Boldly flavored, sweet-and-spicy, this jerk chicken recipe takes the "boring" out of chicken!
It's an easy weeknight recipe that I make over and over again because it's so wonderfully flavorful. Even the leftovers are excellent.
I got the idea to make jerk chicken back in 2015 while reading the fascinating memoir by chef Marcus Samuelsson, "Yes, Chef." Mr. Samuelsson mentions "jerk seasoning" in the book. Back then, I had no idea what it was and was intrigued.
A quick internet search taught me that this Jamaican seasoning is made of an interesting list of various spices. The following recipe is my own interpretation and is based on this recipe by Aaron McCargo Jr. I have made it many times over the years, and it's always a huge success.
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Ingredients
Here's a look at the ingredients needed to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.
- Coconut oil: Refined oil is best given the high oven temperature. You can also use avocado oil.
- Honey: Just two tablespoons, ensuring the seasoning is not too sweet.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, ground cloves, and ground cumin.
- Chicken: I usually use chicken drumsticks, leaving the skin on.
- Optional: Chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish.
Variations
- You can use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs in this recipe. They'll need around 40-45 minutes in the oven, depending on their size. Check with a thermometer to make sure they are done, aiming for an internal temperature of 165°F when not touching the bone.
- You can replace the coconut oil with ghee or avocado oil.
- Maple syrup is a good substitute for honey in this recipe.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Combine all the ingredients except for the chicken to make a flavorful seasoning paste.
Spread the paste all over the chicken.
Bake the chicken until cooked through, 35-40 minutes in a 400°F oven, basting it with the cooking liquids midway through cooking.
Garnish with chopped parsley (if desired) and serve.
Expert Tips
- If the seasoning paste hardens on the cold chicken pieces and is impossible to spread, bake the chicken for 5 minutes to soften the paste and then spread it, as I do in the video below. Continue baking, basting one more time midway, until the chicken is cooked through (the internal temperature should reach 165 ºF), 30-35 more minutes.
- In my old oven, this recipe took 45 minutes. In my new and hotter oven, it takes 35 minutes and I need to loosely cover the chicken with foil after the first 30 minutes. So ovens greatly vary in their temperature!
- When I'm feeling especially lazy, I spray chicken pieces with avocado oil, sprinkle them with a store-bought dry jerk seasoning mix, and bake. It's not as good as the more elaborate version, and store-bought seasoning tends to be too sweet for my palate, but it's still delicious and so easy. The photo below shows chicken thighs I made this way:
Recipe FAQs
It's a spice blend that typically includes allspice, Scotch bonnet peppers, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, brown sugar (I use honey), and salt. It's bold, sweet-and-spicy, and full of flavor.
Despite the honey, a serving of this recipe has just 8 grams of carbs, and the honey adds great flavor and balances the other flavors. However, if you need this dish to be even lower in carbs, use a sugar-free honey substitute.
Yes. I sometimes do. You can use 1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon of store-bought jerk seasoning in addition to coconut oil, honey, salt, and pepper. The only caveat: the store-bought versions tend to be quite sweet, more so than my version.
Serving Suggestions
This is a truly versatile main dish that goes with anything. I like to serve it with mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice, often with a leafy green vegetable such as steamed spinach or steamed broccoli.
It's also convenient to serve jerk chicken with a side dish that can be cooked in the same 400°F oven, like roasted frozen cauliflower, roasted asparagus, jicama fries, or roasted carrots.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. To avoid drying out the chicken, reheat them very gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power, or enjoy them cold, picnic-style.
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Recipe Card
Oven-Baked Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil - melted
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper - freshly ground
- 10 chicken drumsticks - 4 ounces each, skin on
Optional garnish:
- 2 Tablespoons parsley - or cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease the foil well. It's important to line the pan to prevent major cleanup as the honey caramelizes.
- In a small bowl, using a fork, combine the coconut oil, honey, allspice, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, cloves, cumin, salt, and pepper, to make a paste.
- Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the paste on top, spreading it all over the drumsticks.
- Bake until the chicken is fragrant, browned, and cooked through, 35-40 minutes, depending on your oven. Aim for an internal temperature of 165ºF. Baste the chicken midway through baking.
- Garnish the chicken with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve.
Video
Notes
- You can use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs in this recipe. They'll need around 40-45 minutes in the oven, depending on their size. Check with a thermometer to make sure they are done, aiming for an internal temperature of 165°F when not touching the bone.
- If the seasoning paste hardens on the cold chicken pieces and is impossible to spread, bake the chicken for 5 minutes to soften the paste and then spread it, as I do in the video below. Continue baking, basting one more time midway, until the chicken is cooked through (the internal temperature should reach 165 ºF), 30-35 more minutes.
- Check the chicken after the first 30 minutes in the oven. If it's darkening too much on top, loosely cover it with foil and continue baking until it's cooked through.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. To avoid drying out the chicken, reheat them very gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power, or enjoy them cold, picnic-style.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
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