This Jamaican jerk chicken recipe is loaded with Caribbean flavor, with a spicy Scotch bonnet marinade, char grilled or baked, so easy to make!
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 12/1/21 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 5/6/19.
Jennifer Laatsch says
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.
Mike Hultquist says
Jennifer, use 1/4 to 1 teaspoon, depending on your heat preference. Enjoy!
Suz says
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?
Mike Hultquist says
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!
Tim S says
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.
Mike Hultquist says
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.
Darren Brothwell says
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.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Darren! I appreciate it! Glad you enjoyed it!!
Gloria Oquendo says
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 🙂
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome! Yes, thanks, Gloria! Definitely enjoy! I appreciate it.
Jérémie says
Awesome, awesome flavors, Mike! my taste buds thank you, for this recipe rich in aromas and pepper !!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Jérémie, and Jérémie's taste buds! Definitely a good one!
Jo Holman says
Hi Michael, What other peppers can you use if you can't find Scotch Bonnets?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hey, Jo. Habaneros are a great sub, and much easier to find. Otherwise, you can use other hot peppers in a pinch.
Susan says
The recipe doesn’t say whether or not to remove the seeds of the pepper. Yes or no?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Susan, you can remove them if you'd like to. I usually do not. Removing the pepper innards will reduce the heat.
Jim says
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..
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Jim. I appreciate it.
James says
I love this recipe. Generally, I use thighs and let them marinate overnight.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Wonderful! Thanks, James. Yes, more flavor penetration with a good overnight marinade.