Jamaican Jerk Chicken

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.

A quick internet search led to a jerk seasoning recipe which I tweaked just a bit. As usual, the following jerk chicken recipe 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.

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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).

Despite the honey in the jerk marinade, a serving of this jerk chicken 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.

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4.97 from 59 votes

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Flavorful oven baked Jamaican jerk chicken takes the "boring" out of chicken! Jerk seasoning is phenomenal - bold, sweet-and-spicy, and full of flavor.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 290kcal

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

Jerk seasoning is based on this recipe by Aaron McCargo Jr.
 
If using 1 tablespoon honey, a serving has 5 grams of carbs and 275 calories.
 
If using a honey substitute, a serving has 1 gram of carbs and 260 calories.

Nutrition Facts

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Amount Per Serving (2 drumsticks)

Calories 290 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17g 26%

Saturated Fat 8g 40%

Sodium 656mg 27%

Total Carbohydrates 9g 3%

Sugars 8g

Protein 24g 48%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.