GrillCaribbean
Jerk chicken
Scotch bonnet, allspice, thyme, a two-zone grill. Dark meat so it does not dry while the paste chars.
Made it?
1 hr 10 min · 25 min hands-on · pull 175°F · rest 8 min
Ingredients
4.5 lb on the fire · ~2.9 lb to the table · 6 plates at 8 oz
- chicken thighs, bone-in4 1/2 lb
- scallions4
- Scotch bonnets, or habaneros2
- allspice, ground1 tbsp
- thyme1 tbsp
- garlic cloves4
- kosher salt2 tsp
- oil2 tbsp
Method
- 1
Blend the paste. Coat the chicken 4 hours or overnight.
- 2
Indirect 350°F until 170°F, 35–45 minutes. Hot grate to char, pull 175°F in the thigh.
- 3
Rest 8. The paste should blacken in spots. That is the cook, not a burn.
If you don’t have it
- chicken thighs → whole chicken. Keep the same pull. Leaner cooks faster and dries sooner.
- chicken thighs, bone-in → What you actually have, if it is the same muscle family. Breast-only jerk dries. Thighs and legs.
Same cook, different day
Weeknight
Less time. Same seasoning, hotter fire, watch the probe. Do not skip the rest.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making rice and gravy.
While the meat rests — use that fond. Long-grain rice. Deglaze the meat pan, reduce, pour over.
25 min
- With this dish, try making grilled zucchini.
When the meat comes off. Same rest window as asparagus. Lengthwise planks, oil, salt, thyme. Hot grate, marks, still a little bite.
12 min
- With this dish, try making petite roasted potatoes.
Same pan as a roast or chicken. Or a sheet next to chops. Halve, oil, salt, rosemary. 425°F cut-side down until the faces brown. Toss in the meat drippings at the end.
40 min