I’d been craving (leptin problem maybe?) some jerk chicken lately, probably because the flavors remind me of the beach, which is what I am really craving…
Anyway, since there are no places around here that can make good jerk chicken, I played around with recipes until I found this Caribbean jerk chicken recipe, which is Ah-Mazing! If you like these flavors I highly recommend trying this recipe!
Caribbean Jerk Chicken
Note: Flavors are best if you let the chicken marinate overnight before cooking. Recipe serves 4-6 people and makes great leftovers to scramble in eggs for breakfast or take for lunches on the go.
Caribbean Jerk Chicken Recipe
A delicious and healthy jerk chicken recipe.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 2 hours hrs
Total Time 5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Calories 115kcal
Author Katie Wells
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Servings
4 -6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken or 3-4 lbschicken breasts or thighs
- 1 lime
- 1 large red onion
- 1 bunch green onions
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp allspice optional
- 2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- dash of nutmeg
- 2 TBSP butter or coconut oil
- 2 tsp spiced rum or apple cider vinegar
Instructions
If using a whole chicken, cut in half (see notes).
Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice over the chicken and rub in.
In a food processor, combine all remaining ingredients and process until it forms a paste.
Rub the jerk seasoning paste over the chicken halves.
Marinate in the refrigerator for at least a few hours or overnight if you can.
After the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Place the chicken in a large roasting dish and place in oven.
Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest 10 minutes.
Remove from the bone and serve with vegetables.
Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Caribbean Jerk Chicken Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 /6)
Calories 115Calories from Fat 47
% Daily Value*
Fat 5.2g8%
Saturated Fat 2.8g18%
Cholesterol 39mg13%
Sodium 831mg36%
Carbohydrates 5.8g2%
Fiber 1.8g8%
Sugar 1.7g2%
Protein 11.9g24%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notes
There are a couple ways to halve a chicken: you can have the butcher do it for you or you can do it yourself with a sharp knife; just cut lengthwise through the middle of the breast leaving a leg on each side.
I recommend serving this jerk chicken with roasted squash and apples:
- 1 lb zucchini or yellow squash, diced
- 2 green apples, peeled and diced
- 1 onion, sliced
- ¼ cup coconut oil or olive oil
- dash of cinnamon, salt, pepper, and thyme to mimic the jerk flavor
Toss to combine and roast with the chicken for the last 30 minutes until slightly soft.
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Do you like Jamaican/Caribbean flavors? Ever been there? Share below!
About Katie Wells
Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder ofWellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling booksThe Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.
22 responses to “Caribbean Jerk Chicken Recipe”
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I have another question 🙂 should I use the chicken neck meat that comes in the chicken cavity in my stock too? Thank You!
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kim
After you cook the chicken can you use the bones to make a chicken stock?
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Wellness Mama
Absolutely!
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kim
Thank you! 1 more question. How many pound of bone will I get from a 9 pound chicken?
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Wellness Mama
Depends on the chicken, honestly.
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Emily
I am excited to try this recipe- was thinking of finding a recipe similar to one I have had from someone from Trinidad…not sure what that kind of chicken he made, but prob similar to jerk, maybe? lol. Still doing research into what he put into it! Anyway- I wanted to post also that of the few recipes I’ve seen on here, they all look amazing. I haven’t gotten a chance to try one yet, but I know what I like and don’t like at this point and these look awesome to me! I love how simple, flavorful, and not too expensive they are. Thank you sooooooooo much for your website! My family just went low carb/sugar/processed junk, but moreso “whole” foods without grains and legumes. My two year old is allergic to some grains and legumes and I have an intolerance to peanuts and gluten. Cooking this new way has been invigorating, but still it is overwhelming to learn to cook differently, find a lot of GOOD recipes, that aren’t too expensive… and cook EVERY night and EVERY meal! This site has helped me feel it is more manageable… and even tastier! Thank you again!! 🙂
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Annette
This was tasty and moist, however did not look at all like the picture. was it a marinade or a coating. It dd not crisp up and stayed moist and soggy on the surface of the chicken. Was I to take the marinade/ coating off of the chicken before roasting? I would like to make it again but would like it to fix the problem this time. I used skinless chicken breasts.
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Heather
Just wondering how long the marinade lasts in the fridge? I made this recipe without enough meat!
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Cecil
That is NOT how you correctly cook Jamaican jerk chicken! At all.
You don’t make it taste sweet.
You use a variety of spices and different seasonings.I think this is how British people cook chicken with no flavour.
Please re-name this, as I don’t want people to be deceived by this mistakeRegards
The Black Population.Cecile.
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Stephanie
This recipe was wonderful. I made it, and it was a hit for the family. The chicken was so flavorful and juicy. Even if it may not be an authentic jerk chicken, there isn’t any reason to bash her recipe. It’s simply her own version of jerk chicken.Reply
Gina
I agree! People are so cruel! If you haven’t tried her cashew chicken its the bomb!!!!!
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Reagan
This was FABULOUS!!! I did not have a few ingredients (green onion and lime) but I did substitute for reg onion and lemon, flavor was still great. I also used US Wellness Meats chicken Thighs and the chicken was so tender and juicy. I loved this recipe, thank you!!Reply
Stephanie
Do you cut the chicken in half just to shorten the cooking time? This could be prepared without cutting the chicken, it would just take a bit longer, right?
Thanks for the recipe!
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Stacy
I haven’t made this, but I will say that if there isn’t any heat it isn’t jerk, namely scotch bonnet. scotch bonnet gives it a unique flavor that can’t replicated along with the necessary heat. Black pepper alone won’t cut it. And, as stated above, there is nothing called Caribbean jerk. Just an FYI.
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Ingrid
Sounds delish Kate. But what about the hot pepper gal? I’m Jamaican and I guess I’ll just have to add that to the recipe ;-). I’ll give it a try as I have just finished up my bottled jerk spice and would have to travel to the nearest country (which is England as I happen to live in France) to get some. I’ll let you know how it turned out. Thanks for all the hard work. Much appreciated.
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Gina
This is a very good adaptation of Jamaican Jerk. Please note there is no such thing as Caribbean Jerk. The Jerk method of cooking is from the Maroons in Jamaica, slaves that escaped and set up free communities in the interior mountains of the country. The Jerk method of cooking/curing meat allowed them to survive while they waged a war against the British. So fierce were the Maroons, the English negotiated and signed a treaty which gave them the right to govern themselves on their own land. Who knew that the Jerk chicken you eat today could have so much history, that is uniquely Jamaican, not Caribbean.
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Karen
Katie – consider adding this to the AIP roundtable (www.phoenixhelix.com). I think just subbing mace for the nutmeg and maybe omitting the allspice would make this an AIP-friendly recipe – and I love Jerk Chicken so it’s great to know I can still eat it! 🙂
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Barb
This was awesome!! Even my picky 22 year old son loved it!! The roasted squash and vegetables were soooo good too!! Definitely will be making these again!! Thanks for sharing!!!
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Paula bolin
I made this for dinner tonight. It is YUMMY!!!!! Thank you for sharing!
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Brianne
Yum! Looks delish. About to share it on my FB page!
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Spahn
OOOh, I can’t wait to try this! My husband and I got married in Jamaica and I love those Caribbean flavors. Thanks for posting! 🙂
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Jennifer
My husband and I got married in Jamaica too! Jerk anything is one of my faves! This looks delicious and I cannot wait to try it!
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