Jamaican Jerk Chicken

I’ve made this Jamaican jerk chicken recipe so many times that I figured it was time to share it…

My husband Tom tells me every time we have this, “This is my favorite thing you make!”, haha… Now, he isn’t a picky person and usually likes everything I make, but he only says that about a few things.

This Jamaican jerk chicken is so incredibly flavorful, spicy and slightly sweet – and is especially great on the grill.  I love the flavors in this marinade; they range from spicy (from the habanero peppers), to ginger and allspice.

What I love about this recipe is that it has quite a bit of kick, which we love, but not so much that you can’t taste all the other flavors.

Most of the time we use this marinade on boneless chicken, but it also works great with chicken wings and even shrimp. Paired with jasmine rice or even coconut rice (recipe coming soon!) this Jamaican jerk chicken will be a great flavorful summer dish.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast (you can also use chicken wings, thighs or even shrimp)
2 green onions
1 tbsp. allspice berries (whole)
1 tbsp. peppercorns
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. ginger
1 habenero pepper
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1-2 tbsp. coconut oil

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into boneless wing size or tenders and place in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. To make the marinade, use a coffee grinder for the spices. If you have a mortar that is great too. If you don’t have either, just substitute ground spices.
3. Put the allspice berries, peppercorns, red pepper flakes and sea salt into the coffee grinder and pulse until fine.
4. Transfer to a food processor; add ginger, habanero, garlic and thyme.
5. Then pour into a bowl and add, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, green onions and coconut oil. Stir together until fully combined.
6. Spoon marinade/rub over the chicken and using your hands spread it evenly over every piece.
7. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours or preferably overnight.
8. To cook (using boneless wing-sized pieces of chicken), heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. (If you have a grill, I’d recommend using that instead.)
9. Add chicken and cook on each side for 7-8 minutes, until fully cooked through.

Adapted from: KAYOTIC KITCHEN