Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Smoky, fiery grilled chicken marinated in scotch bonnet, allspice, and thyme.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Gluten, Soy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
How this varies: Soy sauce is extremely common in published jerk marinades today (a Chinese-Jamaican influence) and adds color and umami, but traditionalists skip it entirely and season with salt alone, letting the allspice, scotch bonnet, and thyme carry the flavor.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs, bone-in
- 3 scotch bonnet peppers (adjust to taste)
- 4 scallions
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp ginger
- 2 tbsp allspice (pimento) berries, ground
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp oil
Steps
- Blend scotch bonnets, scallions, onion, garlic, ginger, allspice, thyme, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and oil into a smooth marinade.
- Coat chicken thoroughly, marinate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- Grill over medium-high heat (or bake at 200C/400F), turning occasionally, 30-35 minutes until charred and cooked through.
- Baste with extra marinade (boiled first if reused) during grilling for a deeper crust.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving with rice and peas.