Jerk Chicken

Ingredients

  • ~3 lbs chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp freshly picked thyme leaves
  • 1⁄2 yellow onion
  • 1⁄2 cup green onions
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 3 habanero chili peppers
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1⁄2 tsp cumin
  • 1⁄2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
  • 1⁄3 cup fresh lime juice, ~3 limes

Method

Prep / Marinade

  • Remove thyme leaves from stems
  • Roughly chop the green onions and half a yellow onion
  • Peel the garlic
  • Deseed and devein (if you wish) the habanero peppers
  • Make the marinade by adding all of the ingredients to a blender and blending until liquified
  • Trim the chicken thighs of extra fat, tendons, and bone fragments
  • Cut each thigh into 3 pieces by cutting at the thin section and then cutting the bigger part in half
  • Place chicken pieces into a large mixing bowl and toss the chicken with the marinade
  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook (4 hours to overnight)

Cook the chicken

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F
  • Cover a sheet tray with 18″ wide heavy duty aluminum foil
  • Coat foil with a thin layer of canola oil
  • Using tongs, transfer the chicken pieces onto the tray (don’t wipe them off, we want them wet)
  • Arrange in a single layer
  • Cook for 20 minutes
  • Take them out, brush half the remaining marinade on the pieces and flip them over
  • Cook for 15 minutes
  • Take them out and flip them over then brush on the remaining marinade
  • Cook until they’re caramelized and look amazing

References