Caribbean Jerk Chicken
About this Recipe
By: Rachel
I will never forget my first taste of Caribbean jerk chicken, which came to me through our weekly dinner club.
Some of you already know about my best-ever hack for meal prep: Pyramid Scheme Dinner Club, where you work with your neighbors to create a meal-sharing co-op.
I was excited to start, but the first week was a little anxiety-inducing. What should I cook? What if the others didn’t like what I made? Or, what if I didn’t like what the others decided to make?
Carribean Jerk Chicken: Love at First Bite
In the first week of our experiment, my neighbor, Laura, made the most incredible Caribbean jerk chicken. The juciest-ever chicken thighs had a beautiful, crusty char on the outside. The dish came with bright mango-pineapple slaw, grilled pineapple salsa, and a luscious avocado crema that was the perfect complement to the heat of the habanero peppers.
It was love at first bite, and now, Caribbean jerk chicken is a regular feature in our repertoire. It has so many elements—heat, spice, sweetness, creaminess, smokiness, char… this dish has it all.
This recipe is my go-to for summer get-togethers. Nobody wants to cook over a hot stove in the summer, and grilling is the perfect way to obtain delicious caramelization on the chicken. Jerk chicken also takes on a great smoky flavor.
Adding Depth to Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Grilled Pineapple, Fruity Habaneros, and More
If you have never had grilled pineapple, what are you waiting for? Not only is it absolutely delicious as a base for the savory salsa that accompanies Caribbean jerk chicken, it is fantastic for dessert (marinate in dark rum, grill, and serve with vanilla ice cream).
Habanero peppers add a delicious heat to this dish. If you are worried about the heat, though, you can reduce the number of peppers. You can also omit the seeds, which are the spiciest part. A whole jalapeño pepper works as a substitute for the hotter habanero.
Hot, Sweet, Creamy and Bright: Island Flavors That Sing Together
Although this Caribbean jerk chicken recipe has several components, the flavors absolutely sing together. The chicken is juicy and packed with flavor, with a wonderful caramel-y crisp on the outside. The slaw adds brightness, crunch, and sweetness; the salsa has a more mellow flavor that balances the slaw perfectly. The avocado brings a smooth, cool element to counteract the heat.
I like to serve this in a bowl over steamed rice. You may recall my failure to cook coconut rice properly, but coconut rice is an absolutely delicious accompaniment. Head on over to Carlsbad Cravings for a great recipe.
Beverage Pairing
By: Olivia
Whether you manage to create a Pyramid Scheme Dinner Club of your own or not (we really should mimic this in our own communities), this jerk chicken recipe and its delicious accompaniments need to be paired with a ‘no-fuss, agreeable with many flavors’ wine. Cue the Syrah rosé! A dry and slightly peppery wine that complements the spice of the dish but also doesn’t get lost in the many flavors present. It’ll also be fresh and fruity to cut through the spice and add to the fruit present in the slaw and salsa.
Caribbean Jerk Chicken
Equipment
- Food Processor or high-powered blender
- High-Powered Blender or food processor
- Kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
- Measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scale
Ingredients
For the chicken
- ½ medium red onion (roughly chopped)
- 4-5 medium green onions (roughly chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 whole habanero peppers (stems removed)
- ½ inch (1 cm) piece of peeled fresh ginger
- ¼ cup (60mL) soy sauce
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon hot honey (or regular honey)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ tablespoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon five-spice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 recipe each Mango-Pineapple Slaw, Grilled Pineapple Salsa, and Avocado Crema (below)
Mango-Pineapple Slaw
- 1 fresh mango (diced)
- ½ fresh pineapple (diced)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 whole habanero or Scotchbonnet pepper, sliced thinly, stem and seeds discarded. (Use gloves when handling!)
- 2 cups (150g) shredded cabbage
- ¼ cup (60g) mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon hot honey
- Juice of ½ lime
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Grilled Pineapple-Jalapeño Salsa
Avocado Crema
- 1 large (or 2-3 small) ripe avocados
- ¼ cup (60g) crema or sour cream
- Juice of ½ lime
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chile powder
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Step by Step Instructions
- Jerk Chicken
- Combine all marinade ingredients in your food processor or blender and purée.
- In a dish with a cover or a Ziplock bag, pour the marinade over the chicken and stir to ensure that the marinade is distributed evenly. Place the chicken in the refrigerator, and let marinate for 2-24 hours. You can prepare the remaining elements while the chicken marinates. Once the chicken is ready to cook, simply discard the marinade and cook over a hot grill (or on your stovetop) until fully cooked.
Mango-Pineapple Slaw
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, and stir to combine.I use much less mayonnaise than in most coleslaw recipes—I prefer to keep this slaw light and fresh. You can increase the amount of mayonnaise to suit your taste.
Grilled Pineapple-Jalapeño Salsa
- Grill the red onion, pineapple, and jalapeño until blackened in spots, and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Dice the red onion, pineapple, and jalapeño (you can include the seeds for a spicer salsa, or discard them) and add to a medium bowl. Add the lime, cilantro, and Tajín, and stir to combine. Taste your salsa—you can stir in some honey, hot honey, or a little brown sugar if you want to add sweetness; more Tajín for spice, and more lime juice for acidity.
- Avocado Crema
- Combine the ingredients in a small bowl attachment of a food processor, and process until smooth. (You can also combine in a molcajete or mash with a fork). Taste and correct seasoning, adding more lime or salt as needed.
