mexico—are a great stand-in and easier to find. For fiery jerk, toss in the whole peppers. For a milder dish, use only one pepper or remove the seeds and membranes from one or both peppers. Be careful not to touch your eyes when handling the peppers, and it’s a good idea to wear disposable gloves or wash your hands very well when you’re done.
- Garlic Cloves: Add earthy depth and round out the marinade.
- Chinese five-spice powder, ground allspice, dried thyme, ground nutmeg: This combo of spices is what gives jerk its warm, complex, slightly sweet flavor with a savory edge.
- Soy Sauce: Adds salty and umami flavor, making the marinade extra savory and flavorful.
- Vegetable Oil: Helps the marinade coat the chicken evenly and keeps it from sticking to the grill.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, or breasts): Thighs and drumsticks are my top picks—they’re flavorful, juicy, and easier to grill without drying out. If you go with bone-in breasts, try to use smaller ones or cut them in half so they won’t burn on the outside before the inside is fully cooked.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the jerk marinade. Combine all the ingredients except the chicken in a food processor and blend until the vegetables are finely puréed.
Step 2: Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken pieces and the marinade in a large Ziploc bag; squeeze air out and seal tightly. Mash the chicken around to coat evenly with the marinade. Place the bag in a bowl (in case of leakage) and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight. The longer marinating time allows the bold flavors to penetrate the meat deeply—if you marinate the chicken for less than 8 hours, it will still be tasty, but you’ll get less of that signature punch.
Step 3: Grill the chicken. Preheat the grill to medium (about 350°F), then clean and oil the grates. Place the chicken skin side up on the cooler side of the grill. Cover and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally to prevent burning. (Starting over indirect heat lets the chicken cook through without charring.) If the skin isn’t crisp by the end, move the chicken to the hotter side and cook for a few minutes more until nicely browned and rendered.
Step 4: Rest and serve. Transfer the chicken to serving platter, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Resting helps the juices settle back into the meat and keeps it moist. Serve warm or at room temperature with lime wedges. If you’ve got leftovers, jerk chicken is super versatile and easy to turn into something new. Just chop or shred it and use it in tacos, wraps, quesadillas, or burrito bowls—it adds big flavor to just about anything.
More Chicken Recipes You May Like
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Ready to whip up Jamaica’s most iconic dish? This island favorite features bold spices, chargrilled flavor, and a marinade you’ll want to use on everything.
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion, cut into large chunks
- 2 scallions, quartered
- 2 Scotch bonnet or Habanero chili peppers, stemmed (and seeded, if desired; see note) and roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2½ to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks or breasts)
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Make the marinade: In the bowl of a food processor, combine all of the ingredients except for the chicken. Process until the vegetables are finely puréed and the mixture is relatively smooth (the texture will be slightly gritty). Place the chicken pieces and the marinade in a large Ziploc bag; squeeze air out and seal tightly. Mash the chicken around to coat evenly with the marinade. Place the bag in a bowl (in case of leakage) and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before grilling.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat (about 350-375°F). Clean and oil the cooking grate. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the cooler side of the grill and cook, covered, turning and moving occasionally to prevent burning and flare-ups, for 35 to 40 minutes. If the skin is not yet crispy, move the chicken, skin side down, to the hotter side of the grill; cook, keeping a close watch to prevent burning, until the skin is rendered and crisp, a few minutes. Transfer the chicken to serving platter, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with lime wedges.
- Note: Be very careful when working with Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers. They are extremely hot, and if you touch your eyes while handling them, it will be very painful. It's a good idea to wear disposable gloves or wash your hands very well when done. The heat comes from the seeds and membranes, so throw in the whole peppers for spicy jerk chicken. For a milder dish, remove the seeds and membranes from one or both of the peppers.
- Note: If you don't have a grill (or grilling weather) the chicken can be roasted in the oven instead. Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up, and set an oven-proof rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray. Place the chicken on the rack, skin side up, and roast until lightly browned and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn on broiler (leave the pan on the middle rack), and cook 1 to 3 minutes more, or until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 669
- Fat: 47 g
- Saturated fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 55 g
- Sodium: 1,369 mg
- Cholesterol: 213 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Amazingly complex flavors and easy to prepare! Everyone loved it, but as is my way I used 4 cloves of garlic. Will definitely make it again.
I worked with this as a base and then added a couple things that someone in Jamaica once told me they put on their jerk; about 1T grated fresh ginger, just a little bit of brown sugar, a splash of dark Rum, then about 30 min or so before you take it out of the marinade add the juice and zest of one lime. The Rum adds something special to it. You don’t really taste any liquor but it does add an additional layer of flavor. I love the idea of the five spice powder in this, by the way.
Hi Jenn,
I have a question for you. I just made the marinade and coated the chicken tonight. I tasted the marinade and it was very, very salty. Is this how it’s supposed to be?
Thanks!
Sandy
Hi Sandy, Yes, it should be fine. Please let me know how it turns out!
Hi Jenn,
Just had the chicken and it turned out perfectly. All of the flavors came through and the chicken was so juicy! Thanks! 🙂
Really liked your Jerk Chicken recipe, full of flavor. I usually don’t like to grill but your grilled recipes have changed that, you’ve made them fool proof and the cook times seem perfect.
Thanks for sharing!
I would love to make this chicken but I don’t have a grill. Is there a way to adapt this to cook in the oven?
Hi Thea, Yes it would be fine to make it in the oven. You might want to flash it under the broiler towards the end to brown and crisp the skin.
I am hoping to make jerk chicken sandwiches for an upcoming party. The food situation is multi bin roasters and the people just eat all day long as they feel like it. What I was wondering is……
Do you think this jerk chicken recipe would work good if I made it as directed, but then shredded the chicken and transferred it to a roaster along with extra of the marinade to keep it moist for sandwiches?
I will DEF be looking forward to your reply
Hi Traci, I do think this would work. I would just recommend using only thighs and drumsticks, as the dark meat will stay moist. Also, I would cook the extra marinade for a bit, otherwise the raw onion flavor might be overwhelming. Hope that helps!
This was delicious! I thought it would be too spicy for some tastebuds, but it wasn’t hot, very flavorful. It’s a keeper for sure! I will definitely make the mango salsa exit time as suggested. I also like the idea of freezing with the marinade for a later date.
Hi Jenn! I plan on making this for some friends next weekend and was wondering if you can recommend a couple side dishes that would compliment the chicken. Thanks!
Hi Renee, You could serve it with so many things! It’d be delicious with my Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers and Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette or my Caramelized Bell Pepper Medley. You could also just keep it simple with corn on the cob or rice. It’d also be good with a mango salsa — unfortunately, I don’t have a recipe for that on my site but this is Bobby Flay recipe looks good:
MANGO-CILANTRO RELISH (from Bobby Flay)
2 mangoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the mangoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and orange juice in a bowl and gently mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Thank you so much for the suggestions! The chicken turned out great! I’ve never had jerk chicken before but I’ll definitely be using this recipe again as the flavors were amazing. I ended up making your caramelized bell peppers and that was fantastic as well! Thanks again!
I am on a mission to try all the recipes on this site. I have made this jerk chicken twice already and it is awesome. Easy enough to prepare in a hurry and let marinade.
Thanks a bunch
Stop right now….you have to make this jerk chicken! It’s amazing! I made it ALL summer long! I would buy a large amount of chicken from the butcher and poor the jerk sauce over it in ziplock bags and freeze it, if you are having last minute company you can just pull it out and BBQ it …..you’ll be a superstar! Thanks again Jennifer, your talent and passion is much appreciated!!