The chicken absorbs the fragrant oils and smoke from the pimento wood as it cooks slowly for hours, imbuing it with smoky, sweet, spicy, and floral flavor. The whole jerk seasoned chicken is placed directly on top of the pimento wood, then covered with big sheets of metal. In Jamaica, charcoals are laid in a pit under huge metal grates which are then topped with pimento wood. How is jerk chicken traditionally cooked? The people of the Caribbean named them all spice because they thought they tasted like a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pepper. You may not think you are familiar with the pimento tree, but you have heard of its fruit – the allspice berry! As commonly misunderstood, allspice comes from ground up allspice berries that resemble peppercorns, and not multiple berries. Authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken is cooked over fresh pimento wood from the pimento tree (pimenta diocia), a tree native to the Caribbean, imbuing it with smoky undertones and enhancing the heat. What makes jerk chicken jerk?Īuthentic Jerk Chicken is not just smoky, spicy chicken coated in distinct seasonings, what sets it apart is the wood it is cooked over. The more traditional method is to marinate the chicken for as long as possible, to let the flavors really penetrate to create super moist chicken, then cook the chicken over the aromatic wood of the pimenta dioica, Jamaica’s allspice tree. Jerk refers to a style of cooking in which the main ingredient (anything from chicken to beef to seafood to vegetables) is either coated in jerk seasonings or marinated with jerk seasonings. It is juicy, tender, savory, smoky and slightly sweet with fiery heat with distinctive seasoning from the hot peppers, sweet allspice berries, thyme and ginger. But what exactly is it? Jerk Chicken is a spicy, smoky grilled chicken, usually whole chicken, or bone-in chicken, famous from Jamaica but also common in the Cayman Islands and throughout the Caribbean. We’ve all heard the name “jerk chicken” and hopefully had the chance to sink our teeth into the tender, juicy, spicy charred meat. Every bite is guaranteed to be a succulent, flavorful dream hot off of the grill. And bonus, the Jerk Chicken is not only extra flavorful from marinating overnight, but extra juicy as well. Just prep the marinade the night before, add the chicken and let it bath in the aromatic splendor until you’re ready to throw it on the grill or pop it in the oven the next day. What is almost as rewarding as its vibrant, sultry flavor, is how easy this Jerk Chicken recipe is to make! It’s a marinate-and-cook dinner that literally takes 10 minutes to prep which makes it great for a summer cookout but easy enough for a weeknight dinner. The combination of the marinade ingredients might seem odd, but expertly walks the tightrope of heat, dimension, and complexity to the reward of finger-licking, intoxicating chicken. The chicken is packed full of aromatics, sweet yet smoky notes, complex allspice, ginger, and thyme, all laced with fiery heat from Scotch bonnet peppers. I’m so excited to share globally famous Jamaican Jerk Chicken with you today! You just can’t beat the burnished skin and crispy, blackened bits giving way to moist, tender, juicy chicken layered with unapologetically bold and dynamic flavor. Some of my favorite grilled chicken recipes include Greek Chicken, Pollo Asado Chili Lime Chicken, Cilantro Lime Chicken, Harissa Chicken, Chipotle Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, Buffalo Chicken, Lemon Herb Chicken, Korean Chicken and now introducing Jerk Chicken! PIN THIS RECIPE TO SAVE FOR LATER I love marinated grilled chicken! It makes for the easiest dinner with little prep – and zero cleanup. Serve this Jamaican Jerk Chicken along with coconut rice, mango salsa or fresh pineapple and escape to the Caribbean year-round, without even leaving your kitchen! This Jerk Chicken recipe is a juicy flavor bomb exploding with complex smoky, spicy yet sweet, fragrant, aromatic notes and tantalizing crispy charred crust that will transport you to Jamaica! It’s outrageously flavorful thanks to marinating overnight in a dynamic jerk sauce made with potent chili peppers, aromatics and complex seasonings and can be cooked on the grill or in the oven. This Jerk Chicken recipe is your favorite spicy, crisply barbecued chicken from Jamaica made at home with an easy marinade! It’s famous for an addictively delicious reason – taste why!
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