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The Best Jerk Chicken Recipe

Bone-in chicken thighs marinated overnight in a homemade jerk spice paste with allspice, ginger, garlic, lime and dark muscovado sugar, then pan-seared and oven-roasted until golden. Serves 4.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes

Ingredients

For the jerk marinade:

  • 2 tsp ground allspice freshly ground if possible
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 6 cm piece fresh ginger minced
  • 4 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves stripped
  • 8 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1 Tbsp dark muscovado or demerara sugar
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 to 2 jalapeño chillies finely chopped (seeds in)
  • 1 shallot or ½ brown onion finely chopped

For the chicken:

  • 8 free-range chicken thighs bone-in and skin-on
  • Splash of olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • The day before, mix all the jerk marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Place the chicken thighs in a large zip-lock bag and pour over the marinade. Massage it through until every piece is well coated. Seal the bag and refrigerate overnight, flipping the bag when you remember.
  • When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
  • Heat a splash of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Remove 4 thighs from the bag and shake off as much marinade as possible. Fry skin side down until golden, then flip and lightly brown the other side. Transfer to a large lidded casserole dish or roasting tray. Wipe the pan clean and repeat with the remaining 4 thighs.
  • Drizzle the Worcestershire sauce over the chicken in the dish. Pour over the remaining marinade from the bag and spread evenly. Cover with the lid or foil and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and roast for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the skin is golden and the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F).
  • Serve with a mix of brown and wild rice, with the pan juices spooned over.

Notes

Overnight marinating is essential for the best result. Do not substitute chicken thighs for breast meat, as it will dry out. Wipe the frying pan between batches as burnt marinade bits will turn bitter. For more heat, use a scotch bonnet or habanero instead of jalapeño. Dark muscovado sugar is worth using here for its molasses depth.
Storage: Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat in the oven at 180°C (350°F) covered with foil for 15 to 20 minutes until piping hot. Alternatively, reheat in a frying pan over medium heat with a splash of water to prevent drying out.
Freezing: Freeze raw marinated chicken thighs in the zip-lock bag for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and cook as per the recipe. Cooked chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Servings: 4