Jerk Chicken
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
Chicken leg quarters marinated overnight in a Scotch bonnet, allspice and thyme paste, then grilled or roasted until smoky, charred and tender.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Blend the marinade. Wearing gloves to protect your hands from the Scotch bonnets, blend all the marinade ingredients to a thick paste.
- 2
Marinate the chicken. Slash each piece of chicken 2-3 times down to the bone, then rub the paste all over and into the cuts. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours - the long marinating time lets the allspice, thyme and chilli work right through the meat.
- 3
Barbecue over two zones. Set up a two-zone fire, placing the chicken skin-up on the cool side with the lid on, and cook for 35-45 minutes until the thigh reaches around 75°C. Move it over the hot side for 3-5 minutes per side until charred in patches and the thigh reaches 80°C; a few soaked wood chips or whole allspice berries scattered on the coals add extra smokiness.
- 4
Or roast and grill. Without a barbecue, heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) for at least 20 minutes, then roast on a rack, skin-up, for 40-45 minutes until the thigh reaches 80°C, then finish under the grill (broiler) for 3-4 minutes to char the skin.
- 5
Rest and serve. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before serving with lime wedges on the side.
Storage
Store cooked chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat until piping hot throughout (74°C). Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why this label?
34.1 g protein for 529 kcal = 6.4 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 26% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Low sugars: 2.7 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 150 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
3.2 g per serving
6.4 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 12.8 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- blender
- large bowl or zip bag
- barbecue with a lid, or a roasting tin with a rack
- instant-read thermometer
- disposable gloves (for the chillies)
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 529 kcal |
| Protein | 34.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 10.4 g |
| of which sugars | 4.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 3.2 g |
| Fat | 39 g |
| of which saturates | 9.3 g |
| Fibre | 1.7 g |
| Salt | 2.04 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.4 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
