Jerk Chicken
- Ready In:
- 25hrs
- Ingredients:
- 15
- Serves:
-
8
ingredients
- 2 8 chicken legs or 6 lbs chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
- 1 bunch scallion, white and green parts (about 8)
- 2 shallots, peeled and halved
- 4 -6 scotch bonnet peppers, stems removed or 4 -6 habaneros
- 1 piece fresh ginger, 2-inches, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1⁄4 cup fresh thyme leaves or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons ground allspice, more for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt, more for sprinkling
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 2 limes, juice, freshly squeezed juice
directions
- At least 1 day before cooking, pat chicken dry with paper towels, and set aside. Combine all remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and grind to a coarse paste. Slather all over chicken, including under skin. Refrigerate 12 to 36 hours. Bring to room temperature before cooking and lightly sprinkle with more salt and ground allspice.
- Prepare a charcoal grill: Clean and oil grates. Use indirect heat. Add two large handfuls of soaked pimento (allspice) wood sticks and chips (see note) or other aromatic wood chips to coals, then close grill. When thick white smoke billows from grill, place chicken on grate, skin side up, and cover. Let cook undisturbed for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Uncover grill. Chicken will be golden and mahogany in places. Chicken thighs may already be cooked through. For other cuts, turn chicken over and add more wood chips, and charcoal if needed. Cover and continue cooking, checking and turning every 10 minutes. Jerk chicken is done when skin is burnished brown and chicken juices are completely clear, with no pink near the bone. For large pieces, this can take up to an hour. Serve hot or warm, with rice and beans.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Belgophile
United States
My most cherished cookbook is Ruth Van Waerebeek's Everybody Eats Well in Belgium. It has been my inspiration for most of our family's special occasions and holiday meals and it was through exploring this book that cooking and entertaining became such a pleasurable hobby for me. The book is out of print, but I contacted Ruth to express my appreciation and ask her permission to include her recipes here. In her words: "My main concern when I wrote this book, was exactly that, that people around the globe would be able to taste these wonderful Belgian flavors! So, I don't have any objection that you post the recipes on the web."