This Jamaican Jerk Chicken is all about big, bold flavors—a perfect mix of heat, smoky spice, and deep, rich seasoning that caramelizes beautifully over the grill. If you’ve never made jerk chicken at home, don’t worry, we’re breaking it down so it’s easy to follow and packed with authentic island flavor.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
Meat
- 8 pieces Chicken thighs, breast, legs or combination
Spark
- 1 whole Lemon
- 1 whole Lime
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 5 Green Onion stems
- 1 sliced Yellow Onion
- 2 seeded Habanero Peppers
- 2 whole Sweet Cherry Peppers
Warmth
- 2 tbsp Whole Allspice 1 tbsp ground
- 1 inch Fresh Ginger sliced
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Nutmeg freshly grated
- 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp Whole Cloves 1/2 tsp ground
- 1 tbsp Whole Black Peppercorns 2 tsp ground
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tbsp Thyme 1 tsp ground
Body
- 1 tsp Coarse Salt
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
Instructions
- Grind whole allspice, black peppercorns, thyme, cloves and nutmeg in a spice or coffee grinder.
- Add all ingredients except olive oil to food processor. Blend well, scraping sides to evenly combine.
- Slowly add and stir in olive oil for 1 minute.
- Coat chicken with jerk marinade getting under the skin. Place in plastic bag or containers and refrigerate 24 hours.
- Prepare grill for direct and indirect heat. Over direct heat, place chicken skin side down for 5 minutes, then flip 5 minutes. Continue process until chicken is done.
