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At a glance: Jamaican Jerk Chicken — Coconut Oil Marinade: serves 4, cooked in coconut oil, with no seed oils.
Authentic Jamaican jerk chicken is cooked over pimento wood smoke. The home version uses the same marinade — built around scotch bonnet peppers (fiery and fruity), allspice (the defining Jamaican spice), and thyme — and achieves maximum flavour through an overnight marinade and high-heat cooking that caramelises the paste against the chicken skin.
Coconut oil carries the marinade well — it emulsifies the scotch bonnet and allspice and handles the high grill temperatures without burning.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken pieces, deeply scored
- For the marinade: 3-4 scotch bonnet peppers (seeds removed for less heat), 6 garlic cloves, 4 spring onions, 3 tbsp refined coconut oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp fresh thyme, 1 tsp black pepper, juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp sea salt
Method
- Blend all marinade ingredients until smooth. Taste — it should be fiery, fragrant, and deeply savoury.
- Score the chicken pieces deeply on both sides. Rub the marinade into every surface and into the scores. Refrigerate for minimum 8 hours, ideally 24 hours.
- Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
- Grill over medium-high heat for 35-40 minutes, turning every 8-10 minutes and basting with reserved marinade. Alternatively, roast at 200°C for 40 minutes, basting twice.
- The chicken is done when charred in spots, the skin is caramelised, and the internal temperature is 165°F.
- Rest 5 minutes. Serve with Jamaican rice and peas and festival (fried dumplings).
How hot is jerk chicken?
3-4 scotch bonnets with seeds in is very hot. Remove seeds and membranes for medium. Reduce to 1-2 scotch bonnets for mild.
What is allspice?
Dried berries of the pimento tree, native to Jamaica. It tastes like a combination of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. It is the non-negotiable spice in jerk cooking.
Is jerk chicken seed oil free?
Yes with coconut oil marinade. Most commercial jerk pastes and marinades contain canola or soybean oil.
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