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!! rn”
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
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 cloves garlic, 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 lbs 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 to 375°F/175 to 190°C ). 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.
Notes
- 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.
- For indoor cooking, you can roast the chicken in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) 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.
Nutrition Information
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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I made this a few days ago and was very happy with the result. We used to live in the Caribbean and had some amazing Jerk so this was a nice treat and almost as good as old family recipes. The only thing I was wondering is, I found it salty. I did use Kosher salt and I know you use sea salt, could that be the difference? Next time I miss making Jerk wings. Yum!
Hi Daniella, I don’t think that kosher salt would make it too salty; you may just prefer less salt. Next time, try cutting the salt in half. Hope that helps!
Soy sauce has a lot of sodium. Try using low salt soy next time.
This chicken is absolutely delicious! Thank you Jenn once again! The smell while it is cooking is heavenly! My new fav of your recipes. You never ever disappoint! Amazing!
If using the oven what temperature would you suggest for leg quarters? Thank you.
Hi Marsha, Sure, I’d use the baking instructions from this roasted chicken recipe. Hope you enjoy!
How far ahead can you make the marinade/how long will it keep in the fridge?
It should keep fine in the marinade for up to two days. Enjoy!
Hi, I wonder where you find Asian five-spice powder?
Regards,
Marjanne
Hi Marjanne, Most large supermarkets carry it, or you could try Whole Foods or an Asian grocer.
Also called Chinese five spice blend by McCormick. I got mine at Publix.
Can this recipe be done with boneless skinless chicken breast?
Sure Denise, I would pound the chicken and grill it using the instructions from this grilled chicken recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Hello Jenn, Welcome Ollie. Keep us up to date on his growth. Thank you for this newsletter. Perfect summer recipes as we have been in the midst of on going heat waves in Winnipeg, Canada.
Would you consider a second Cook Book to include your former recipes?
Enjoying your new Cook Book so much.
Great thank you for it!
Yvonne Adams
Hi Yvonne, I’m sure I’ll mention Ollie in future posts (and whatever he’s currently chewing on in my house)! While I’m flattered that you’re asking about a second cookbook, I’m still trying to recover from the first, so no promises! 🙂 (But thank you for your support!)
Hi Jen!
I’m making this for July 4th and wanted to know if I can marinate it 2 days in advance? Will it be too salty?
That’s fine, Shanna. Enjoy!
I’d love to win the cookware you’re offering. My review is for your delicious Grilled Jerk Chicken.
I marinated the chicken for two nights and cooked it on the third day (just because I didn’t get around to cooking it).
For the marinade, I upped the amount of garlic and I used two jalapeño peppers I had in my freezer; it really could have used more heat, so next time I’ll get a habanero or Scotch Bonnet, or use more jalapeño peppers. All the other ingredients remained the same, except I had canola oil.
I didn’t grill the chicken, but baked them in the oven for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees; checked one breast by cutting into it with a knife; it wasn’t quite done (my bone-in chicken breasts were on the larger size), so I upped the heat to broil for 10 minutes, without raising the pan the chicken was in.
I found the skin wasn’t as crisp as it might have been on the grill, or even if I’d broiled first, or even raised the pan closer to the broiler.
However, the chicken was so moist (husband even commented on the moistness – and, he doesn’t know about the contest) and delicious! I’m usually a dark meat person, because I find the white meat drier, but this recipe is perfect for a truly moist chicken breast.
I loved finding a recipe for bone-in chicken; I found a good sale on them – now I wish I’d bought more.
The chicken had the back on, but I cut those off. I was too lazy to make broth with them, so decided to throw them in the pot, too. They probably added some more delicious chicken flavour to the pot. I course, if I’d grilled the chicken, I would have made a bit of broth from the backs.
I had three chicken breasts. Two were used and the third, along with the backs, have been de-boned and put in the fridge for leftovers.
Thanks for a very nice recipe. I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve used from your site, and am happy to be on your newsletter list 🙂
Will a jalapeño work instead of scotch bonnet?
Hi Jean, it will work but it won’t be as spicy. Feel free to double the jalapeno if you like heat!