If you are a roast chicken fan, then you are going to love our Jerk Chicken Recipe. The grilled, smoked, and tender meat, flavorful crispy skin, paired with sauteed vegetables and rice, will surely jazz up your dining table this weekend. In this article, you will get to know what Jerk Chicken is, how it is prepared and the several side dishes to pair it with.
Table of Contents
History of Jerk Chicken
The word ‘Jerk’ originated from Spanish which means “dried strips of meat”. Jerk cooking is a technique of preparing food by rubbing spices on the raw meat or a marinade of hot spices. Then the marinated meat is slowly baked or grilled, using various cooking methods. Preferably, coal or wood smoke. The smoke brings additional flavors and slow cooking. The marination plays a key role. Since it is a native Jamaican recipe, a marinade is available in the market commonly known as ‘Jamaican Jerk Spices’.
It is believed that the recipe was invented by indigenous Taino. It was the time of the Invasion of Jamaica, around 1655 when Spanish colonists decided to free their slaves. Those slaves fled and inhabited the lands of Jamaica. They had already learned the technique of Jerk from Taino, hence they introduced it to Jamaicans. Later, Jamaicans added ingredients to the marinade and the world enjoys Jerk meat till the date.
In this article, you will learn how to make Jerk Chicken with its traditional marinade as well as how to prepare it with Dingolat Gourmet Hot Sauce.
How to Cook Jerk Chicken?
Jerk chicken recipe is undeniably the best option for a fancy candlelight dinner. The juicy, tender, and mouth-watering chicken, will leave your guests asking for this exquisite recipe.
Ingredients for Making Jerk Chicken
To make Jerk Chicken, you will need:
- Whole Chicken: 1
- Fresh Rosemary: 1 sprig
- Lemon: 2 (thinly sliced)
- Lime Wedges: 3 to 4 (to garnish)
- Scallions: chopped (to garnish)
For Jerk Chicken Marinade
- Scotch Bonnet Peppers: 6 (medium)
- Yellow Onion: 1 (chopped)
- Scallions: ½ cup (chopped)
- Garlic: 6 cloves (peeled)
- Ginger: 3 Tbsp (chopped)
- White Vinegar: ⅛ cup
- Fresh Lime Juice: ⅛ cup
- Olive Oil: 2 Tbsp
- Brown Sugar: 2 Tbsp
- Salt: 2 tsp
- Black Pepper: 1 Tbsp (coarsely crushed)
- Pimento Berries: 1 ½ Tbsp
- Nutmeg: 1 tsp
- Cinnamon: 1 tsp
- Fresh Thyme: 1 sprig
Instructions for Making Jerk Chicken
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Marinate Time | Overnight / 8 hours |
| Bake Time | 30 to 40 minutes |
Add all the aforementioned spices to the blender and make a fine paste. This is the traditional Jamaican Jerk Chicken Marinade.
In a baking tray, place a clean and de-fat whole chicken (you can take chicken pieces as well, it highly depends on your preferences). Do not take off the chicken’s skin. The marinated and baked skin of the chicken gives a crispy layer. Absorb the extra water with a towel paper. Then pierce the whole chicken with a fork, so the marinade may penetrate equally.
Pour the marinade on the chicken and rub vigorously. While marinating, do not forget to marinate the insides.
Wrap the marinated chicken in tin foil and refrigerate it overnight or for eight hours. This process helps the marinade penetrate the chicken strands, as well as makes the Jerk chicken crispy and tasty.
On a baking tray, spread a tin foil and spray it with olive oil. Bring the chicken to room temperature before baking it and place it on the baking tray. Make sure the whole chicken is drenched in marinade. Fill the insides of the chicken with fresh rosemary sprig, and sliced lemons.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 degrees.
As the oven has heated up, place the baking tray in it at 165 degrees and let it cook for 30 to 40 minutes.
Take the chicken out of the oven when you see the skin has turned golden brown and your kitchen is filled with a mouthwatering aroma.
