Bring some Caribbean flair right to your home with this great grilled jerk chicken recipe that is just plain yumminess through and through. Grilling chicken is a real fave with folks especially when it gets toasty outside.
Chicken is not only a delicious meal option but it is low in calories when you take its skin off, chock-full of protein and a healthy selection to throw on a grill. When you add a jerk seasoning to chicken, you’re kicking the bird up a few notches!
Give our grilled jerk chicken recipe a try, it’ll make you wanna slap yo momma (just an expression:-))!
Enjoy!
Ingredients (4-6 servings)
- 2-3 small scotch bonnet peppers, stemmed, halved & seeds removed in half of them (can substitute with habanero peppers if necessary) (it is best to use gloves when handling these peppers)
- 4 scallions, roots removed and cut into 2-3-inch pieces
- 7 cloves of garlic, mashed up & peeled
- 1 medium yellow onion, peel and cut into pieces
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1/2 small bunch of fresh cilantro
- 2-inch length of ginger, peeled & roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
- About 4 tablespoons of fresh lime juice (two limes)
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered nutmeg
- Use Kosher salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/4 cup cooking oil (vegetable or olive oil)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (this is salty too so bear in mind that you also have Kosher salt)
- 1/2 cup regular beer
- 4 lbs of bone-in chicken pieces (thighs, chicken wings or drumsticks will do)
Directions
Add everything except the chicken to the food processor (or blender), and continue processing until all of the ingredients have turned into a salsa-like consistency. If you need to add more salt or heat for your taste, do so.
Gently loosen some of the skin from the chicken and score meat with a small paring knife. Place chicken pieces in a large baking dish and pour marinade over the top. Using gloves, rub the marinade all over the chicken, making sure to get some under the skin. Cover and refrigerate the marinated chicken at least two hours, but preferably overnight.
When ready to cook, light grill and bring it to a medium-high heat. Remove chicken from pan and grill for 10-15 minutes, until there is a nice char/crispiness on all sides. Before you remove the chicken from its heat source, make sure to check for doneness by checking its internal temperature with a cooking thermometer. Chicken is done when its internal temp stands at 165 degrees.