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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Hi, there what brand 5 spice do you recommend?
Thank you!
Hi Kristen, I have McCormick brand (which is what the carry at my supermarket).
Hi Jenn, do the peppers make this chicken spicy? My kids would not eat it if it is. Many thanks!
Hi Olga, it has a tiny bit of heat, but it’s subtle. If you are concerned about it, feel free to swap in a jalapeno for the scotch bonnet pepper.
Thank you, Jenn!
Cant find habanero or bonnet pepper where I live, Is there any alternative to those ?
Hi Emre, you can substitute with either a serrano or jalapeno pepper. Hope you enjoy!
found the pepper but I dont have grill machine. To bake it in oven, what temperature and how long to bake ?
Hi Emre, I’d use the baking instructions from this roasted chicken recipe. Hope you enjoy!
I dont have a grill and was wondering if I could use a whole chicken with this marinade and bake it in the oven? Thank you in advance.
Sure, Christina. You can use the temperature and timing from this roasted chicken recipe. Hope you enjoy!
When you cooked this for your family did you double the ingredients to serve 8 or did the recipe as is serve enough for everyone? Thanks.
Yes, Chad, I would double this to serve 8. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn: Since there is no vinegar or other acid in the marinade–do you think this would work well with boneless skinless chicken breasts marinated over night — perhaps sliced similar to your Tikka Masala recipe and broiled in the oven for ten minutes or so (to temp.)? Otherwise thinking bone in, skin on breast in the oven cooked per your direction using that roasted chicken recipe as a guide? I always worry about cooking chicken breasts — that they will be overcooked or cook unevenly (large bone in breasts) but this nice marinade might help keep the boneless skinless kind more moist? (I don’t have a grill.) Thanks, Jenn!
Hi Diane, Yes, it would be fine for you to marinate this chicken overnight. And while you could go either way here with boneless or bone-in breasts, personally, I’d recommend the bone-in breasts as they will be more moist and flavorful. Hope you enjoy!
I so wanted to make this for a party this weekend. NOWHERE can I find the Asian 5 Spice Powder. I tried Whole Foods, Stop and Shop, Shop Rite and some smaller groceries that carry a lot of ethnic foods.
Plus Walmart and Target. No one had it!
I should have ordered from Amazon, but kept thinking I’d find it and now too late. I did not expect it to be that hard to find.
I’m surprised, too, Cheryl – should be easy to find.
Made the jerk chicken last night. It was AWESOME!!! Followed recipe exactly except I added a heaping teaspoon of chopped fresh ginger. The flavors of the marinade are incredible; so full of spices and the chicken was so moist (I used drumsticks and thighs).
Jenn, your cookbook is one of my personal favorites. So detailed, precise, and beautiful photography! Thanks so much!!
This was amazing! Thank you for featuring the recipe. The 8 hour marinade turned into 48 hours when plans changed last minute. We grilled it all tonight, even the chicken breast piece which took longer of course, but it was all so flavorful. I think it’s the best chicken dish I have made ever. My husband and 3 boys agreed! Can’t wait to look in your cookbook for more.
Made this tonight after it sat in marinade overnight. My husband said it was the best Jerk Chicken I’ve made at home so far. He cooked the chicken (whole cut up) on combination coals and propane. It turned out amazing and the marinade lingered beautifully. The flavors were perfect together. Thought a whole habanero might be too much but it just right!