Spicy Jerk Chicken

A fiery Jamaican classic made with chicken thighs, scotch bonnet chillis, allspice, garlic and ginger.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients
  • 2 tbspbrown sugar
  • 8chicken thighs
  • 2 tbspfresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 5 clovegarlic
  • thumb sized pieceginger (chopped)
  • 1 tbspground allspice
  • 1lime (zested and juiced)
  • 0.5 tspnutmeg (freshly grated)
  • 2scotch bonnet chillis
  • 3 tbspsoy sauce
  • 6spring onion / scallions
  • 2 tbspvegetable oil

Method

  1. 1.

    Cut the tops off and halve the scotch bonnet chillis and add to a food processor along with the brown sugar, spring onions, roughly chopped ginger, allspice, fresh thyme leaves, grated nutmeg, soy sauce, vegetable oil and the zest and juice of a lime, finally crush in the garlic and blitz to a smooth paste.

    Tip: use food safe disposable gloves (or avoid touching the inside of the chilli) when handling hot chillis like scotch bonnets as any residue left on your hands can be transferred when touching your eyes or other sensitive body parts

  2. 2.

    Add the chicken to a large dish or ziplock bags then pour over the jerk sauce. Using tongs (or your hands if using gloves) coat the chicken in the jerk marinade. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

    For best result turn the chicken - or give your ziplock bag a shake - every so often to make sure the marinade distributes evenly

  3. 3.

    Heat you BBQ/grill, if you're using charcoal keep it on one side of the bbq/grill, then cook your chicken thighs over indirect heat (i.e. not over the bbq coals) to prevent the outside from burning. Put the lid on and cook for around 40-45 minutes until cooked, turning halfway through.

    Tip: Use a meat thermometer to check doneness when cooking over an open flame as the temperature of the bbq/grill will change during cooking. It should reach an internal temperature of 74C/165F