Caribbean Jerk Chicken

Name: Caribbean Jerk Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 175 min
Ingredients: 3-4 pounds of chicken (bone-in or boneless); 1 medium onion, quartered; 4 cloves of garlic; 1 inch of fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon of ginger paste); 1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice; 1/3 cup of soy sauce; 2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil; 2 tablespoons of brown sugar; 1 scotch bonnet chili, deseeded (or 1 teaspoon of scotch bonnet chili sauce); 2 teaspoons of ground all spice; 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon of salt; 1 teaspoon of dried thyme; 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves

May 3, 2022

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If you love bold flavors then this Caribbean jerk chicken is for you…

A marinade combining a beautiful spice blend with garlic, ginger, lime juice, brown sugar and scotch bonnet chilies creates a sweet, tangy, spicy chicken that everyone will love. Everything is blended up in just a few minutes and the chicken bakes to perfection requiring no babysitting. If you are looking for ways to kick up your chicken dinner game then this is definitely it.

Let’s get started…

Begin by making your marinade. In a blender or food processor, combine 1 medium onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice, 1/3 cup of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 scotch bonnet chili, 2 teaspoons of ground all spice, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves.

When it comes to the scotch bonnet chili, you have a few options. If you love spice and can find fresh scotch bonnets, then add one into your marinade seeds and all.

If you prefer things just a little spicy and can find fresh scotch bonnets, then remove the seeds and membrane and add the chili into your marinade.

If you cannot find fresh scotch bonnets or prefer very little spice, then I recommend using this scotch bonnet sauce by Grace Foods, because it is really easy to control the level of spiciness in your marinade and you do not have to find fresh scotch bonnet chilies, which can be tough to do in some areas.

Blend the marinade ingredients until fairly smooth and then pour it over your chicken in a shallow dish. Toss the chicken pieces around a bit to ensure that they are all generously coated and then cover the dish and chill until you are ready to bake.

Depending on how much time you have, this marinade will develop good flavors in as little as 30 minutes, but it will continue to develop better and better the longer you let everything relax together. I recommend bringing everything together in the morning and letting the chicken marinade until dinner time.

Transfer the marinaded chicken pieces onto a parchment or foil lined baking sheet and bake the chicken in a 400 degree oven until it is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

These chicken legs took about 40-45 minutes and bone-in thighs or breasts should take 50-60 minutes. If you prefer to use boneless chicken breasts, they should be done in 25-30 minutes.

This Caribbean jerk chicken is so delicious and if you prefer your chicken skin crispy, once your chicken is cooked through, turn your ovens high broiler on and crisp up that skin a little before bringing it out of the oven… delicious…

Caribbean jerk chicken is great on its own or shredded over a salad or with some steamed veggies, but if you want to pair with some more authentic side dishes then I would highly suggest my creamy coconut rice, black beans and pineapple salsa. All of these flavors together create a fabulous plate that is sweet, tangy, tart, spicy and delicious.

If you have been searching for new dinner recipes, this Caribbean jerk chicken should definitely make it onto your list, because you are going to love it!

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