What is Jerk Chicken?
Jamaican jerk chicken is a popular, flavorful dish known for its bold spice and smoky grilled taste. It is typically made with bone-in chicken pieces that are marinated overnight in a jerk seasoning blend, then grilled. The long marination helps the flavors deeply penetrate the meat, creating juicy and flavorful chicken.
What Does Jerk Chicken Taste Like?
Authentic jerk chicken delivers bold, pungent flavors with a spicy kick from Scotch bonnet peppers. It combines warm, smoky, and spicy notes with subtle sweet undertones, creating a rich and unforgettable taste.
What is Jamaican Jerk?
The word “jerk” refers to a style of cooking native to Jamaica. Jamaican jerk seasoning can be either a dry rub or a wet marinade made from a blend of herbs, spices, and peppers. It is commonly used on meats, seafood, vegetables, and even pasta. The flavor profile is spicy, smoky, woodsy, and deeply aromatic.
Traditionally, jerk foods are cooked slowly over an open coal or wood fire to achieve their signature smoky taste. At home, I use a Weber grill with natural charcoal and a few pieces of mesquite wood. Once the charcoal is hot, I place it inside a vortex and arrange the chicken around it on the grill grate for indirect cooking and smoking. This method creates incredibly flavorful, juicy chicken with a delicious smoky finish.
The ingredient combination I use is how I enjoy jerk chicken, but depending on your preference, it may be too spicy or salty for someone. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your taste.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 chicken thighs on the bone
- Olive Oil about 2 tbsp
- Waka’s Wood jerk Seasoning (Mild, Medium or Hot) about 1 tbsp
- Green Seasoning 1/2 tbsp
- Maggies Jerk Seasoning 1-1.5 tbsp
- All purpose Seasoning ½ tbsp
DIRECTIONS
- Place the chicken in a bowl and add all of the ingredients
- Rub the chicken well making sure you cover all of the pieces including under the skin
- Cover and let the chicken marinate over night in the refrigerator
- The next day take the chicken out and let it get to room temperature
- Light the charcoal and let the charcoal get nice and hot (grey in color)
- Pour the charcoal into a vortex and add 2 pieces of mesquite wood
- Lay the chicken around the vortex, cooking it using the indirect heat method (do not lay the chicken directly over the charcoal it will burn quickly)
- Put the Weber top on with all of the holes open (top and bottom)
- Cook on each side for about 20 minutes or until the temperature reaches 165 degrees; flipping as needed.
- Take the chicken off the grill when it reaches 165 and let it stand for 5 minutes for all of the juices to flow back in. Enjoy!
