Jerk Chicken
Chicken thighs drenched in a blended sauce of scotch bonnet, rum, allspice, and thyme — a deeply aromatic Jamaican classic. Serve with rice and beans cooked with cinnamon.
Ingredients
- 3 lb chicken thighs
- {"For the jerk sauce"=>nil}
- 4 spring onions
- Small bunch of fresh thyme
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 cup golden rum
- 3-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 scotch bonnet or 2 serranos (adjust to heat preference)
- Olive oil to thicken
- Salt to taste
- {"For the rice"=>nil}
- Rice (in rice cooker)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Chicken broth (instead of water)
- 1 can black beans, cooked through and added to rice
Instructions
- Make the jerk sauce by placing all sauce ingredients in a blender. Blitz until smooth, then drizzle in olive oil while blending until the sauce thickens to a coating consistency.
- Score the chicken thighs and coat thoroughly in the jerk sauce. Marinate for at least 2 hours — overnight is best.
- Cook the rice in a rice cooker using chicken broth instead of water, with a cinnamon stick. Stir through the cooked black beans when done.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Spread the marinated chicken in a single layer in a roasting tray. Cover with any remaining sauce.
- Roast for 15-20 minutes until cooked through and slightly charred at the edges.
- Serve with the rice and beans. Good sides include asparagus, papaya with cilantro and lime, or romaine with chipotle.
Notes
- Heat level: Scotch bonnet is the authentic choice and very hot. Serranos give a similar flavour profile with slightly less fire.
- Marinating: The longer the better. The rum and spices need time to penetrate the meat.
- BBQ version: Jerk chicken is traditionally cooked over pimento wood. On a BBQ over indirect heat until cooked through, then direct heat to char, is excellent.
- Rice and beans: The cinnamon in the rice is not an optional touch — it really makes the accompaniment special.
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