Island Beach Chicken
- Preparing Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 8 hours
- Served Person: 6
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/4 cup red onion diced
- 1 whole chicken cut into pieces (or 8 bone in thighs, 4 leg quarters, etc.)
- 1 roasted red bell pepper (i used a jarred pepper which is about 1/4 cup)
- 1 ea habanero pepper seeded and diced (wear gloves, trust me)
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper diced
- 1 ea green onion diced
- 1/4 cup yellow onion diced
- 1/4 cup parsley diced
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- Carbohydrate 5.79633750108181 g
- Cholesterol 115 mg
- Fat 59.2506692701466 g
- Fiber 1.0449499824412 g
- Protein 29.254065000054 g
- Saturated Fat 8.97727567340469 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (263g)
- Sodium 505.217916666924 mg
- Sugar 4.75138751864061 g
- Trans Fat 3.62970933789003 g
- Calories 673 calories
I'm a huge fan of jerk chicken and other spicy grilled chicken dishes from island beach destinations like Jamaica, the Bahamas, Virgin Islands, and Barbados. They all have a unique flavor that comes from a combination of spices, citrus, and live fire grilling. I've been trying to recreate this flavor at home for years, and I've finally come up with a recipe that I'm really happy with. I call it Island Beach Chicken, and it's a delicious, easy-to-make dish that's perfect for a summer cookout.
The key to this recipe is the marinade. I use a combination of citrus juices, spices, and herbs to create a flavorful paste that tenderizes the chicken and gives it that authentic island flavor. The marinade is made with lime juice, orange juice, thyme, oil, red onion, roasted red bell pepper, habanero pepper, green bell pepper, green onion, yellow onion, parsley, and garlic. I blend all of these ingredients together in my blender until smooth, then pour the marinade over the chicken and let it sit for at least 4 hours. The longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will be.
Once the chicken is marinated, it's time to grill it. I like to grill my chicken over medium heat (350f) for 8-12 minutes per side. This will give the chicken a nice char on the outside while keeping it juicy and tender on the inside. Be sure to turn the chicken frequently so that it cooks evenly. When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving. I like to serve Island Beach Chicken with pigeon peas and rice, but you can also serve it with your favorite sides.
Step-by-step
- Take all of the ingredients except the chicken and put in your blender or food processor.
- Blend/process until smooth.
- Marinate the chicken with the mixture for 4-8 hours.
- Set up your grill for a medium heat (350f) direct cook.
- That takes about 1 chimney full of Kingsford Charcoal for my charcoal grill.
- Grill for 8-12 minutes per side.
- I spend much more time turning these throughout the cooking time compared to a steak when I say the less turning the better.
- Don't be afraid of a little char but keep them turned as needed.
- Remove when the thighs are 170 F and the breasts are 160 F.
- Normally this will take 8-12 minutes as noted above but on a colder, breezy day it took almost 30 minutes total grilling time to get the biggest pieces to the proper internal temperature.
- That's why it is important to cook by temps, not time.
- Serve with pigeon peas and rice
