Jerk Chicken Recipe [Video] (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret in jerk chicken? ›

It's wonderfully spicy, smoky, and fragrant — everything you want jerk chicken to be. But what puts this one above all others? The key is including five-spice powder in the marinade, a Chinese spice blend made of cinnamon, fennel seed, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise.

With adding authentic jerk flavoring, neither dry rub nor wet marinade is really better than the other. Both types deserve a place in your pantry. For vegetables and other dishes where you want just a hint of spice, sprinkle on a little Booyah dry Jamaican seasoning.

The four key ingredients in jerk cooking are Scotch bonnet peppers, allspice berries, scallions and thyme. Scotch bonnet peppers are a variety of the habañero pepper. To capture true jerk flavor, use imported Jamaican Scotch bonnet.

If you're not a fan of the heat or kids are going to be eating this jerk spice blend, then you can make it less spicy. Just remove the cayenne and hot pepper flakes for a milder flavor.

The Real Deal: How Jerk Chicken Is Traditionally Prepared

Next, long, thick sticks of fresh pimento wood—that's the wood of the tree that produces allspice berries—are soaked and placed in a parallel array above a charcoal fire.

Health benefits of the Jamaican jerk chicken

It helps digestion. On the other hand, thyme spice kills certain bacteria producing inflammations. Cinnamon is used in the recipe helping to relieve arthritis pain. Your body experiences less inflammation, due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Jerk Pork: Pork is a delicious and versatile meat that works well with the bold flavors of jerk seasoning. Pork can be roasted, grilled, or barbecued for a delicious, smoky flavor. Jerk Lamb: Lamb is another popular choice for jerk cooking.

We recommend marinating the chicken for at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours.

Wet v dry: there's the rub

An article on jerk published in the New York Times explains, somewhat unappetisingly, that the dry rub makes for “a crustier jerk; a wet rub produces juicier meat”.

Why do Jamaicans eat jerk chicken? ›

Jerk chicken is believed to have been conceived when the Maroons introduced African meat cooking techniques to Jamaica which were combined with native Jamaican ingredients and seasonings used by the Arawak Indians.

The marinade contains sugars, allspice, cinnamon and those ingredients definitely lend to the dark colour. Believe me, it's delicious! Using your food processor, combine all the ingredients of the jerk marinade and pulse until you have a smooth, dark brown thick liquid.

Peppers. Scotch bonnets are authentic to Jerk Chicken. And they're available a lot on the East Coast but in California they're nearly impossible to find. So you can use habaneros in place of them.

Jerk seasoning is a dry blend of spices used to rub onto meats before cooking, while jerk sauce is a liquid condiment used for basting, glazing, and adding flavour to dishes during or after cooking.

Jerk refers to a style of cooking in which the main ingredient—which most often is chicken but may also be beef, pork, goat, boar, seafood, or vegetables—is coated in spices and slow-cooked over a fire or grill traditionally composed of green pimento wood positioned over burning coals; the resulting smoke is key to the ...

Jerk chicken gets its distinguishable flavor from spices that are native to the island of Jamaica. Spices like the scotch bonnet pepper give jerk chicken its spicy kick. Other spices that are incorporated into a jerk recipe are allspice, ginger, garlic and thyme.

How long should I marinate jerk chicken? We recommend marinating the chicken for at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours. Marinating not only imparts amazing flavor but also helps to tenderize the meat. Longer isn't necessarily better, but ideally, several hours will allow the flavors to really sink in.

Jerk chicken is one of the healthier options if consumed in a balanced diet that consists of fibrous and complex carbohydrates. The chicken itself is a lean meat and is one of the healthiest options, especially if you opt for chicken breast. How do I make jerk chicken?