• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop

Chili Pepper Madness logo

  • Recipe Index
  • RECIPES BY TYPE
    • BBQ/Grilled
    • Burgers
    • Chicken Wings
    • Chili
    • Curry
    • Dehydrator
    • Game Day
    • Hot Sauces
    • Jalapeno Poppers
    • Marinades
    • Pickling
    • Preserving
    • Quick and Easy
    • Salsas
    • Sauces
    • Seasonings
    • Stuffed Peppers
    • Tacos
  • COOKING TIPS
  • Pepper Info
    • Chili Pepper Types
    • The Scoville Scale
    • Hottest Peppers in the World
    • Growing Chili Peppers
    • Preserving
    • Health Benefits
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Buy Plants & Seeds
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes
  • Pepper Info
  • Chili Pepper Types
  • The Scoville Scale
  • Growing Chili Peppers
  • Preserving
  • Chili Pepper Health Benefits
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Cooking Tips
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop
  • About Us
×

Home » Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

by Mike Hultquist · Dec 1, 2021 · 20 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

This Jamaican jerk chicken recipe is loaded with Caribbean flavor, with a spicy Scotch bonnet marinade, char grilled or baked, so easy to make!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

Easy Jamaican Jerk Chicken

We're cooking up some Jamaican Jerk Chicken tonight, my spicy food loving friends. Without a doubt, this recipe will satisfy your taste buds. Jamaican cuisine is packed with a huge selection of piquant spices and ingredients. 

As we've discussed many times, spicy doesn't always mean "hot" in cooking, though with Jamaican cooking, as it is with the wonderful Caribbean, it often does bring that heat so many of us crave.

This particular recipe brings the fiery heat in the form of scotch bonnet peppers, some of my favorites in terms of heat and flavor.

You'll also get an excellent level of overall spiciness. I'm sure this recipe will find a new place in your cooking rotation.

We're talking Jamaican Jerk Chicken, my friends, and it's wonderful.

Mike serving spicy Jerk Chicken

What is "Jerk" Cooking?

"Jerk" cooking refers to the style of cooking originally done in Jamaica. It follows the process of poking meats with holes, allowing more flavors to permeate them, reaching deeper within.

This process is called "Jerking".

Over the years, the term has become more generic for any jerk recipe, referring not only to the original cooking process, but to the familiar spicy rubs and blends, jerk marinade and jerk sauce.

Let's talk about how to make Jamaican jerk chicken, shall we?

Jerk Chicken on a platter, ready to serve

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Ingredients

  • Peppers. Use fiery Scotch Bonnet peppers, or you can use habanero peppers.
  • Red Onion.
  • Garlic.
  • Scallions. Or green onions.
  • Liquids. Soy sauce, vinegar (either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar), olive oil, orange juice, lime juice.
  • Herbs and Spices. Freshly grated ginger, brown sugar, nutmeg, allspice berries, cinnamon, dried thyme (or fresh), salt and black pepper.
  • Chicken. 6 chicken legs or 3 chicken leg-thigh quarters for marinating and cooking. You can use other cuts of chicken to make jerk chicken.

How to Make Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Make the Jerk Marinade. First, add all of the jerk marinade ingredients to a food processor and process until nice and smooth. Like so.

Jerk Chicken marinade in a blender

Pierce the Chicken. Next, pierce the chicken with a knife in several places. This will let the marinade reach deeper into the meat. you can use any type of chicken for the recipe, though cooking times will vary, depending on the chicken chosen. 

Marinate the Chicken. Add the chicken to a large bowl or into a sealable baggie. Pour the marinade over the chicken and rub it down. You want to completely cover the chicken with the marinade.

Marinating pieces of chicken to make Jerk Chicken

Marinate at Least 2 Hours. Cover and refrigerate. Marinate the chicken at least 2 hours, though you'll get more flavor penetration if you plan ahead and refrigerate overnight. You can marinate for 30 minutes if you don't have the time, though you won't get quite the flavor penetration.

When you're ready to cook, heat up your grill to medium high heat or  heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.

Cook the Chicken. Lightly oil the grill grates and grill your chicken over a hot charcoal grill for 12-20 minutes, until the chicken measures 165 degrees F internal temperature. Alternatively, you can bake the chicken for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Grilling is more traditional, but baking is easy.

Jerk Chicken on the grill

Again, your cooking times will vary if you use different cuts of chicken.

Serve the Jerk Chicken. Remove from heat and serve them up. I like to squeeze a bit of lime juice over the top of my chicken, though see my tips below for another serving method.

Jerk Chicken on a serving platter with garnish

Boom! Done! Looks wonderful, doesn't it? I love Jamaican jerk chicken! This is my favorite recipe out there. Works with any cut of chicken - chicken legs, chicken thighs, leg quarters, even whole chicken.

