Jerk Chicken Recipe [Video] (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret in jerk chicken? ›

Marinating your chicken in a jerk marinade is the key to giving it its signature flavor. Start by mixing all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl. This includes garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, chili powder, brown sugar, soy sauce, vegetable oil, lime juice, and salt.

Jerk refers to a style of cooking in which the main ingredient—which most often is chicken but may also be beef, pork, goat, boar, seafood, or vegetables—is coated in spices and slow-cooked over a fire or grill traditionally composed of green pimento wood positioned over burning coals; the resulting smoke is key to the ...

What is the difference between jerk seasoning and jerk marinade? Jerk seasoning is a dry spice blend and a jerk marinade comes in a liquid form. The spice blend is meant to be rubbed into your meat of choice and left in the fridge overnight before grilling. The marinade is a quicker version of the spice blend.

Jerk sauce contains paprika and allspice for antioxidants, cayenne pepper for reducing blood pressure, garlic for immune boosting, nutmeg to aid in digestion and sleep, cinnamon for lowering blood sugar and cholesterol, vitamin C from citrus plus many more!

Jerk chicken gets its distinguishable flavor from spices that are native to the island of Jamaica. Spices like the scotch bonnet pepper give jerk chicken its spicy kick. Other spices that are incorporated into a jerk recipe are allspice, ginger, garlic and thyme.

Jerk chicken is believed to have been conceived when the Maroons introduced African meat cooking techniques to Jamaica which were combined with native Jamaican ingredients and seasonings used by the Arawak Indians.

How long should I marinate jerk chicken? We recommend marinating the chicken for at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours. Marinating not only imparts amazing flavor but also helps to tenderize the meat. Longer isn't necessarily better, but ideally, several hours will allow the flavors to really sink in.

Jerk Chicken isn't dry, it is a succulent, highly flavorful meat when done right. If it is dry, this means it has been overcooked. Your Jerk should be a perfect balance between dry and moist, not too much of one or the other.

Chicken remains the most popular jerked meat with pork a close second. However, anything can be jerked including fish and even conch. Dry rubbed or marinated it is then slow-smoked in a jerk pit for up to three hours over pimento wood.

According to Jamaica's official culinary authorities, for a dish to be classified as “authentic jerk,” the meat has to be smoked over pimento wood.

Is Jamaican jerk the same as Cajun seasoning? ›

Is jerk seasoning the same as Cajun? No, it isn't. Cajun seasoning is mainly herbs and hot pepper. Jerk seasoning enjoys spices such as allspice, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg that you won't find in Cajun mixes.

Dragon Stout is a Jamaican beer that is perfect for pairing with our savory and flavorful dishes. This beer has a rich, dark color and a slightly sweet taste, which makes it an excellent choice to balance the heat of our spicy dishes. It also pairs well with our meat dishes, such as Jerk Chicken and Oxtail.

KFC's “Finger Lickin' Good” motto is no joke - Jamaicans have finger-licking contests that make napkins jealous! 2. KFC in Jamaica decided to crank up the heat with a jerk chicken flavor that's hotter than the island sun but this location was lacking.

The Real Deal: How Jerk Chicken Is Traditionally Prepared

Next, long, thick sticks of fresh pimento wood—that's the wood of the tree that produces allspice berries—are soaked and placed in a parallel array above a charcoal fire.

The hemoglobin in chicken tissues can also create a heat-stable color that lingers even after the bird has been thoroughly cooked. A red or pink tinge can even be caused by the chicken's diet, the way the meat was frozen, or certain cooking methods such as grilling or smoking.

The making of jerk chicken

The Maroons couldn't risk being discovered by their oppressors. So, instead of cooking over open flames, they would cook in underground smokeless pits. Chicken would be rubbed with spices and left to marinade over time for tenderisation.

"Whilst BBQ tends to be sweet and smoky, jerk seasoning incorporates savoury and sour flavours followed by a spicy peppery kick from the scotch bonnet peppers," he tells The Independent.