This easy recipe is full of lots of hot and spicy spices that you can use to make your own Jamaican jerk seasoning blend at home.
Dont you love a good jerk seasoning? Jerk cooking originated in Jamaica and youll get all those wonderful Caribbean flavors when you cook with these spices. It is traditionally used with chicken, but it works great over shrimp and other seafood. Im not very picky in how I use it.
I always want a lot of spice when I want jerk spice. These flavors go well with any protein you like. Tofu, anyone? Why not? It also works on vegetables, like grilled corn on the cob. Vegetables love a good spice rub.
This jerk seasoning is made up of fifteen different seasonings, that’s how many I use in my own blend. You can easily buy some from the grocery store or your favorite online spice shop, but I like to make mine at home.
It is so much better when you make it at home, as you can control everything that goes into it.
Jamaicans love jerk chicken, which is chicken that has been marinated in a spicy mix of herbs and spices. It has a lot of different flavors when it’s done right, like spicy, sweet, savory, and smoky. Getting the marinade and cooking method just right is important for this famous Caribbean dish.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to make mouthwatering Jamaican jerk chicken at home, from choosing the right ingredients to mastering the cooking methods. Let’s get started!
A Brief History of Jerk Chicken
Jerk chicken was first made by the Maroons in Jamaica. The Maroons were Africans who escaped slavery by hiding in the island’s mountains. The Maroons came up with a way to smoke pork and chicken over fragrant wood charcoal to keep the meat fresh. This cooking technique infused the meat with robust, smoky flavors.
Over time, Jamaicans adapted this style of preparation into the jerk chicken we know today. They created a spicy marinade or “jerk rub” featuring native allspice berries and Scotch bonnet peppers. The meat is slathered with this zesty blend, then grilled over pimento wood for irresistible smoky notes.
Jerk chicken was initially an indigenous specialty of Jamaica, but it has become popular worldwide for its addictive blend of heat and aroma. From street food stalls in Kingston to gourmet restaurants in New York, jerk chicken is a staple menu item across the globe.
Choosing the Right Chicken Cut
One of the keys to great jerk chicken is choosing the right cut of chicken. The traditional choice for this dish is chicken thighs. Chicken thighs have more fat and connective tissue than breasts, so they stay juicier when exposed to the high heat and long cooking time of grilling or smoking.
To get the most flavor out of chicken thighs, use them with the skin still on. The skin helps keep the moisture in, and the bones add richness. You can also use boneless, skinless thighs, but the meat may dry out faster. Don’t use chicken breasts; they don’t have enough fat and collagen to stay tender.
Aim for chicken thighs that are uniform in size, so they’ll cook at the same rate. Free-range and organic chicken deliver the best flavor. You can also use game hens or Cornish hens for individual servings.
Crafting the Perfect Jerk Marinade
The distinctive taste of jerk chicken comes from its marinade or dry rub This zesty seasoning blend infuses the meat with fiery heat and aromatic spice The traditional marinade has just a few key ingredients
Allspice: This berry comes from Jamaica and has a warm, peppery taste with hints of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Use ground allspice or crush whole berries.
Scotch bonnet peppers – These extremely hot peppers pack a punch of heat. Habanero peppers make a good substitute.
Thyme – This herb has minty, lemony notes that balance the spices.
Green onions – They provide a fresh, grassy flavor.
Garlic – Its pungent aroma boosts the marinade’s overall flavor.
Brown sugar – A touch of sweetness balances the heat and spices.
Salt – Essential for enhancing all the flavors.
Oil – Binds everything together and helps the marinade coat the chicken. Vegetable, canola, or olive oil all work well.
You can make wet or dry versions of the marinade. A wet marinade contains all the ingredients pureed into a paste. It tenderizes the meat and delivers big flavor. A dry rub is used to season right before grilling. It forms a tasty crust on the chicken without sogginess.
Customize your marinade to suit your tastes. Dial up the heat with extra Scotch bonnets or back it down with more brown sugar. Play around with spices like ginger, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg or curry powder. Citrus juices like lime or orange complement the blend.
Aim for a balance of aromatics, sweetness, and a slow, lingering heat. Let the chicken marinate for at least a few hours, or ideally overnight, so the flavors penetrate deeply.
Getting the Right Wood for Smoking
An essential element of authentic Jamaican jerk chicken is the smoke flavor imparted by grilling over fragrant wood. While you can cook the chicken on a regular barbecue grill, using aromatic hardwoods takes it to the next level.
