Jamaican Jerk Chicken

First, I can’t remember for the life of me where I got this recipe. So my apologies if you read this and it is yours! Shoot me an email and I will post proper credits! 

I have no experience cooking "island" dishes. The original picture of this looked so good I couldn’t wait to try it out. After trying, I am a fan! This is a great make ahead dish because it comes together so quickly. I especially loved it because of the low sodium. We have to watch our intake round these parts. It wasn’t bland and for us it had just the right amount of saltiness.

The rice that is next to those juicy pieces of meat, Turmeric Chorizo Rice, was a combination of two recipes that I made my own. So simple: two cups cooked white rice, sautéed onions, peppers, garlic and celery kicked up with turmeric and chorizo. I only used chorizo because I had made it (recipe testing) earlier in the day. I am sure you could use any smoked sausage you fancied.

Hope you enjoy!

What You Need: 

• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 2 jalapenos, seeds removed (unless you want that fiyah!)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (I used dried)
• 3 tbsp lime juice (I forgot this and left it out)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground allspice AND ground cinnamon
• 8 pieces bone in chicken legs and/or thighs (I used all legs)

What to do:

• Remove skin and fat from chicken and make slits all over the meat
• Put all of the remaining ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and blend until smooth
• Place 1/4 cup of marinade aside for brushing
• Place the chicken pieces in a zip lock bag and pour marinade over chicken
• Make sure chicken is coated well
• Refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight (I marinated overnight)
• Grill the chicken over medium heat until done or bake at 400 degrees until dark golden brown and juices run clear. (I prepared mine in the oven on a sheet pan)
• Be sure to brush the chicken with the reserved marinade throughout cooking.Also let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before eating.

Originally posted February 16, 2010