If you want to try a Jamaican Jerk Chicken recipe from scratch that will blow your mind, then listen up! This post is for you!

What is Jamaican Jerk Exactly? 

Jamaican Jerk, which will vary according to household, is usually a mix of “spice” with “spicy”- with fragrant ingredients like allspice, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, thyme, garlic, onions and hot chilis, usually scotch bonnet or habaneros, combining to form a “spice paste” flavor bomb. 

PRO TIP: Did you know that Allspice berries come from the Pimento tree? In Jamaica, Jerk chicken is cooked over Pimento wood. For a more authentic Jamaican Jerk experience, throw some allspice berries on your grill to add the flavor of Pimento wood to your fire.

Ingredients to Make This Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

This is what all the ingredients for the Jamaican Jerk Spice Paste look like before they’re blended up! I love how colorful it looks.

This spice paste is so fragrant! Make a double batch and put it in ice cubes in your freezer so you can have Jamaican Jerk Spice paste whenever the mood hits you!

How to Make Jamaican Jerk Chicken

1. Prepare the Marinade:
   • In a blender or food processor, combine fresh thyme, scallions, garlic cloves, Scotch bonnet peppers (adjust the number to your preferred level of spiciness), allspice berries, soy sauce, olive oil, lime juice, brown sugar (if using), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until you have a smooth marinade.
2. Spatchcock the Chicken:
   • To spatchcock the chicken, use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone. Once the backbone is removed, flatten the chicken by pressing down on it with your hands. This allows for even cooking.
3. Marinate the Chicken:
   • Place the spatchcocked chicken in a large, resealable plastic bag or a shallow dish.
   • Pour the Jamaican jerk marinade over the chicken, making sure it’s well-coated. You can use your hands to massage the marinade into the chicken. Using your index finger, create a pocket between the skin and the meat of the chicken and put spice paste under the chicken skin so the spice paste is fully absorbed into the meat.
   • Seal the bag or cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours or preferably overnight to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat.
4. Grilling:
   • Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
   • Add your smoke chips and all spice berries. I am really loving Bourbon Barrel Chips but use a fruit wood or oak if you don’t have these.
   • Preheat your grill to medium-high heat with a direct and indirect zone. This means the coals are moved to one side creating two distinct zones. 
   • Brush the grill grates with oil to prevent sticking.
   • Grill the chicken on indirect heat for 30 minutes, letting it smoke and absorb flavor from the grill on indirect heat while coming up to temp slowly. Once the internal temp has reached 150 degrees in the breast of the chicken, get ready to grill it on both sides on direct. 
   • Grill the chicken, skin side down, for about 5 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and well-charred. Flip the chicken and continue grilling for another 5 minutes minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the meat.
5. Rest and Serve:
   • Once done, remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before carving.
   • Carve the chicken into pieces and serve with your favorite side dishes.

You want to create a direct and indirect zone on your grill when making this Jamaican Jerk (Spatchcocked) Chicken.

Substitutions and Variations for Jamaican Jerk Chicken 

• Protein: If you don’t have a whole chicken, you can use chicken pieces like thighs, drumsticks, or bone-in breasts.
• Jamaican Jerk Seasoning: If you can’t make your own Jamaican Jerk spice paste, use Walkerswood Jamaican Jerk paste.
• Peppers: Scotch bonnet peppers can be very spicy. You can substitute with milder peppers like habanero or jalapeño if you prefer less heat.

Variations:

• Mango Jerk Chicken: Add a tropical twist by incorporating mango puree or diced mango into the jerk marinade for a sweet and spicy flavor.
• Smoked Jerk Chicken: Use a smoker to cook the chicken low and slow for a smoky, tender result.
• Vegetarian/Vegan Option: Marinate tofu, tempeh, or a medley of vegetables in jerk seasoning and grill for a delicious plant-based alternative. You can also use jamaican jerk seasoning to make compound butters for veggies like grilled corn- so good!
• Jerk Pork: Apply the jerk marinade to pork cuts, like pork shoulder or ribs, for a different flavor profile.
• Serve with Traditional Sides: Accompany your jerk chicken with classic sides like rice and peas, fried plantains, or my Caribbean coleslaw for an authentic meal.

