Hey, y’all! I’m back and ready to share my favorite Jamaican jerk chicken recipe! If you’re like me and you love spicy flavorful food, Jamaican Jerk Chicken is perfect for you! Let’s look at this delicious, juicy, and flavorful chicken!
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Where Did Jerk Chicken Come From?
According to JJCJerk.com states, “During the early seventeenth century, The British brought slaves to Jamaica in order to guarantee a steady supply of sugar, coffee, cocoa, pimento, and other goods to merchants. A group of these slaves escaped into the mountains and were later named the Maroons. The Maroons would blend an array of spices and herbs that they would later use to marinate and cook the wild game they hunted mostly wild boar. This led to the famous “Jamaican Jerk”. Traditional Jamaican Jerk is a method of cooking pork. Nowadays chicken, seafood, or beef can be seasoned in this manner as well. Jerk is a complex blend of seasonings including scallions, onions, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, thyme, allspice, black pepper, and many other spices. all of the ingredients grow on the island’s fertile green landscape.”
Jerk Chicken Sides
Jerk Chicken is so flavorful that you don’t want to distract from it. Your side dishes should compliment the dish. Not fight for attention. Here are some side dish suggestions:
- Sweet Potatoes
- Plantains
- White or Brown Rice
- Greens like collard or Sauteed Kale
- Cuban black beans
No matter what you serve, keep it simple!
Jerk Chicken Seasoning Recipe
I love love love to marinate chicken! It gives the chicken to soak up the deep delicious flavors. With a recipe as flavorful as this one… you should definitely marinate it! If possible marinate it from 1-24 hours before cooking it. Make sure to rub the seasoning under the skin! Don’t be shy, girl! Get in there! Here’s the Jerk Chicken Recipe:
- 2 tbsp brown sugar packed
- 2 tsp ground allspice
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/4 tsp tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp cayanne
- 2 tsp sea salt
- pinch ground black pepper
Jamaican Jerk Chicken in the Oven
I’ve had the most success with this recipe when i make sure to use fully thawed chicken with skin that I completely patted dry. So don’t forget to completely pat the chicken dry before apply the olive oil and seasonings! This will give the skin an opportunity to get crispy! I mean, who doesn’t love crunchy, spicy flavorful skin on a chicken leg?
OMG! Now I’m hungry all over again! On that note, let’s get right into the recipe.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
- 10 chicken legs
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar packed
- 2 tsp ground allspice
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/4 tsp tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp cayanne
- 2 tsp sea salt
- pinch ground black pepper
Instructions
- If you marinated the chicken, take the chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Then bake on 425 degrees for 35- 40 minutes. The chicken should be close and touching. If you did not marinate the chicken, move on to step 2.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use paper towels to thoroughly pat the chicken dry. Try to get it as dry as you can. Then poke holes in the chicken with a fork.
- Combine the spices. Then cover the chicken thoroughly with the spice mix. Rub the chicken well with the spices. Rub the mixture under the chicken skin also.
- Place chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet, with minimal space in between each piece. Bake 35-40 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve immediately.
