Jerk Chicken Recipe

Beyond the beautiful turquoise water and white sand commonly associated with the Caribbean, can be found the most delectable dishes with the most interesting names like pepper pot soup, saltfish fritters, and fire engine. One of the most recognized dishes from this area, jerk chicken, is a spicy grilled dish typically associated with Jamaica. Jerk is a style of cooking where the main ingredient typically is chicken but can be seafood, pork, beef and even goat or boar. The meat is coated in spices and slow cooked over a fire or grill with green pimento wood as the base. The smoke is what gives the dish its flavor.

According to Saveur, jerk chicken from Jamaica is best-known for its marinade made from allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers that are similar to chili peppers. Recipe developer Tynia Peay created a jerk chicken recipe that also uses allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers, along with a whole host of other yummy ingredients. She learned to make jerk chicken from a recipe a friend sent her many years ago, and with a few tweaks, Peay has morphed the recipe to fit her availability of ingredients and personal taste. It won't take long before it becomes one of your favorites, too.

"The scotch bonnet pepper is the traditional source of heat in jerk recipes," Peay explained. "Since they aren't easily found in my area, I use a scotch bonnet pepper sauce as a substitute. Habanero or serrano peppers are also close replacements." Both peppers are going to bring some serious heat and be nearly as hot as scotch bonnets. Finally, Peay recommends looking for the sauce in the international foods section of your local grocery store. 

According to the Boston Jerk Fest, the scotch bonnet and habanero are cousins. They both hail from the capsicum Chinese chili plant, but the habanero was domesticated in the Amazons and made its way to Mexico and South America. The scotch bonnet comes from Jamaica.

Take out your blender and place in it half a yellow onion, five trimmed scallions, half of a red bell pepper and half of a green bell pepper, five garlic cloves, one juiced lime, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of scotch bonnet pepper sauce or one scotch bonnet pepper, 2 tablespoons of browning sauce, and 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke. Puree the ingredients until smooth. Then pour the marinade over the chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the chicken to rest in the marinade for a minimum of an hour up to overnight in the refrigerator.

"Many jerk recipes will substitute browning sauce for dark soy sauce. It's mostly for color in this recipe. Jerk chicken can be stewed or grilled. I'm adding a bit of liquid smoke to mimic the smokiness of the grill," Peay said. "Browning sauce can be found in any grocery store in the gravy section. Jerk barbecue sauce can be found in the international section of grocery store and specialty shops."

Peay said that jerk chicken typically is served with rice and peas, sautéed cabbage and fried plantains. Traditional Jamaican rice and beans goes well with jerk chicken, as does a special Caribbean cole slaw made with shredded coconut, golden raisins and cabbage. There's also Caribbean corn made with green onion, cumin, skim milk and other ingredients. Don't forget the Caribbean yam salad for a sweeter side dish that will pair nicely with the spice and heat of your jerk chicken.