Super flavorful oven baked Jamaican jerk chicken takes the “boring” out of chicken! Bold, sweet-and-spicy, jerk seasoning is one of my favorite ways to season chicken.
The idea to make jerk chicken came to me while reading the fascinating memoir by chef Marcus Samuelsson, “Yes Chef.” Mr. Samuelsson mentions “jerk seasoning,” and of course I was intrigued.
What is jerk seasoning?
A quick internet search led to a jerk seasoning recipe which I tweaked just a bit. As usual, the following jerk chicken recipe in the recipe card below is my own interpretation.
Jerk seasoning is phenomenal – bold, sweet-and-spicy, and full of flavor. Generally, I find chicken bland, but with jerk seasoning, it is anything but.
In fact, this jerk chicken recipe has quickly become a family favorite. It is now one of the chicken recipes most requested by my family (another one is this honey baked chicken).
By the way, even if you’re health conscious, there’s no need to remove the chicken skin. It’s fine to eat, and it adds so much flavor!
Is this jerk chicken recipe low carb?
Despite the honey in the jerk marinade, a serving of this recipe has just 9 grams of carbs. If you’re on a very low carb diet and need it to be even lower in carbs, you could try using just 1 tablespoon honey, thinning out the jerky paste with a bit of water if needed. Or try using a low carb honey substitute. Nutrition info for these options is included below in the recipe card.
How to store leftover jerk chicken?
Keep leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, in the microwave on 50% power.
More tasty chicken recipes
These spicy baked chicken thighs are excellent. The seasoning in that recipe is another great way to ensure your chicken is not bland. And another very flavorful chicken recipe is blackened chicken. Again, the spices make a big difference!
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use 2 teaspoons if you don’t mind high sodium)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 (3.5 oz) chicken drumsticks, skin on
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the first nine ingredients (all of them except the chicken) to make a paste.
- Arrange the chicken drumsticks in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the paste on top, spreading it all over the drumsticks.
- Bake until chicken is fragrant, well-browned and cooked through, about 45 minutes.
NOTES
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