Carefully take the dish out of the oven and wrap the tin foil around it. The one in which it was baked.
Place coal directly on the stove. When it is flaming hot, convert it into a small bowl. Place this small bowl in the center of the baked chicken, pour a half teaspoon of olive oil, and quickly cover it with the tin foil for five minutes. The relishing coal smoke will add flavor to it and the exquisite aroma will make it appetizing.
Sprinkle some chopped Scallions and thinly sliced lemon wedges. Serve this Jerk Chicken with plain rice, sauteed vegetables, and Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauce.
Quick & Easy Jerk Chicken Recipe with Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauce
As much as preparing the traditional Jamaican Jerk Hot spices might be a relishing experience. It is surely time taking and demands a lot of effort. The hassle of collecting all the spices, and spending an hour preparing a tasty Jerk chicken sauce, with accurate consistency is no less than a challenge and it might become a reason for skipping out on this delicious recipe at your dinners. With the help of Original Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauce, you can prepare Jerk Chicken within a matter of a few minutes.
Ingredients
To prepare this tasty dish, you will need:
- Whole Chicken: 1
- Original Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauce: 2 cups
- Fresh Rosemary: 1 sprig
- Lemon: 2 (thinly sliced)
- Lime Wedges: 3 to 4 (to garnish)
- Scallions: chopped (to garnish)
Instructions
Pat dry whole chicken, pierce it with a fork and place it in a baking tray.
Pour two cups of Original Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauce and rub it equally on the whole chicken. Place the chicken in the fridge and let it marinate overnight.
Bake it the same way as mentioned above and enjoy a quick and easy Jerk Chicken recipe.
*The Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauces are prepared with 100% natural Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Peppers, garlic-infused carrots, and exclusively Jamaican herbs and spices. They are gluten-free and vegan-friendly. Prepare Jerk chicken recipe with Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauce and you will never prepare it in any other way.
Jerk Chicken Side Ideas
Jerk Chicken adds regality to your dining table, but there is an age-long question, what to serve with Jerk chicken sides? Here you will get a few ideas to transform this dish into a perfect dinner.
Sauteed Vegetables
Sauteed Vegetables are one of the options that are perfect to complement the meaty texture of Jerk Chicken. Try our easy-to-make Sauteed Vegetables and jazz up your dinner.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Another way to enhance the flavor of Jerk Chicken is to serve it with Creamy Mashed Potatoes. No words can explain the flavor that these sweet and sour, meaty and creamy potatoes and chicken ignite. Try our quick and easy Creamy Mashed Potatoes recipe and bring exquisite flavors to your dining table.
Storage Options for Jerk Chicken
- You can save the cooked Jerk Chicken in the fridge for up to four days and freeze it for a month or so.
- If you have a whole marinated chicken, you can freeze it for up to two months. Only bring it to room temperature before baking it, and enjoy a Jerk Chicken in a matter of a few minutes.
Customizability
You can use the left-over Jerk Chicken to prepare various dishes. For instance, take the flesh off of the bones and replace the regular tasting chicken in Chicken Sandwiches, Pizza, Stromboli, etc. This chicken tastes a lot better than regular chicken and if you prepare these dishes with Jerk Chicken, it will introduce a world of flavors that have been unknown to you this whole time.
Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauce
Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauces are prepared with 100% natural Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Peppers, pickled carrots, garlic, and native Caribbean herbs and spices that are tasty as well as healthy to consume. These sauces are gluten-free and vegan friendly, Moreover, they are versatile in nature. You can use them as marinade, condiment, or sauce to pair with any food or dessert. The exquisite taste adds another dimension to your regular tasting food.
Dingolay Sauces are available in three different flavors, Original Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauce, Mango Tropical Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauce, and Pineapple Tropical Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauce. Infused with natural, ripened, tropical fruits, scotch bonnet peppers, and other spices and herbs, no other hot sauce can compete with Dingolay Gourmet Hot Sauces.