Without fail, this Jamaican jerk chicken recipe will make you wonder why all chicken recipes aren’t more flavorful. That’s what it does to me. The jerk marinade is a quick blend of hot pepper, allspice, cinnamon, thyme, bay, brown sugar, scallions, garlic, and lime juice. It infuses the chicken with such surprising exotic flavor that’s all at once bright, sweet, savory, and spicy. It’s such a nice departure from every other chicken marinade you’re used to.
I use jalapeno to add heat over the traditional scotch bonnet chile that most jerk recipes call for, because I find scotch bonnets hard to find at my local market, but if you happen to have them available near you, use it here!
After marinating, the chicken breasts only need a quick broil and they’re done! I love how they blacken a bit, while the middles stay tender and juicy—the blessing of marinating. For a dish with so much flavor, it’s amazing that there’s such a reasonable amount of calories, which just hammers home the point that flavor isn’t always created by adding fat like butter, cream, or olive oil…but by adding spices and herbs in exciting combinations. Don’t you just love that?
Enjoy the flavor, friends!
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped scallions
- 1 jalapeno pepper ribs and seeds removed and finely chopped (or Scotch Bonnet chile if you can find it)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except for chicken in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Place chicken in a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag and pour the jerk sauce over the chicken, taking care to cover all parts. Squeeze excess air from the bag, seal, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat your oven's broiler and set the top oven rack 5 to 6 inches from the broiler flame. Line a baking sheet with foil, set a wire cooling rack on top of the sheet and grease the rack well with canola oil. Lay the chicken breasts on top of the cooling rack and broil for 15 minutes, flipping halfway. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.
You paint the greatest pictures with your words.
Wish I could be there!! I’ve got to try the jerk chicken it sounds fantastic!
I told you, one day I would be able to say…”I knew about Andria Mitchell before she was a famous author”
You go girl and make all your dreams come true!!
:)
Love chicken thighs, so much more flavor than their breast counterparts. The jerk flavoring on these sounds amazing!
You got it just right on the chicken. Love you even though we’ve never met in person. Keep my “Daily dose of Andie” coming. You don’t realize what you mean to us out here in the blog,net,com netherworld. I always look forward to your submit every day. Come on book! I will pre-order now! (Can you do a deal with Amazon.com please?) Hugs and more hugs, Brenda C
Looks great! I miss jerk spices. I rarely eat them anymore since the hubby isn’t a fan. Who doesn’t like jerk chicken/pork/pizza/beans???
Yumm! Whenever I make anything deemed ‘Jamaican’, I usually just use the pre-mixed Jamaican Jerk seasoning from my bulk foods store… but I expect that Jamaicans probably look at that the way I look at boxed mashed potatos or that terrible canned cheese stuff – they’re not REAL! You’re gonna need looooooots of chicken because if I did come for dinner, I don’t think you’d be able to get me to leave!
This looks wonderful! Just hopped over from pinterest:) read your story. Amazing transformation! Can’t wait to keep up with you on here!
love, moreygirl
Oh yeah! This chicken looks absolutely FABULOUS! I will most definitely be staying for dinner! :-D
Yum! I needed a new chicken recipe!
Ohh, this sure looks yummy. I used to live down the street from a Jamaican restaurant when I still lived in DC. This makes me miss it.
we had the most delicious Jamaican jerk chicken in …well, Jamaica, on our honeymoon. I am definitely going to make this along with a Dirty Banana, play Bob Marley and tell my husband how happy I am I married him.
And then I’ll go watch the Real Housewives.
Isn’t Jamaica fun?
I LOVE jerk chicken! I’ll have to try this.
Twisted my arm clean off… It looks wonderful.
I have never attempted to make jerk chicken because I assumed it was a complicated process. Now I am may attempt it. Thanks for sharing!
What to make Friday night for dinner? Check!! :)
yes, i’d love to come to dinner – especially if you’re serving this!
Sharing joy is the most delicious dish ever … close to browned butter with garlic, chili flakes and parsley with penne, or maybe kimchi fried rice with sesame seeds and green onion, or even a simple, ridiculously good, old fashioned grilled cheese dipped in ketchup spiked with Tabasco …
In any case, or any dish – know that I am squealing with joy in Korea, from across the Pacific, for you. You.Go.Girl.
Looks wonderful! Just wondering, is it skinless thighs or breasts? Both were mentioned above. Can’t wait to try with some garlicy black beans! Thanks for sharing!
May I ask how you go about adding the onion to this dish? Your pictures show pieces of onion mixed in with the chicken – but the scallions go through a food processor so I am assuming they are part of the liquid marinade. I have never had anything like this before – what kind of side dishes do you generally prepare with it? It looks incredible – can’t wait to try it.