(Newswire.net — November 13, 2021) —
Jerk chicken is very popular in Jamaica and it is mainly prepared on special occasions. It is usually cooked on a barbecue or in the oven. Usually, the meat is marinated for several hours before it is placed on skewers on top of green bananas, pimento seeds, or chunks of pineapple which are then roasted over hot coals .
The countries which are closely related to Jamaica in cooking and culture, like the USA, Canada, UK, The Bahamas, and China also love this dish because of its unique taste
According to history, the dish was named after the Jamaican method of cooking meat over coals or wood. It is mentioned that “jerk” referred to a dry spice rub used in the cooking process which is usually pimento berries, onions, and scotch bonnet peppers.
There are various variations of jerk chicken recipes using either plain water or lime juice to act as a binder for the spices. It can be dry-rubbed or wet marinated, but most often it would have been cooked over an outdoor grill. It is said that English sailors first tasted the spicy chicken dish when they visited Jamaica during the 17th century.
The first commercial product labeled as “jerk” was produced by a company called Walkerswood, which was formed in 1947. The brand produces jerk barbecue sauces, marinades, condiments, and other related products.
Jerk Chicken Recipe Ingredients
– 4 to 5 pounds chicken pieces, skinned and cut in half
– Salt for sprinkling
– Cooking oil for basting
For the Spice Paste:
– 1 piece of scallion (1 ounce) chopped finely
– 3 garlic cloves minced
– 2 teaspoons salt
– ½ nutmeg, grated
– 1 teaspoon ground thyme
– ½ teaspoon mace
– ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and chopped finely (or more if you want it hotter)
Preparation method for Jerk Chicken Recipe
1. Mix all the ingredients of the spice paste in a bowl and set aside.
2. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, then rub the spice paste all over the meat until it is completely covered. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Use a baking dish large enough so that all the chicken pieces fit in one layer. Arrange the marinated chicken pieces in the baking dish, pour approximately ½ cup water on top of each piece of meat, and cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour or until fork-tender. Baste with cooking oil every 15 minutes during the cooking process.
5. When done, remove from oven and serve with rice and peas or steamed vegetables.
Other Jerk Chicken Recipes
If you like this recipe and like using a pressure cooker, you’ll also want to try this pressure cooker jerk chicken recipe.