Jerk Chicken

Prep Time: 1hr 15 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Serves: 4-5 people

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Jerk Chicken

Ingredients

1kg – 1^1/2 kg bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

Jerk Marinade

• 1^1/2 onions
• 60g green onions
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers (de-seeded)
• 10g fresh thyme
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 chunk ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 ^1/2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 70 ml olive oil

Utensils

• Baking pan
• Instant Marinater (optional)
• Oven
• Blender

For this recipe, I used a lot of fresh produce, this is because, the fresher it is , the tastier your jerk marinade. If you are not a spicy food person, you might want to ease down on the bonnet peppers as it is really spicy. Most jerk recipe calls for a grill – I made this recipe in the winter, hence the oven usage. With the right baking and broiling temperatures and times, you would get the tastiest, juiciest, well-cooked jerk chicken.

I apologize for having so much notes – you need to know a few more things before you start making the jerk marinade. Over the years I have noticed that dark brown sugar works best for me (I like dark brown sugar better – there’s just something about it I can’t explain when it comes to making jerk chicken), you can always use light brown sugar if you do not like or have dark brown sugar. Do not throw the juiced lime away – use it to wash the chicken thighs. Personally, an instant marinater always comes in handy for my jerk chicken recipe, I marinate for 1 hr max and I am ready to grill those bad boys! If you do not have one – no fuss! Marinate your chicken in the refrigerator or 2-3 hrs, if preferred, you can make diagonal cuts on the chicken before marinating. Lastly, I do not expect you to use up all the marinade for the meat, so the excess would be simmered down to a reduction – the perfect jerk sauce!

Making the jerk marinade.

Add all the ingredients in a blender and pulse till it’s smooth.

Marinating the chicken.

In an instant marinater, add washed chicken thighs, pour in marinade and massage. cover with lid and vacuum till you feel a resistance. Let it sit in the refrigerator for 1 hr.

Cooking the Chicken.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and drizzle olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Remove chicken from marinade, arrange spaciously in baking pan. Bake in preheated oven until cooked through for about 45 mins – turn over about 30 mins in while basting with sauce from baking pan. Broil for about 15 mins for better browning. Garnish with fresh thyme, green onions and lime slices, serve with rice and peas with plantains.

Serving suggestion

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