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Home » Chicken Recipes » Jerk Chicken

Jerk Chicken

A photo of Vered DeLeeuw.
by Vered DeLeeuwUpdated Dec 16, 2024
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5 from 12 votes

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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.

Jerk chicken is served on a white plate.

I got the idea to make jerk chicken when reading the fascinating memoir by chef Marcus Samuelsson, "Yes, Chef." Mr. Samuelsson mentions "jerk seasoning" in the book. A quick search taught me 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.

Ingredients

The ingredients needed to make jerk chicken.

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.

Coating the chicken in jerk seasoning.

Bake the chicken until cooked through, basting it with the cooking liquids midway through cooking.

Basting the chicken.

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

The chicken is served, garnished with parsley.

Expert Tips

  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. 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:
Jerk chicken thighs are served on a white plate.

Recipe FAQs

Should I marinate the chicken?

You can coat it in the spice blend and let it rest in the fridge for a few hours before baking, but it's not strictly necessary.

Can I substitute anything for the honey?

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.

Can I use a store-bought seasoning mix?

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 an airtight container in the fridge 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.

Jerk chicken is served on a white plate.

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Recipe Card

Jerk chicken is served on a white plate.
5 from 12 votes
Save this RecipeSaved! Rate this Recipe Print Recipe

Oven-Baked Jerk Chicken

Boldly flavored, sweet-and-spicy, this jerk chicken recipe takes the "boring" out of chicken!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 300kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
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Video

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, including Morton kosher 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 the 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.
    A baking sheet lined with foil.
  • 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.
    Mixing jerk seasoning in a bowl.
  • Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the paste on top, spreading it all over the drumsticks.
    Coating the chicken in jerk seasoning.
  • 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.
    Basting the chicken.
  • Garnish the chicken with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve.
    The chicken is served, garnished with parsley.

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 an airtight container in the fridge 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

Serving: 2 drumsticks | Calories: 300 kcal | Carbohydrates: 8 g | Protein: 28 g | Fat: 17 g | Saturated Fat: 8 g | Sodium: 654 mg | Sugar: 7 g

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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.

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A photo of Vered DeLeeuw.

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Healthy Recipes Blog was founded in 2011 by Vered DeLeeuw. It features real food recipes with a focus on low-carb and gluten-free ingredients. All recipes are nutritionally reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. Contact us at HealthyRecipesBlog@gmail.com.

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