Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken

August 13, 2011

Grilled Jamaican jerk chicken is one of my favorite outdoor cooking recipes. The flavors are bold and spicy; they really wake up in your mouth. This recipe is not for the faint hearted. It has scotch bonnet or habanero peppers which reach between 100,000 to 350,000 on the Scoville scale (measurement of a chile's heat) which translates to it being really hot. You can opt for a less spicy pepper like a jalapeno or leave it out all together. I would serve this chicken with the typical Jamaican side dish of rice and peas (red beans). There are still a few precious weeks in the grilling season so get out there are cook!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast halves with skin and bones (3 lb), halved crosswise
2 1/2 to 3 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks
3 scallions, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
4 to 5 fresh Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, stemmed and seeded
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons black pepper
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For full recipe instructions, click here