The traditional wood for smoking jerk in Jamaica is pimento, also known as allspice wood. It imparts a wonderful robust, peppery flavor that complements the spices. You can order pimento wood chunks online if you don’t have access to the tree.
Good alternatives include fruit woods like mango, guava, or coconut. Maple, hickory, mesquite and oak also infuse the chicken with sweet, smoky notes. Avoid soft resinous woods like pine that can give a bitter taste.
Soak the wood chunks in water for 30 minutes before using them on a charcoal or gas grill. This prevents them from burning up too quickly. Scatter a few chunks directly on the hot coals. You want just enough light smoke – not an overwhelming volume.
Mastering the Cooking Method
You can cook jerk chicken three main ways: grilling, smoking, or baking. Grilling directly over pimento wood coals is the traditional Jamaican cooking method. It chars the meat and adds irresistible smoke flavor.
For a more hands-off method, use a smoker and hold the temperature between 225-250°F. Smoke the chicken for 1-1.5 hours until it reaches 165°F internally. This slow-cooking tenderizes the meat while infusing it with smokiness.
If you don’t have a grill or smoker, you can bake the chicken. Roast it on a wire rack in a roasting pan at 400°F for 30-45 minutes until cooked through. Finish it under the broiler to char it. You won’t get the smoke flavor, but the marinade will still shine.
No matter which cooking method you use, aim to char the exterior while keeping the interior juicy. Getting that balance right is essential for phenomenal jerk chicken. The meat should be charred in spots but still tender and moist inside.
Serving Up Some Smoky Goodness
Once your jerk chicken is perfectly cooked, it’s time to serve it up Jamaican-style. Traditional side dishes include rice and peas, fried plantains, and a fresh salad. Top each portion with extra sliced onions and peppers for a burst of fresh flavor.
Jerk chicken also makes amazing tacos, sandwiches, pizza toppings, and more. Leftovers keep well for a few days in the fridge, though the spices will mellow over time. Reheating in a pan with a splash of oil brings back the crispiness.
One final (but essential) component is making or buying some jerk sauce on the side. A cool, creamy dipping sauce balances the heat of the chicken and provides even more flavor. Add some mango, pineapple, or lime to cut the richness.
With this comprehensive guide, you have everything you need to succeed in crafting incredible homemade Jamaican jerk chicken. From the authentic marinade to smoking techniques, follow these tips and get ready for a mouthwatering Caribbean feast. The tantalizing aromas and layers of spicy, smoky flavor will transport you straight to the sunny shores of Jamaica.
Why Homemade Jerk Seasoning is Better
First, I can emphasize certain ingredients over others. Want less clove? No problem. A bit more allspice? Go for it!.
Secondly, I can easily slip in a few (or more!) dashes of a superhot blend that Ive recently dehydrated. Consider this! A Jamaican Jerk Seasoning blend with a half teaspoon of Moruga or Reaper powder? Oh yeah, some extra heat for me. So happy! Consider the addition of the Scotch Bonnet or habanero, something more local to Jamaica.
But whatever works for you!
Lets talk about how we make it, shall we?
What Ingredients Go Into Jamaican Jerk Seasoning?
Here is a list of the ingredients you will need:
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme (or use 1 teaspoon ground thyme)
- 2 teaspoons sugar (or use brown sugar)
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Once youve gathered up your ingredients, add all of them to a small mixing bowl.
Mix it all together evenly. Make sure it is nicely uniform.
BOOM! DONE! You now have your own homemade Jamaican jerk seasoning blend. Have at it!
Store in an airtight container. Use as needed.
How To Make Jamaican Jerk Chicken In The Oven *Homemade Jerk Sauce*
FAQ
What are the ingredients in Jamaican jerk?
What is the secret to jerk chicken?
The four key ingredients in jerk cooking are Scotch bonnet peppers, allspice berries, scallions and thyme. Scotch bonnet peppers are a variety of the habañero pepper. Allspiceis the berry of the evergreen pimento. Dried, ground thyme can be easily found in grocery stores.
What ingredients do you need for jerk chicken?
For the marinade1 big bunch spring onions. roughly chopped. thumb-sized piece ginger. roughly chopped. 3 garlic cloves. ½ a small onion. 3 scotch bonnet. chillies, deseeded if you want less heat. ½ tsp dried thyme. or 1 tbsp thyme leaves. 1 lime. juiced. 2 tbsp soy sauce.
What is the preferred method to cook Jamaican jerk?
There are as many takes on jerk chicken in Jamaica as there are cooks on the island, but most share the same method: Chicken is coated in a seasoning mixture dominated by spices and chiles, then grilled.