The jerk chicken on the grill recipe is a dry rub recipe used to grill chicken and seafood. This is the base on which everything else builds when cooking jerk food in the oven or over a fire in a smoker. More than anything, it provides the flavor profile that you’ll use as a foundation for all your culinary creations.
This recipe is a combination of common Jamaican cooking techniques, which are perfect for grilling or smoking. The ingredients are simple and easy to find, and the method is straightforward. However, a fine-tuned knowledge of Jamaican cooking techniques will help you to produce authentic jerk chicken on the grill recipe.
Jamaica has been a British colony since 1655, so the mixture of Caribbean and African flavors is also apparent in some of our food traditions. Jamaica’s dominant style of cooking is called ‘Jerk’ cooking, and there are several variations.
The basic principle behind cooking jerk chicken on the grill recipe is to give many ingredients intense flavor through exposure to high heat. You can achieve this by marinating the meat in a mixture of hot peppers or jerk spice before grilling.
How To Make Jerk Chicken On The Grill Recipe?
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients For The Erk Chicken On The Grill Recipe
- 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, or breasts)
- 2 red onions, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, quartered
- 2 Scotch bonnet or Habanero chili peppers
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ cup fresh thyme leaves (optional)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
Preparation For The Jerk Chicken On The Grill Recipe
1. Combine the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Pour on the chicken pieces, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
2. Mix all the vegetables in a bowl and add the soy sauce, oil, thyme, nutmeg, and salt. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Clean and oil the grill bed well before adding any foods to it. Grill over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes per side or until cooked through and nicely browned on both sides.
4. Remove the meat from the grill, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
5. Serve with greens and freshly grilled corn on the cob.
Nutrition Facts Of The Jerk Chicken On The Grill Recipe
- Calories: 438
- Total Fat: 29.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 153 mg
- Sodium: 1434 mg
- Potassium: 229 mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Protein: 30 g
6 Powerful Health Benefits Of The Erk Chicken On The Grill Recipe
1. It Is A Cancer Fighting Superfood
Chili peppers are superfoods loaded with phytochemicals that have powerful antioxidant properties. The benefits of the consumption of chili peppers include: Jerk Chicken On The Grill Recipe helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, boosts metabolism, helps you with weight loss, and protects you from cancer.
2. It Is Good For Your Heart
The capsaicin in chili peppers acts as an anti-inflammatory agent that improves blood circulation and prevents blood clots. This benefits your heart’s health and prevents strokes, atherosclerosis, and heart attacks.
3. It Is Super For Your Immune System
The capsaicin in the chili peppers also has amazing anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties that protect you from cold sores, stomach flu, herpes, and other viral infections.
4. It Helps With Indigestion And Pain Management
The capsaicin in the chili peppers also acts as an analgesic that provides relief from arthritis, headaches, cramps, and nerve pains.
5. It Helps You Lose Weight
The capsaicin in the chili peppers increases metabolism and suppresses appetite. Regular consumption of chili peppers can help you with achieving a healthy weight. Chili peppers also contain vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that are essential for weight loss.
6. It Gives Protection From Heart Diseases
Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which helps to relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure significantly. It helps you to overcome hypertension issues as well as atherosclerosis.
Can I Freeze Jerk Chicken On The Grill Recipe?
Yes, you can freeze this dish. Ensure you have wrapped it well and placed Jerk Chicken On The Grill Recipe in a freezer bag. You can then place the bag inside the freezer for up to 3-4 months. When ready to use, take Jerk Chicken On The Grill Recipe out and defrost for about 1-2 days in the fridge before use.
What Goes Best With Jerk Chicken?
When you are planning to serve your hot chicken, you must consider what type of dish goes best for your food presentation. The side dishes for jerk chicken are salad, rice, and beans. However, if you want a more flavorful experience, then you may serve some of these side dishes with your grilled chicken.
How Do You Cook Jerk Chicken Legs On The Grill?
1. Get a clean grill ready before you start cooking your chicken legs. You will need to season the grill to ensure it doesn’t stick and gives out a flavor perfect for your chicken.
2. Season your chicken with seasoning and oil. Ensure you have rubbed the marinade on both sides of the chicken legs using a brush or spoon.
3. Place on the grill over indirect heat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes until it is done, flipping every 5-10 minutes.
4. Remove from the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve with rice and any fresh vegetables you may wish to add.
5. You can serve your chicken with a Jamaican citrus coleslaw recipe, Jamaican potato salad recipe, or Jamaican macaroni salad recipe.
If you are looking for more popular Caribbean dishes, you may want to try other popular chicken recipes that may interest you.
Conclusion
You can make this jerk chicken using your entire chicken, which is really interesting because it’s hard to find a place to eat jerk chicken in the US and other parts of the world. However, if you are not a fan of spicy food, then you can reduce the number of spices or leave it unseasoned.
If you want to try a different recipe, try out sweet jerk pork recipe, Jamaican jerk pork recipe, or Caribbean jerk salmon recipe.
I hope this post is helpful to you. If you like this post, don’t forget to share it with your friends. If you have any feedback or question, you can let us know by commenting below.
Thanks for reading this post!