Jerk Chicken

5 from 3 votes
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Jerk Chicken - Homemade jerk chicken recipe that you can grill right at your backyard. Delicious, moist and spicy chicken that everyone loves!

Homemade jerk chicken recipe.
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Originally published in July 2012, updated with new pictures.

About 10 years ago, Mr. Rasa Malaysia and I went to Jamaica for vacation. The beaches in Jamaica are probably some of the best ones that we had been to, but it was the aromas of jerk chicken wafting from the jerk chicken stands that had us hooked on Jamaica.

During our stay there, we sampled countless jerk chicken shacks, and ate every possible jerk chicken that we could find along the beaches.

Easy and quick grilled jerk chicken drumsticks poked with a fork.

One conclusion we had after the trip, jerk chicken is the national dish of Jamaica. Every corner there is one jerk chicken shack and regardless of its location, there are always happy patrons eagerly and hungrily chowing down the dark-skinned, spicy, and hot-off-the-grill chicken. We absolutely enjoyed it jerk chicken.

Homemade jerk chicken with easy marinade spices.

Back to the US, finding a good one is really not easy, other than the mediocre so-called “Jerk Chicken” at chain restaurants, but this backyard jerk chicken recipe from Martha Stewart is exactly what I was looking for.

They are absolutely delicious, moist, flavorful with the right amount of heat!


Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 432 calories per serving.

Backyard Jerk Chicken marinade.

What To Serve With Jerk Chicken

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

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5 from 3 votes

Jerk Chicken

Jerk Chicken – Homemade jerk chicken recipe that you can grill right at your backyard. Delicious, moist and spicy chicken that everyone loves.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients  

  • 2 pounds (1kg) chicken pieces

Marinade:

  • 1 habanero chile, stemmed
  • 1 bunch scallions, cut into pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground allspice
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for grill
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Rinse the Chicken, remove the thighs bones. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
  • In a food processor, mixing all the Marinade ingredients together.
  • In a large sealable plastic bag, toss chicken with the paste. Make sure they are nicely coated with the paste. Refrigerate overnight.
  • Next day, fire up the grill and brush a bit of oil on the surface. Grill the chicken until they turn golden brown and charred on both sides. Removed from grill and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 4people, Calories: 587kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 43g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Monounsaturated Fat: 16g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 170mg, Sodium: 666mg, Potassium: 506mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 397IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Bee Yinn Low

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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17 Comments

  1. Deepjeevani says:

    Wow the Jerk Chicken looks great and yummy too. Thanks for great explanation
    Will try this one

  2. Pepper Dasnee says:

    yummy chicken!! thank you for sharing your recipe :)

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Thank you! :)

  3. Cheryl says:

    The chicken skin is just perfect!!!

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Yes, even my picky eater 5 years old loves it.

  4. Liz says:

    Thank you Bee for the nice recipe. Yours are all nice.

  5. Madeleine Cogbill says:

    Could you bake the chicken? I

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Yes you can bake them. :)

      1. Candice says:

        Can you provide the baking instructions? Thanks.

  6. Wendy says:

    I’m from Jamaica and your recipe captures the true essence and taste of our famous jerk chicken.Thanks for sharing

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Awww Wendy, thanks, it means a lot to me. I miss the real jerk chicken in Jamaica. :)

  7. Lyn A K says:

    Hi,

    The soya sauce is the salted one or sweet one?

  8. Fran Chin says:

    Hi,

    The town is Ocho Rios. They forgot the ‘s”. I could get you a richer Jerk Chicken Recipe. Where are you located? There are tons of great jerk chicken centers around The Untied States. Check out The New York City boros and Long Island, Westchester, up in Massachussetts, down in Florida, Georgia and I even found a great one on Myrtle Beach.

    Fran

  9. Tom F says:

    Just by looking at the ingredients, I know this is a good jerk recipe. I make something very similar with the exception of 7 more habenaros!

  10. Farah @ The Cooking Jar says:

    Those look delicious! I’ve been wondering what jerk chicken tastes like after seeing floating around the web. With chilies, allspice and brown sugar, I can almost imagine the taste now.