Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Authentic recipe I love making chicken wings with this marinade but half chickens are just as GOOD Make sure to marinade your chicken overnight for best results or vacuum seal them for an hour My buddy Mattys mother gave me this recipe when we visited the island enjoy authentic jerk and yeah mon its full of flavor
Authentic recipe I love making chicken wings with this marinade but half chickens are just as GOOD Make sure to marinade your chicken overnight for best results or vacuum seal them for an hour My buddy Mattys mother gave me this recipe when we visited the island enjoy authentic jerk and yeah mon its full of flavor
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 teaspoons ground allspice
- 4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup ketchup
- 24 chicken wings
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
- 3 tbsp dark rum
- 1/2 cup malt vinegar
- 10 green onions sliced
- 6 cloves garlic peeled, chopped
- 2 tbsp dried thyme
- 2 habanero chiles with seeds chopped
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons ground pepper
- Carbohydrate 29.3181742175972 g
- Cholesterol 89.32 mg
- Fat 20.4989442823887 g
- Fiber 4.21581959085731 g
- Protein 36.9452063062678 g
- Saturated Fat 5.57225748020685 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (386g)
- Sodium 7959.24399118476 mg
- Sugar 25.1023546267399 g
- Trans Fat 2.28401072409284 g
- Calories 452 calories
Step-by-step
- Boil rum and 2 tsp water in sauce pan for 3 minutes.
- Put into blender and add vinegar and the next 12 ingredients. Blend till almost smooth. Transfer 3 tbsp of jerk seasoning to another bowl and add ketchup and soy sauce, blend well.
- Meanwhile place chicken in a zip lock bag and marinade overnight.
- Let chicken sit at room temperature for one hour and heat grill to medium high heat.
- Once chicken is almost finished start basting it with the lime juice and BBQ sauce.
- If your not on a island once you eat this you sure will feel like you are....have a margarita and enjoy!!
The Chemistry of Allspice
Ground allspice provides the distinct aromatic backbone that defines traditional Jamaican barbecue, mimicking the flavor profile of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg combined. Pimento wood is traditionally used for smoking this dish on the island, but standard hardwood charcoal supplemented with soaked allspice berries produces a remarkably similar phenolic compound profile in home kitchens. Boiling the dark rum and water for three minutes prior to blending burns off harsh ethanol while retaining the deep molasses notes required to balance the fiery heat of the habanero chiles.
The Science of Overnight Marinading
Habanero chiles contain high concentrations of capsaicin, a lipophilic compound that requires extended contact time to penetrate the lipid layers of chicken skin and muscle tissue. Submerging the meat in the acidic blend of malt vinegar and lime juice for a full eight to twelve hours breaks down outer protein structures, ensuring the seasonings reach deep into the flesh rather than merely coating the exterior. Allowing the marinated chicken to sit at ambient temperature for exactly sixty minutes before cooking prevents the cold meat from dropping the cooking grate temperature below the target medium-high threshold.
Basting Mechanics and Accompaniments
Brushing the reserved ketchup and soy sauce glaze onto the meat only during the final stages of cooking prevents the high sugar content from burning before the interior reaches a food-safe temperature. Pair this richly spiced protein with plain starches like boiled green bananas or simple white rice to counteract the intense capsaicin heat and high sodium concentration of the marinade. Managing the grill heat carefully ensures the skin crisps without rendering the thick layer of spices completely charred.
