This Jamaican Jerk Chicken is cooked on the stove top which is an easy, fool-proof alternative to oven roasting. I love this method because it reliably produces the tenderest, juiciest, most delicate and delectable result with minimal effort. And it leaves plenty of room for experimenting with different flavours – you can ‘dress’ the chicken into different spices every time! Here I went for the bold and bright mixture of ginger, garlic, fresh chilies and Jamaican jerk seasoning.
What is Jamaican Jerk seasoning?
Essentially, this blend is a combination of ground warm and sweet spices and hot chili powder. The main ingredient is allspice berry which has quite unique flavour – something in between cloves, nutmeg, anise and black pepper. Other components include cinnamon, peppercorns, dried thyme, cloves and cayenne pepper. You can use a store bought version that is available in all major supermarkets or make a freshly ground blend at home. I always advocate for the home made version – the smell of toasted ground spice is aromatherapy in itself!
What is Jamaican Jerk marinade?
The marinade is a mixture of Jamaican Jerk seasoning, freshly minced ginger, garlic and chilies and olive oil. It produces a fragrant, punchy paste with sweet warmth from the ground spice and a hint of earthiness. If you prefer to keep the heat down, you can skip the chilies.
How to make Jamaican Jerk Chicken:
I promise you, this is one of the easiest recipes and you can apply this method to experiment with different spices and marinades!
- Use a blender to blitz garlic, ginger and chili to a paste, add a little olive oil and the Jamaican Jerk seasoning.
- Season the chicken with salt, rub the marinade all over and send into the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
- When ready to cook, shake off excess marinade (reserve it for later) and quickly sear the chicken from the back in a large skillet or casserole.
- Flip the chicken breasts down: this will make them incredibly tender from all the juices running down.
- Add a splash of boiling water and the remaining marinade, lower the heat to minimum and pop the lid on.
- Cook for about an hour (depending on the size of the bird), checking occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid. The chicken is done when the meat starts to fall off the bones.
- In the meantime, cook the rice separately just a couple of minutes short of al dente. When the chicken is ready, add the rice to the casserole and cook until done. This way it will soak up all the yummy flavours.
That’s it – your dinner is ready!
Looking for more ideas on how to make chicken? Check out my cozy Herby Chicken Casserole, the spectacular Orange and Rosemary Chicken and the all-time favourite Chicken Adobo!
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Large non-stick casserole
- 1 large bowl for marinating
Ingredients
- 1 large whole chicken
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 tbsp fresh minced garlic see notes
- 1/2 minced scotch bonnet or any other fresh chili see notes
- 2 tbsp Jamaican jerk seasoning see notes
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix together ginger, garlic, chili with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and 2 tbsp Jamaican jerk seasoning.
- Brush the chicken with the paste and marinate for at least an hour in the fridge. If the time allows, leave to marinate for a couple of hours or overnight.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Shake off the excess marinade and sear the chicken from the back.
- Flip the chicken breasts down and press slightly to flatten. Add a splash of boiling water together with any remaining marinade.
- Lower the heat, cover and cook for an hour, checking every now and then to make sure the liquid doesn’t boil out.
- Once the chicken is done, add the almost-cooked rice and simmer for another couple of minutes, stirring often to avoid the rice sticking to the bottom.
Notes
- You can substitute fresh garlic and ginger with 2 table spoons of store bought garlic-ginger paste.
- 1/2 fresh chili will give it a noticeable kick – reduce quantities or omit completely for a milder version.
- Jamaican jerk mix is available in some supermarkets. If you cannot find it, you can substitute it with a different blend featuring warm spices, such as Lebanese Seven Spice or Indian Garam Masala.