Tools Needed for Jamaican Jerk Chicken

• Meat Thermometer – Thermoworks is the gold standard. I also came out with my own limited edition TEAL Digital Thermometer that gives 3 second readings for $29.99
• Grill Grates (optional but I highly recommend for even cooking and getting epic char marks!)
• Tongs
• Wood Chips for smoking
• Extra Allspice berries

If you are looking for sides, I have a Caribbean coleslaw with coconut and pineapple recipe that is pairs perfectly with this recipe. If you love “Floribbean Inspired” recipes, check out my Authentic Brick Grill Cuban Sandwiches you can easily make on your grill- they’re perfect when grilling for a crowd! 

Jamaican Jerk Spatchcocked Chicken

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• Author: Robyn
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minues
• Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe is so fragrant you are going to wish you made an extra batch of this tasty Spice paste! This authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken recipe combines the flavors of the Caribbean to give you moist, juicy chicken with crispy skin. This recipe calls for Spatchcocked Chicken but this paste can be used on any kind of chicken or pork.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Jamaican Jerk Spice Paste:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 scallions
• 1 tbsp allspice berries (ground is okay too)
• 1 tbsp black pepper corns
• 2 tsp dried thyme (fresh is even better)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground sea salt
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• dash hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp chopped habanero or scotch bonnet pepper with seeds removed (if you cannot handle heat, you can omit this part, but please still add the dash of hot sauce)
• zest and juice of one large lime (don't skip this step, the lime zest adds a lot of flavor)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

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Instructions

Puree all the ingredients in the order they are listed, gradually adding the olive oil at the end. Puree until the paste reaches a uniform consistency.

How to Prepare and Grill a Spatchcock Chicken:

1) Butterflying the chicken: I'd recommend buying the chicken at a butcher where you can ask them to do this for you! If you don't have them do it, you will need to use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone and then press down on the chicken with the palm of your hand to help flatten the bird.

2) Use your finger and loosen the skin on the bird, but be careful not to tear it. Rub the spice paste under the skin all over the chicken and then repeat on the outside of the skin. Cover the bird or put in a ziplock and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

3) GRILLING:

• Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
• Add your smoke chips and all spice berries. I am really loving Bourbon Barrel Chips but use a fruit wood or oak if you don't have these.
• Preheat your grill to medium-high heat with a direct and indirect zone. This means the coals are moved to one side creating two distinct zones.
• Brush the grill grates with oil to prevent sticking.
• Grill the chicken on indirect heat for 30 minutes, letting it smoke and absorb flavor from the grill on indirect heat while coming up to temp slowly. Once the internal temp has reached 150 degrees in the breast of the chicken, get ready to grill it on both sides on direct.
• Grill the chicken, skin side down, for about 5 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and well-charred. Flip the chicken and continue grilling for another 5 minutes minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the meat.

Serve with your favorite coleslaw, grilled romaine or favorite grilled veggies and Texas toast. If you make this for your family, they will think you are a grilling goddess!

Notes

“Spatchcocked” is really just a funny way of saying grilled butterflied chicken. Much like you need to butterfly a Cornish game hen (which is a small chicken) so it will lay flat on the grill, you need to do the same with a whole chicken. Removing the backbone allows the bird to lay flat so the bird can cook more evenly on the grill.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Jamaican Jerk
• Method: Grill
• Cuisine: Jamaican Jerk

Want more Grilled Chicken Recipes? Check out our Grilled Chicken category page for more grilling inspiration!

Did you try this recipe? Leave me a comment below and let me know your thoughts! Tag me on instagram @grillgirlrobyn – I love hearing from you!

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