Recipe Tips

  • You can easily make a finishing Jamaican Jerk Sauce from the marinade. Simply make a larger batch of the marinade, then divide it in half. Use half for the marinade. Warm the remaining marinade in a small pot and pour it over the chicken to serve. So good!
  • About the Jerk Marinade. Marinating is all about building flavor and tenderizing. A good marinade adds flavor above and beyond the food you are cooking with. Chicken is an ideal protein for marinades, as it is more of a blank canvas and absorbs a great deal of flavor. It also can be a bit dry if you accidentally cook it too long. A good marinade will help keep the moisture intact, making the recipe a bit more forgiving. It's a quick and simple way to get a flavorful sauce that truly compliments the meal. Check out my Jamaican Jerk Sauce Recipe here.
Jamaican Jerk Sauce Recipe

Adjusting the Spiciness

You'll definitely get a lot of spice with this recipe. The scotch bonnet peppers  or habanero peppers will bring some heat, though it won't translate to a lot of heat in the marinade process.

If you'd like more heat, use more scotch bonnet peppers, or save some of the marinade to heat as a finishing sauce. Or, include some hotter peppers or chili powders/flakes into the marinade.

Spice it up, my friends!

Use milder peppers for an overall milder marinade and resulting flavor.

A piece of Jerk Chicken on a serving platter

What to Serve with Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Try serving your jerk chicken with steamed rice, or try a more flavorful version, like this complimentary Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo or this Jamaican Rice and Peas recipe.

It's also great with a fresh mango salsa. I love it!

Storage Information

Store any leftover jerk chicken in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it in vacuum sealed bags for 3 months or longer.

That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy this Jamaican jerk chicken recipe! So good!

Cookbook Recommendation

If you’d like to learn more about Jamaican cooking, check out the following books, which I have found to be educational and informative:

  • Authentic Recipes from Jamaica, by John DeMers (affiliate link, my friends!)
  • Jamaican Cookbook – Traditional Jamaican Recipes Made Easy (affiliate link, my friends!) – No photos, but easy to follow with some good recipes.
  • Original Flava, by Craig and Shaun McAnuff (affiliate link, my friends!)

Try Some of These Other Popular Jamaican Inspired Recipes

  • Jamaican Jerk Sauce
  • Jamaican Curry Chicken
  • Jamaican Curry Powder
  • Jerk Marinade
  • Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Recipe
  • Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce (hot!)

Try Some of My Other Spicy Chicken Recipes

  • Nashville Hot Chicken
  • Chicken Satay
  • Honey-Sriracha Chicken
  • Peri Peri Chicken
  • Grilled Harissa Chicken Legs
  • Quick and Easy Chipotle Chicken
  • Spicy BBQ Chicken Marinade
  • Sweet and Spicy Teriyaki Chicken
  • Korean Fried Chicken
Jerk Chicken on a serving platter

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe
Print

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

This Jamaican jerk chicken recipe is loaded with Caribbean flavor, with a spicy Scotch bonnet marinade, char grilled or baked, so easy to make!
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken legs, jamaican, recipe, spicy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Calories: 360kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 6 chicken legs
Tap or hover to scale
4.88 from 8 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken legs

FOR THE MARINADE

  • 4-6 Scotch Bonnet peppers chopped
  • 1 small red onion chopped
  • 4-6 garlic cloves chopped
  • 4 stalks scallions ends trimmed
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup vinegar use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to your preference
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice from 1 large orange about ¾ cup orange juice
  • Juice from half a lime lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme or use fresh if available
  • Salt and pepper to taste I usually use 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon black pepper

Instructions

  • For the jerk marinade, add all of the marinade ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
  • Next, poke some wholes in your chicken with a knife to let the marinade permeate more deeply.
  • Set the chicken into a large bowl or into a sealable baggie. Pour the marinade over the chicken and rub it down. You can to completely cover the chicken with the marinade.
  • Cover and refrigerate. Marinate the chicken at least 2 hours, though you'll get more flavor penetration if you plan ahead and refrigerate overnight. Discard marinade.
  • TO GRILL THE CHICKEN. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grill grates. Grill the chicken for 12-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. It should measure 165 degrees F internally.
  • TO BAKE THE CHICKEN. Heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the chicken for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. It should measure 165 degrees F internally. Grilling is more traditional, but baking is easy.
  • Remove from heat and serve.

Notes

Heat Factor: Mild-Medium. The scotch bonnet peppers will bring some heat, though it won't translate to a lot of heat in the marinade process. If you'd like more heat, use more scotch bonnet peppers.
Serving Sauce Option. Save some of the jerk marinade before marinating the chicken to heat and serve as a finishing sauce over the chicken, but it needs to be cooked. Bring it to a boil, then simmer 5 minutes to cook through.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 360kcal   Carbohydrates: 9g   Protein: 22g   Fat: 25g   Saturated Fat: 6g   Cholesterol: 119mg   Sodium: 653mg   Potassium: 360mg   Fiber: 1g   Sugar: 5g   Vitamin A: 260IU   Vitamin C: 13.3mg   Calcium: 39mg   Iron: 1.6mg
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 12/1/21 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 5/6/19.

