Jamaican Jerk Chicken
This jerk chicken recipe is from Paul Chung, who grew up in Jamaica and sampled jerk throughout the island. It's fragrant, fiery-hot, and smoky all at once.
Ingredients
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1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
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3 scallions, roughly chopped
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2 Scotch bonnet chiles or habanero chiles (seeded, if desired), chopped
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2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
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1 tablespoon whole allspice, coarsely crushed
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1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
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1 tablespoon five-spice powder
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1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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1 teaspoon dried thyme
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/2 cup soy sauce
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1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for grill
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2 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) whole chickens, quartered
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Small thyme sprigs, for garnish
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Lime wedges, for serving
Description
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Process onion, scallions, chiles, garlic, allspice, peppercorns, five-spice powder, nutmeg, dried thyme, and salt in a food processor until a coarse paste forms, about 15 seconds. With processor running, gradually pour soy sauce and oil through food chute, and process until combined, about 10 seconds. Transfer marinade to a large nonreactive bowl.
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Add chicken pieces to marinade, and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
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Preheat grill to medium (350°F to 400°F). Let chicken stand at room temperature while grill preheats. Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Coat top grate with oil; place chicken, skin side down, on grate. Grill, covered, turning chicken occasionally, until well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest portion of chicken breast registers 160°F and thigh registers 170°F, 35 to 40 minutes.
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Transfer chicken to a platter, and let rest 10 minutes. (Internal temperature of breasts will continue to rise to 165°F.) Garnish chicken with thyme sprigs, and serve with lime wedges.