Grilled Jerk Chicken perfect combo of sweet, spicy, and charred business. The backbone is the allspice, along with everything else Jamaican. The heat is from the habanero.
There are two ways to make jerk sauce, a paste or a marinade. This is a marinade, and can be used for anything you want to spice up. There is a little bit of everything in here, resulting in a lot of complexity. Trust me, it’s worth it.
Ramp up the habanero and jalapeno as needed. With one, it’s not very hot. With five, you need to be brave. The choice is yours. I suggest starting slow, tasting, and adding more as you go. Keep in mind the results will be a bit less spicy the direct tasting.
Marinades ~3 lb of chicken.
| Mise en Place | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| SPICES | STAPLES | ||
| 1 tsp | coriander, toasted and ground | 2 tbs | hot sauce (texas pete) |
| 1 tsp | cumin, toasted and ground | 1 tbs | honey |
| 1 | bay leaf | 1 tsp | balsamic vinegar |
| 1/2 tsp | ginger, ground | 1 tsp | smoked paprika |
| 1/2 tsp | cinnamon, ground | 1/2 cup | water |
| 1 tsp | black pepper, ground | 1/2 cup | dry stout |
| 1/4 tsp | nutmeg, microplaned | 1/2 cup | olive oil |
| 1 tbs | ground allspice | 1/2 cup | soy sauce |
| PRODUCE | MEATS | ||
| 1 habanero | seeded and minced | 2 | chicken breasts, boneless skinless |
| 1 jalapeno | seeded and minced | 4 | chicken thighs, boneless skinless |
| 1 sprig | fresh rosemary, leaves only, minced | ||
| 1 tbs | fresh thyme, leaves only | ||
| 1/4 cup | scallions, sliced thin | ||
| 1/4 cup | red onion, minced | ||
| 4 cloves | garlic, minced | ||
| Equipment | |
|---|---|
| 1 | bowl |
| 1 | small container |
| plastic wrap | |
| 1 | stick blender |
| 1 | grill, medium high |
| 1 | instant read thermometer |
| 1 | pastry brush |
| Directions | |
|---|---|
| Step | Action |
| 1 | combine everything except bay leaf and chicken into bowl |
| 2 | briefly blend together with stick blender to make marinade |
| 3 | add bay leaf |
| 4 | reserve 1/2 cup marinade and set aside |
| 5 | butcher chicken, cut off tenders from breasts and keep, remove excess fat and discard |
| 6 | add chicken breasts, tenders, and thighs to marinade, stir to coat chicken |
| 7 | cover with plastic wrap and stash in fridge 6-48 hours |
| 8 | grill chicken, moving and turning often to maximize browning |
| 9 | different pieces will finish at different times, use a thermometer. When a piece is ready, evac and brush reserved marinade on top |
| 10 | serve immediately |
Categories: Mains
