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Jerk chicken garnished with scallion and lime wedges on a blue and white plate next to a napkin, fork and knife
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5 from 1 vote

EASY Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

Grilled until juicy, tender, and caramelized around the edges, this jerk chicken recipe is super easy to whip together, yet delivers all those bold, smoky, and deeply savory flavors you know and love.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Caribbean, Jamaican
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Grace Vallo

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender
  • Grill

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1-2 Scotch Bonnet peppers for spicy, OR 1 Fresno pepper + ¼ teaspoon cayenne for medium, OR ½ red bell pepper + ½ teaspoon cayenne for mild, OR ½ red bell pepper for no heat
  • 1 heaping cup scallions trimmed and chopped (or 1 cup chopped chives)
  • 3 large garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil of choice like avocado oil or canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • In a food processor or blender, add peppers and/or cayenne, scallions, garlic, ginger, soy, sugar, lime juice, vinegar, oil, allspice, thyme, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Blend until smooth and uniform.
  • Place chicken in 2 gallon Ziploc bags (or another container for marinading). Add marinade evenly to 2 bags. Seal bags and massage chicken in marinade for 1 minute, or until thoroughly coated.
  • Place in fridge and let marinate for at least 4 hours, or ideally 8-12 hours. Do not exceed 12 hours.
  • Preheat grill to 450℉. Let chicken rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling. Remove chicken from marinade and shake off any extra clumps but leave the chicken coated in marinade.
  • Grill the first side, with the lid closed, for 9-12 minutes. Nice grill marks should form. Flip and grill other side for 5-8 minutes, with the lid closed, until chicken registers 165℉ in the thickest part.
  • Remove from grill and let rest in a single layer for 5 minutes before digging in!

Video

Notes

  • Prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs, quarters, breasts, or drumsticks? No problem! Grilling time will vary based on size/thickness.
  • With marinating time, total time for this recipe is at least 4 hours and 40 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 748kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 283mg | Sodium: 744mg | Potassium: 751mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 524IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg