Alexandra Hill

Roasted Jerk Chicken & Jerk BBQ sauce

Alexandra Hill
Roasted Jerk Chicken & Jerk BBQ sauce
 
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I love jerk chicken…like I’m obsessed!

Jamaica is one of my favorite places to visit just because of the food. My top 2 is between oxtail and jerk chicken. Jerk chicken to me is just OMG -it’s spicy, if it’s on the grill it’s charred and smokey..it’s everything!

This recipe is after many concoctions and different tries and I finally came to one I like. Now jerk chicken is usually made on the grill but living in New York, we’re not really allowed to have grills unless you have a backyard. I have a rooftop so over the summer we definitely illegally grilled on the roof with the smallest $30 grill from Home Depot #worthit.

So this past week I spatchcocked the chicken (which is my favorite way to cook a chicken) and roasted it on high af heat to get that same char like on the grill and then made a spicy jerk bbq sauce…f*cking amazing!

Over the summer I followed my foodie friend’s @sweetandsorrel recipe for the jerk marinade and hers was by far my favorite. (sidebar - that’s one good thing about the internet. meeting fellow foodies!) I loved that she used ACV & lime juice so in keeping that I wanted more UMAMI and I remember my friend from Jamaica saying soy sauce was a major key! Aside from the staples like thyme, green onions, scotch bonnet peppers & all spice, this definitely was an experiment but one that came out so great!

Note: This is a juicy & tender jerk chicken so it has a different taste if it was on the grill which gives it a nice charred smokey flavor.

MARINADE YOUR CHICKEN FOR 6 HOURS AT A MIN OR 24 HOURS! YES, I’M YELLING BECAUSE MARINATING IT SO IMPORTANT! LET THE FLAVORS SEEP IN! LOL

Roasted Jerk Chicken

  • 1/2 large yellow onion

  • 5-6 cloves of garlic (big pieces of garlic!)

  • 1 thumb size piece ginger, skin removed (a large knob the size of your thumb)

  • 2-4 scotch bonnet pepper (or habanero peppers if you can’t find scotch bonnet)

  • Note: 2 if you don’t like spicy & 4 if you like spicy

  • 1 bunch scallion/green onion (all of it, the white parts too except the hairy root part)

  • 5-8 sprigs of thyme

  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons browning

  • 1-2 teaspoons soy sauce (this gives it some UMAMI!)

  • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (more umami)

  • 1/4 teaspoon whole allspice berries/pimento (I like to crush them first then add them to the food processor)

  • Note: if you can’t find whole allspice berries and only find ground, use 1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice

  • some vegetable oil (probably about 1/3 of a cup)

  • 1 lime juiced

  • apple cider vinegar (eye ball this because ACV is strong but the acidity gives this chicken a very nice flavor. I would say 3 heaping tablespoons or so)

  • a little water to loosen the marinade up

Chicken Seasoning

  • kosher salt & pepper

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • Jerk BBQ Sauce

  • 1 cup ketchup

  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

  • 1/2 cup jerk marinade (reserved from the marinade)

  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (ACV)

  • salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

  • Season your chicken generously with salt and pepper. Add the garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Thoroughly massage your chicken!

  • Rule of thumb - For every 1lb of meat use 1 teaspoon of kosher salt

  • Add all the jerk marinade ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend all together. Pour marinade allllll over the chicken. Remember to reserve 1/2 cup for your jerk BBQ sauce. Thoroughly massage the jerk marinade all over the chicken, under the skin…everywhere!

  • After your chicken is done marinating. Pre-heat your oven to 475. Add your chicken to a cast iron pan and cook uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour (until it reaches 165 degrees with your meat thermometer). We are cooking on high heat to get the skin nice and crispy and because the marinade is all up and in the chicken, it will remain juicy inside!

  • For the jerk BBQ sauce: Add everything into a sauce pot, except the ACV and cook on medium low heat until it starts to simmer/bubble (10 min). Gradually add in the apple cider vinegar (ACV). Taste to adjust seasoning. The ACV adds a nice tang to it so that’s why I say gradually add it in. Less ACV means less tang, more ACV means more tang!

  • ENJOY!