Jerk Chicken Marinade – How to marinate and grill/bake Jamaican chicken

Want exotic recipes? According to oursculinary trip to AfricaWe would now like to offer you two Jamaican recipes. Our collection is specifically Jamaican chicken, which you can refine with the so-called jerk chicken marinade. The Jerk Chicken recipe is particularly suitable for all fans of spicy food, as it is traditionally prepared with Scotch Bonnet chilies, which are among the hottest chili peppers.

General tips for the jerk chicken marinade

As you know, a marinade is used to make meat more tender and flavorful. The result will be particularly tasty if you give the meat enough time to absorb the flavors. It is therefore beneficial to eat meat for a few hoursto marinate in advanceand then let it rest - ideally at least 3 and up to 24 hours. You can also prepare the jerk chicken marinade up to 4 days in advance and then store it in the refrigerator until needed.

You can choose any type of chicken meat. Chicken breast is just as suitable as chicken drumsticks, but you get an even better flavor with the drumsticks. This is due, among other things, to the skin, which is usually missing from the fillet. Evena whole chickenYou can marinate with the jerk sauce. Then plan enough baking or grilling time. And when it comes to the word “skin”, we would also like to recommend that you spread the jerk chicken marinade under the skin.

If you don't want the marinade to be quite as spicy, it's best to remove the seeds from the pods. Also, be careful when preparing it and never touch your eyes! It is best to use disposable gloves.

Jerk chicken marinade for grilling or in the oven?

You can use any jerk chicken marinade recipe for both the grill and the oven. If you do thatGrill meatHowever, you should always keep an eye on it and not grill at a lower level or when the fire is no longer too strong. The meat and marinade should brown slightly and should also char slightly here and there, but not burn, which can happen quickly if the heat and/or grilling time is too high.On a charcoal grillYou can be safe by spreading the meat around the edge.

The duration of the grilling time obviously depends on the size of the chicken or chicken pieces. Turn the meat periodically. You can use a meat thermometer to check whether the meat is cooked. A whole chicken is cooked at 80 to 85 degrees, chicken breast at 72 and thighs at 70 degrees. Depending on the size of the meat, it can take up to 40 minutes to reach these temperatures.

In the ovenBake a whole chicken at 190 degrees for about 45 to 60 minutes, less for smaller pieces. Even in this case, just test the core temperature to be sure.

For 4 servings (1.1 to 1.3 kg of meat):

  • 1 small onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 Scotch Bonnet or Habanero chili pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 1 tsp Asian 5-spice powder
  • 1/2 TL Jamaicapfeffer
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 65g soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Place all of the jerk chicken marinade ingredients in a blender and puree. Then put the marinade and the meat in a container (if you are using small pieces of meat, a sealable freezer bag can also be used for this purpose), stir everything well, cover the container and put it in for 8 hours or overnight the refrigerator. Before you have the jerk chickenprepare on the grill, you should take it out of the refrigerator in good time and let it stand until it is at room temperature.

Recipe for Jamaican chicken with sauce for dipping, marinating or baking

Instead of a marinade you can also use a jerkSauce for dippingserve. If you grill or bake your chicken on its own, you can then chop it up and serve it with the dip. Alternatively, you can use it as a sauce or bake the chicken in the oven directly in the sauce. The pineapple gives the sauce a special flavor.

  • 1 Scotch Bonnet chili pepper
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 40 g pineapple chunks or 30 ml pineapple juice
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 30 ml white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Juice of one lime

Put all the ingredients in a blender and process them into a thick sauce. Then heat them in a saucepan and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Leave the jerkMarinade for meatCool completely in the refrigerator until the chicken is prepared by grilling or baking as described above. Afterwards, enjoy your Jamaican meal!

Tip: Feel free to try this sauce in the form of a marinade. Brush the meat with the jerk chicken marinade and let it rest for several hours as explained above.