Jerk Chicken

Name: Jerk Chicken
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 12 h 40 min
Total time: 13 h 5 min
Cuisine: Jamaica
Ingredients: 6 scallions, roughly chopped; 2 Scotch bonnet chilies, stemmed; seeded for less heat; 4 cloves garlic; 25 g (1 in piece) fresh ginger; 1 tbsp thyme leaves; 1 tbsp ground allspice; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp nutmeg; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp light brown sugar; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 2 limes, juiced; 3 tbsp neutral oil; 12 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt; 1⅔ kg (3½ lb) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, about 8 pieces; lime wedges, to serve

Fiery, aromatic chicken with allspice, thyme and Scotch bonnet

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 25 min
Total: 13 h 5 min
Level: Some skill

Jerk is Jamaica's great contribution to grilling: chicken marinated overnight in a blended paste of Scotch bonnets, allspice, thyme, scallions and lime, then cooked slowly over indirect heat and finished over the coals for char. Using bone-in thighs and legs keeps it juicy.

Ingredients

Marinade

6scallionsroughly chopped
2Scotch bonnet chiliesstemmed; seeded for less heat
4 clovesgarlic
25 gfresh ginger (1 in piece)
1 tbspthyme leaves
1 tbspground allspice
½ tspground cinnamon
¼ tspnutmeg
1 tspblack pepper
2 tbsplight brown sugar
3 tbspsoy sauce
2limesjuiced
3 tbspneutral oil
12 gfine sea salt (2 tsp)

Chicken

1⅔ kgbone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (3½ lb)about 8 pieces
lime wedgesto serve

Diet: Dairy-free
Allergens: soy, gluten
Origin: Jamaica
Season: Summer

Method

Blend all the marinade ingredients to a coarse paste. Wear gloves when handling Scotch bonnets.
Cut 2–3 deep slashes in each chicken piece. Rub the marinade all over and into the cuts. Refrigerate in a covered dish for at least 12 hours, up to 24. 12 h
Set up the grill for two-zone heat: coals banked on one side (or one or two burners on high, the rest off), aiming for about 180°C (350°F) under the lid on the cool side. If you have allspice wood or a few whole allspice berries, add them to the coals for smoke.
Place the chicken skin-side up on the cool side. Close the lid and cook, turning once, until the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F) — for thighs and drums, ideally 80°C (175°F), when they are most tender — 35–45 minutes. 40 min
Move the pieces over the hot side and grill, turning, until the skin is crisp and charred in spots, 2–4 minutes per side. Watch closely; the sugar burns quickly. 6 min
Rest 5 minutes and serve with lime wedges, rice and peas, or Perfect Rice. 5 min

Why it works

Allspice is the backbone of jerk flavor, and with Scotch bonnet it gives jerk its distinctive warm, fruity heat. Slashing the meat lets the marinade reach the inside, and the salt and acid in the marinade season and tenderize it overnight. Cooking first over indirect heat lets the dark meat render and cook through without the sugary marinade burning.

Common mistakes

Starting over direct heat: the outside chars black before the inside is cooked.
Skipping the overnight marinade: it needs time to penetrate.

Variations

Jerk pork: Use 1.5 kg pork shoulder steaks, cooked to 63°C (145°F) at the thickest point and rested.

Make ahead and storage

The marinade keeps 1 week in the fridge.

Notes

Oven fallback: roast on a rack over a lined sheet pan at 200°C (400°F) for 35–45 minutes to 74–80°C (165–175°F), then grill (broil) on high 3–4 minutes for char. Use tamari for gluten-free.