Jerk Chicken
Jerk Chicken Say it: jurk CHIK-en
Jerk chicken is Jamaica's signature fire-cooked dish: chicken steeped in a fierce paste of Scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, scallion, thyme and ginger, then cooked slowly over smouldering pimento wood until the skin is dark, crisp and lacquered. It is street food and celebration food at once, sold from oil-drum grills at roadside stands and served at family gatherings. The heat is bright and fruity rather than brutal, layered with warm spice, smoke and a sour lift of lime.
Jerk Chicken
Jerk Chicken
Pronounced jurk CHIK-en
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains soy, gluten. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Chicken
Jerk marinade
For the grill
Method
Make the marinade. put the Scotch bonnets, scallions, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, brown sugar, allspice, thyme, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper and oil in a blender or food processor and blitz to a thick, slightly chunky paste, scraping down the sides once or twice.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towel, rub it all over with the salt, then slash each piece twice down to the bone so the marinade can penetrate.
Rub the paste generously over every piece, working it into the slashes and under the skin. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Drain the wood chips. Set up a grill for two-zone cooking: hot coals or lit burners on one side, nothing on the other, aiming for a steady 325–350°F (165–175°C). Scatter the drained chips over the coals, or place them in a foil pouch over the lit burner.
Wipe most of the excess marinade off the chicken so the sugar does not burn, then lay the pieces skin-side up on the cooler side of the grill, cover and cook for 30–40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until the juices run clear and the thickest thigh reads 165°F (74°C) on a thermometer.
Move the chicken to the hot side, skin-side down, and grill for 2–3 minutes per side without moving it, until the skin is deep mahogany, blistered and crisp at the edges.
Transfer to a board and rest for 10 minutes. Squeeze over fresh lime and serve hot.
Regional variant: Jerk Pork (Jerk Pwok)
Use the same marinade on a 3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless pork shoulder, scored deeply all over and marinated for 24 hours. Cook it on the cool side of the grill, covered, for 2 1/2–3 hours, or roast at 300°F (150°C) until a fork slides in with no resistance, then finish over direct heat in thick slices until the edges char. The result is richer and softer than chicken, and is the other classic jerk cut.
Cook's notes
- Wear gloves when handling Scotch bonnets and never touch your face afterwards; the heat in the paste is potent.
- If the skin starts to blacken before the meat is cooked, slide the pieces back to the cool side and lower the heat — jerk should be dark, not bitter.
- No grill? Roast the chicken on a rack over a tray at 350°F (175°C) for 40 minutes, then run it under the broiler for 3–4 minutes to char the skin.
Serve with
Rice and peas, festival or hard dough bread, coleslaw, and a cold ginger beer or Ting.
Make ahead and storage
Marinate the chicken up to 24 hours ahead. Leftover jerk chicken keeps 3 days in the fridge and is best reheated wrapped in foil at 325°F (165°C) for 15 minutes.