Categories: Chicken Tags: Chili Pepper Madness, chili pepper recipe, game day and superbowl parties, low budget/inexpensive meals

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Jennifer Laatsch says

    July 29, 2022 at 11:10 pm

    5 stars
    My husband grew scotch bonnets, dried them, and made them into a spice for my jerk chicken, but I am not sure how much to use.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 30, 2022 at 7:19 am

      Jennifer, use 1/4 to 1 teaspoon, depending on your heat preference. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Suz says

    July 22, 2022 at 1:08 pm

    Hi! I haven't tried the recipe yet, but desperately want to! I live in a small town and can only find jalapeños...will that work? What do you think about the lack of sweetness from missing the Scotch Bonnet peppers. Can I add anything else to get that similar flavor?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 22, 2022 at 1:31 pm

      Suz, yes, you can use jalapenos. You will miss some of the fruitiness of the Scotch bonnets, but all of the other flavors will make up for it. Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Tim S says

    June 14, 2022 at 7:40 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for the recipe Mike. Spatchcocked a chicken and marinated for 8hrs..... awesome flavour profile, cooked on the BBQ basted with the marinade..... I didn't have to many bonnets but had dried some Apocalypse chilli's so threw a couple of those in after I soaked them..... Nice heat hit, have a load left so its in the freezer.... what could possibly go wrong. Love your recipes keep at it.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      June 14, 2022 at 8:19 am

      This sounds perfect, Tim. I love to hear it. Nice touch with the Apocalypse peppers. Got some great heat and flavor there! I love it. Thanks for sharing!! I appreciate it.

      Reply
  4. Darren Brothwell says

    January 28, 2022 at 7:46 pm

    Chicken marinating in fridge as I type. Marinade tastes superb. Your recipes have never failed so far, becoming my 1st stop when a recipe calls for heat and spice! Love it.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 29, 2022 at 4:28 pm

      Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Darren! I appreciate it! Glad you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  5. Gloria Oquendo says

    December 04, 2021 at 1:53 pm

    5 stars
    Yeah, Mon!!!
    My chicken is marinating right now... anticipated the 5 starts 🙂 I Know I won't be disappointed, your recipes ROCK, Mike!! Have cooked a lot of recipes you've posted and every single one has turned out beautifully. Thanks, mon 🙂

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 05, 2021 at 8:34 am

      Awesome! Yes, thanks, Gloria! Definitely enjoy! I appreciate it.

      Reply
  6. Jérémie says

    December 02, 2021 at 1:32 pm

    5 stars
    Awesome, awesome flavors, Mike! my taste buds thank you, for this recipe rich in aromas and pepper !!!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 02, 2021 at 1:50 pm

      Thanks, Jérémie, and Jérémie's taste buds! Definitely a good one!

      Reply
  7. Jo Holman says

    December 01, 2021 at 4:00 pm

    Hi Michael, What other peppers can you use if you can't find Scotch Bonnets?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 01, 2021 at 10:07 pm

      Hey, Jo. Habaneros are a great sub, and much easier to find. Otherwise, you can use other hot peppers in a pinch.

      Reply
  8. Susan says

    May 30, 2021 at 8:59 am

    The recipe doesn’t say whether or not to remove the seeds of the pepper. Yes or no?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      May 30, 2021 at 10:25 am

      Susan, you can remove them if you'd like to. I usually do not. Removing the pepper innards will reduce the heat.

      Reply
  9. Jim says

    January 19, 2021 at 8:16 am

    4 stars
    Hi
    Fantastic recipe I tried it once and liked it so much I made a large batch of marinade and froze it in portions
    I now have this at least once a week. Also works well on pork !
    Thanks and keep up the good work..

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 19, 2021 at 8:19 am

      5 stars
      Thanks, Jim. I appreciate it.

      Reply
  10. James says

    November 28, 2020 at 8:10 pm

    5 stars
    I love this recipe. Generally, I use thighs and let them marinate overnight.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      November 29, 2020 at 9:04 am

      Wonderful! Thanks, James. Yes, more flavor penetration with a good overnight marinade.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

ALL. SPICY. RECIPES. Hi, I’m Mike and I LOVE Spicy Food! Say goodbye to bland and boring food with my easy-to-follow recipes. Let’s get cooking!

More about me →

Mexican
Cajun
Sauces
Seasonings

5 ESSENTIALS FOR SPICY COOKING

Subscribe and receive my FREE email series with tips for spicy cooking and new Recipes

Order The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook by Mike Hultquist

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / INDIEBOUND / BOOKS A MILLION

Order The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook by Mike Hultquist

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / INDIEBOUND

Most Popular Recipes

  • Bang Bang Chicken
  • Jamaican Curry Chicken
  • Mexican Birria Recipe
  • Homemade Blackening Seasoning
  • Michelada Recipe - Spicy Mexican Beer and Tomato Juice Cocktail
  • Pollo Guisado Recipe (Chicken Stew)

Footer

NEVER MISS A RECIPE

Receive my "5 Essentials for Spicy Cooking" email series & new recipes

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

↑ back to top

About | Contact | Travel-Food | Stories | Privacy | Disclaimer | © 2022 Chili Pepper Madness

EXCLUSIVE MEMBER OF MEDIAVINE FOOD