This Jamaican Jerk Chicken features warming and spicy flavors which will have you feeling the heat! Scotch Bonnet peppers, brown sugar, cinnamon, and thyme are just a few of the ingredients in this mouthwatering marinade!
Kick It Up A Notch
Letās talk about spice. Are you a spice lover? Are you more, āblack pepper makes me lose my sense of taste for a dayā, or ā on a scale of 1 to 5ā¦ Give me a nineā? I fall somewhere in between the two, seeking out delicious combinations to amplify flavor.
Caribbean food is an excellent way to get at such heat. Donāt get me wrong: there are some recipes out there that may burn your taste buds off. However, Iāve found more times than not that Caribbean food allows you to taste every ingredient used. The herbs, peppers, and acid come together to create a symphony of remarkably fresh flavors. This Jamaican Jerk Chicken is no exception!
Read on to learn how I make this spicy, acidic, and mouthwatering chicken marinade thatās easy to whip up even on the busiest of nights!
How To Make Jamaican Jerk Chicken
This juicy and spicy chicken starts with plain ole’ boneless skinless chicken breasts getting marinated. You can choose to use bone-in chicken if you prefer, but I love how quick these cook up. If you’re in a pinch, marinating for 30-45 minutes should yield super flavorful results, but I like marinating mine overnight to ensure extra flavor.Ā
Jamaican Jerk is a traditional recipe that typically includes some combination of the following ingredients:Ā
- Scotch Bonnet Peppers
- Allspice
- Scallions
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Nutmeg
- Thyme
- Cloves
- Cinnamon
- Brown Sugar
Not the smallest list of ingredients, but trust me when I say it’s worth it. I mean, look at the flavor combination: hot spicy peppers, warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and earthy flavors like thyme and garlic. It’s enough to make my mouth water just by talking about it!
What To Serve With Jamaican Jerk Chicken
A few ideas for how to serve Jamaican Jerk Chicken are:
- Rice and Beans
- Roasted Plantains
- Grilled Pineapple
- Mango Salsa
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Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 2 green onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Scotch Bonnet feel free to use a habanero or jalapeƱo, depending on your spice threshold
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp aminos, tamari, or soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except chicken, aminos/tamari/soy, and olive oil to a blender. Process until a paste forms.
- Add soy sauce and olive oil, pulsing until combined.
- Pour into a medium bowl or into a ziptop bag. Add chicken and marinate minutes or up to overnight.
- When ready to grill, preheat your grill to 400 degrees. Add chicken, flipping once, for about 8 minutes, or until internal temperature is 165.
I made this for dinner last night. Absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making this again!
I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for trying it! š