American🥩 Meat

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Name: Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1800 g Skin-on chicken leg quarters (large); 30 g Kosher salt (for dry brine); 15 g Sugar (for dry brine); 25 g Fresh thyme leaves; 50 g Garlic; 50 g Scallions; 9 g Ground black pepper; 50 g Sliced ginger; 75 g Habanero peppers, deseeded; 100 g Olive oil; 75 g Soy sauce; 50 g Brown sugar; 20 g Ground allspice; 5 g Ground cinnamon; 5 g Ground nutmeg; 60 g Fresh lime juice; 50 g Water (for sauce); ~2 tbsp Cooking oil or pan spray

⏱ 75 min🍽 Serves 4

A well-tested Jamaican jerk chicken recipe that blends traditional island techniques with a few restaurant tricks. Chicken leg quarters are dry-brined, marinated overnight in a fiery herb-and-spice paste, then slow-smoked on a two-zone grill until deeply tender and juicy, finished with a reduced jerk sauce.

High-protein

Adapted from a video by Brian Lagerstrom

The Best Chicken Recipe I've Made This Year

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Skin-on chicken leg quarters (large)About 4 large quarters, backbone removed and split into 8 pieces (drumstick + thigh)1800 g
Kosher salt (for dry brine)30 g
Sugar (for dry brine)15 g
Fresh thyme leaves25 g
GarlicAbout 10 cloves50 g
ScallionsAbout 4-5 scallions50 g
Ground black pepperAbout 8-10g9 g
Sliced ginger

Steps

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1
Using a paring knife, cut along the backbone to remove it from the leg quarters, then slice through the joint to separate each into drumstick and thigh, yielding 8 pieces.
2
Mix the salt and sugar, generously season both sides of the chicken, and chill uncovered in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes.
3
In a food processor, combine the thyme, garlic, scallions, ginger, deseeded habaneros, olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and lime juice. Blend until mostly smooth but still slightly textured.
4
Toss the brined chicken with half the marinade, lay skin-side up on a sheet tray, and brush any exposed areas with more marinade. Chill uncovered for at least 4 hours, ideally 24 hours. Reserve the remaining marinade for the sauce.
5
Set up the grill for two-zone cooking: high heat with a smoker box of wood chips on one side, and low heat with the grate on the other. Preheat to about 300°F with good smoke flow.
6
Oil the grill grates well, place the marinated chicken skin-side down on the cooler side, and grill for 10 minutes. Flip, brush with more marinade, cover, and cook another 10 minutes.
7
Simmer the remaining marinade with the water over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then blend until smooth to make the optional sauce.
8
Continue grilling, flipping every 5-10 minutes for a total of 30-45 minutes, until deeply colored with rendered, glistening fat and an internal temperature of 185°F.
9
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving, optionally drizzled with the prepared jerk sauce.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Ingredients

Steps

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