Prep 15 min                 Cook 45 min                Ready 1 h

It has been nearly four years since I visited Jamaica on my senior trip right after high school graduation, and it is a trip that cannot be forgotten. It was on that vacation that I first tore into chicken so spicy my eyelids sweated and my tast

e buds experienced something magical. Jamaican jerk chicken was an ultra-combination of breathtaking heat and tasty spices. That first delicious serving of paradise fixated me on authentic jerk chicken, and propelled me to create authentic jerk chicken myself.

In order to cook Jamaica’s scrumptious dish of jerk chicken, it requires an extreme amount of spices – a lot of spices, especially allspice. It is also important to note beforehand that grilling the chicken over low heat and turning it frequently will help prevent the skin from burning. A list of the ingredients is provided at the end.

The ingredient that makes Jamaican jerk chicken so distinctive is, of course, the jerk sauce. To prepare this spicy element, it begins with the core ingredients: salt, allspice, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and thyme. I combined all these ingredients together after thorough measurements of each (the amount of ingredients will vary with the number of servings) to gather the precise quantity needed.

 

Here are some of the ingredients such as organic sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, olive oil, and allspice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After preparing the spices, I cut up the 2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs. I gently rinsed them off in the sink and cut off the excess fat. I then drowned it in the jerk sauce. I drenched the jerk sauce over the chicken entirely. I ensured that the chicken was saturating in the sauce before I settled it into the refrigerator 2 hours to marinate completely.

After 2 hours of marinating, I fired up the grill and I placed each slab of the dripping chicken skin-side up onto the grill. I grilled the chicken for nearly 45 minutes until it was no longer pink near the bone and portrayed a dark, nearly burnt texture on the outside, but that only meant it was finished underneath the skin.

 

After it was no longer pink, I turned the oven on to broil. This ensured the chicken cooked until the skin was crisp. This process usually takes about 2-5 minutes. I also repeated this process after each slab.

A tip I learned from my mother that I might add after cooking the dish: aluminum foil can be used to keep the chicken moist, cook evenly, and essentially make the clean-up easier.

My first round of experimenting with Jamaican jerk sauce and chicken went well. I was honestly surprised with how easy this dish was to make at home, though, I do not think anybody can create the authentic taste like native Jamaicans can. One thing I found disappointing about this dish is that leftovers do no taste as luscious as it does on the first day. I will keep in mind to cook this meal on the day I want to eat it.

 

 

Here is my last ultimate dish of Jamaican food. I have Jamaican jerk chicken, rice and peas (which are technically beans), and cooked vegetables.