Traditional Jerk Chicken Recipes

JERK CHICKEN RECIPE

Steps:

• Add vinegar and water to a bowl then wash chicken thoroughly. After washing, drain the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel or clean cloth.
• Pour homemade marinade over chicken and let it sit for 15 minutes or more. If you have no home-made marinade use grace or walkerswood jerk seasoning along with onion, soy sauce, cinnamon, maggie cube, browning, and brown sugar.

AUTHENTIC JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine all ingredients (except chicken) in a food processor , and process until a smooth puree forms.
• Put chicken in a large bowl and pour marinade over. Stir chicken pieces to coat completely; cover and marinate at least 6 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
• Prepare a gas or charcoal grill on medium heat (350 F to 375 F) for direct/indirect grilling. Remove chicken from jerk marinade. Place chicken skin-side down on the direct side of the grill. Cover and cook for 15 minutes until the skin is charred and crisp, controlling any flare-ups on the grill. Turn the chicken over and move to the indirect side. Close the lid, and cook an additional 10 to 20 minutes, removing pieces as they become done.

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken in a medium bowl. Cover with lime juice and water. Set aside.
• In a blender or food processor, place allspice, nutmeg, salt, brown sugar, thyme, ginger, black pepper and vegetable oil. Blend well, then mix in onions, green onions, garlic and habanero peppers until almost smooth.
• Pour most of the blended marinade mixture into bowl with chicken, reserving a small amount to use as a basting sauce while cooking. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.
• Brush grill grate with oil. Cook chicken slowly on the preheated grill. Turn frequently, basting often with remaining marinade mixture. Cook to desired doneness.

JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• At least 1 day before cooking, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and grind to a coarse paste. Slather all over chicken, including under skin. Refrigerate 12 to 36 hours. Bring to room temperature before cooking and lightly sprinkle with more salt and ground allspice.
• Prepare a charcoal grill: Clean and oil grates, and preheat to medium heat using one chimney of charcoal. The temperature can start as high as 300 degrees and go as low as 250. For best results, coals should be at least 12 inches away from chicken. If necessary, push coals to one side of grill to create indirect heat. Add two large handfuls of soaked pimento (allspice) wood sticks and chips (see note) or other aromatic wood chips to coals, then close grill. When thick white smoke billows from grill, place chicken on grate, skin side up, and cover. Let cook undisturbed for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Uncover grill. Chicken will be golden and mahogany in places. Chicken thighs may already be cooked through. For other cuts, turn chicken over and add more wood chips, and charcoal if needed. Cover and continue cooking, checking and turning every 10 minutes. Jerk chicken is done when skin is burnished brown and chicken juices are completely clear, with no pink near the bone. For large pieces, this can take up to an hour. Serve hot or warm, with rice and beans.

TRADITIONAL JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor or the jar of a blender, combine vinegar, 1/2 cup water, lime juice, vegetable oil, onion, scallion, garlic, Scotch bonnet pepper, and ginger. Puree ingredients until smooth and well combined. Add allspice, thyme, cinnamon, sugar, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. Puree until smooth and free of lumps.
• Place chicken pieces in a medium-size bowl. Pour marinade over chicken, and turn chicken pieces to coat. Cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight if possible.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken pieces on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place in the heated oven and cook until the juices run clear when pierced with a two-pronged fork, 45 to 50 minutes.

PERFECT BAKED JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the jerk rub by combining the salt, allspice, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and thyme. Toss the chicken pieces with the spice mixture, then cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 2 to 4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Pour the vegetable oil into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Place the chicken pieces skin-side up into the baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 20 minutes, until no longer pink near the bone. Turn the oven on to broil, and cook until the skin crisps, 2 to 5 minutes.