I adore jerk chicken. It’s got so many interesting flavors and textures that go so well with vegetables, rice, or even on a bun as a sandwich. The best thing about jerk chicken is that it’s much easier to make than most people would think. Sure, it’s got a lot of different spices, but none of them are that out of the ordinary; spices like cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and sage, and simple vegetables like onions. Orange juice and lime juice pair well with the heat of the chile peppers in the marinade, so feel free to add more heat if you like! You can substitute any spices that you don’t have for those that you do, so play with it and make it your own!
Your ingredients.
Pound your chicken to an even thickness so it cooks evenly.
Combine all of the dry spices in a medium sized bowl.
Then add in the olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, orange juice, and lime juice.
Be careful cutting up your pepper! I used one habenero pepper because that’s what I could find at my grocery store. I wish I had used two, but I like my food spicy. If you prefer a more mild spice, just use one pepper.
Add in the pepper, green onions, and onion. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the marinade to brush over the chicken while it grills.
Place the chicken in a container or a sealable bag and pour the marinade over it. Allow to marinate for at least three hours, or as long as overnight, as I did.
Grill the chicken over medium-high heat on direct heat for 3 minutes on each side, then 5 minutes over indirect heat on each side.
We ate ours with artichokes (because Kramer bought some and was very eager to eat them), but I think a nice salad or some roasted vegetables would pair well with the chicken as well.
- 2 chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ heaping teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 teaspoons dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon ground sage
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 teaspoons allspice
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 small white or yellow onion, minced
- 1 habenero chile pepper, minced (use 2 if you like it spicy)
- Combine all of the spices in a medium sized bowl, then add all of the liquid ingredients to the spices.
- Add in the onions and habenero(s) to the bowl and stir. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for brushing over the chicken while it grills. Put the chicken in a plastic sealable bag and pour all but the ¼ cup of marinade over it. Let it marinate for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight.
- Heat your grill to medium-high. Cook the chicken over direct heat for 3 minutes on each side, then over indirect heat for 5 minutes on each side, brushing each side with the reserved marinade after you flip it each time. Enjoy!
yummmm, I went to sprouts yesterday. that looks moist and jerky!
looks yummmmy!~ what if i don’t have a grill? can i cook it in the oven?
Donbelyn: Definitely! Just cook at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until cooked through.