Big, big, BIG flavours. Spicy. Punchy. Salty. Sweet. ♥ I can’t transport you to the Caribbean. But I can give you a taste of the tropics in your own home! Happy days!
One of the best nights I remember from my holiday to the Bahamas was at a beach bar where we drank cheap beer, danced barefoot on the sand and lined up in long queues for dinner served on paper plates. It was an extensive banquet consisting of peas ‘n rice, corn on the cob, a green salad and jerk chicken….. 🙂
No one was complaining about lack of choice, believe me! That was my first jerk chicken experience and I’ve never looked back. It hits my sweet spot perfectly – big, punchy, spicy flavours.
Look at the thick sticky marinade on the chicken!
I’ve tried quite a few jerk chicken recipes, including from celebrity chefs. But this Oven Baked Jerk Chicken recipe by Imma from Immaculate Bites is my favourite. As soon as I saw her recipe, I knew I would try it and I’ve made it twice already. Recipes for jerk chicken, like many signature dishes of cuisines from around the world, vary wildly though they have common ingredients. What I love about Imma’s recipes is that she shares home cook versions of Caribbean recipes. Real ingredients that ordinary people can find and cooking methods for ordinary folks like me.
I would love to be able to make real jerk chicken over charcoal with pimento wood. But that just ain’t gonna happen in my backyard! So I’m sticking with Imma’s oven baked version. 🙂 I made these in the photo in the oven, but I’ve provided directions for the grill/BBQ as well.
I served the jerk chicken with Imma’s Caribbean Rice with Red Beans. It’s sensational, the kind of rice that is so flavourful you can eat it plain. 🙂
- 8 (about 2.5lb / 1.2kg) chicken drumsticks (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 lime (or 1/2 lemon), juice only (about 2 tbsp)
- 1 onion , coarsely chopped (brown, yellow or white)
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger , chopped (or 1 tsp dried ginger powder)
- 1 or more scotch bonnet pepper or substitute with other chili (Note 2)
- 6 garlic cloves , roughly chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tbsp allspice powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder (preferably freshly grated)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- Fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
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Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and place in a large ziplock bag.
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Place Marinade ingredients in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Try not to touch the Marinade with bare hands to avoid getting chili on your hands.
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Pour the Marinade into the ziplock bag. Close the bag, squeezing out excess air. Massage the bag from the outside to disperse the Marinade throughout the chicken. Marinate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.
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When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the Marinade but reserve the Marinade.
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Preheat the oven to 180C/350 (fan forced).
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Place a wire rack on a baking tray lined with foil. Place the drumsticks on the rack and baste the top with half the Marinade. Bake for 25 minutes.
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Turn the drumsticks and baste the top with the remaining Marinade. Bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes, until the drumsticks are very dark brown.
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Rest for 5 minutes before serving, garnished with coriander/cilantro if using.
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Preheat the grill side of the BBQ on medium (or medium low if your BBQ is strong). Brush the grill with oil, if required.
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Place the chicken on the grill. Brush the top with 1/2 the Marinade. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn.
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Brush the top with the remaining Marinade and cook for a further 5 to 8 minutes.
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Then turn the chicken again (to cook the side that you just brushed Marinade on) and cook for a few minutes. (Total cook time around 20 minutes in total)
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Remove from the BBQ and rest for 5 minutes before serving, garnished with coriander/cilantro if using.
1. This recipe works really well with chicken thigh fillets - with or without skin, with or without bone. It works but is not as good with chicken breast - you really need fat for the Marinade to mix with and to caramelise.
If you use boneless chicken thigh fillets, you can also cook this on the stove.
2. The original recipe calls for 1+ scotch bonnet peppers (adjust according to taste). Scotch bonnet peppers are a very hot chili that are commonly used in African and Caribbean cooking. On the chili "heat" scale, it is about 50% spicier than birds eye chili.
The best substitute is habanero peppers which is about the same level of spiciness. Otherwise, birds eye or any other spicy chili is an adequate substitute. Just do a taste test of the marinade to get the spiciness to your taste.
You can get dried habaneros in Australia from Herbies or Fireworks Food. Just soak in a bit of warm water for 15 minutes or so, then put it straight into the food processor without sautéing.
I find 2 habaneros / 3 birds eye chillis give it a nice kick. If I'm cooking for someone who can't handle spicy food, I reduce it to 1 birds eye chilli.
If you are using scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, be aware that they are very hot! Use gloves if you can, and wash your hands, food processor and anything else that has come into contact with them. DO NOT rub your eyes!! Or any other sensitive part of your body! 😉
3. The original recipe calls for using the Marinade to make a sauce by simmering it on the stove for 7 minutes with the juices from the chicken. I changed it to use all the Marinade on the chicken so the drumsticks are coated with thicker flavour, rather than sauce on the side. The other reason I did this is that drumsticks in Australia don't drop enough juice and fat to be able to create enough liquid to turn the remaining Marinade into a sauce, and also I like the thicker, stronger flavour on the chicken.
4. Jerk Chicken goes fabulously with Caribbean Rice and Beans (see recipe below).
5. Nutrition for the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Drumsticks based on 4 servings.
- 2 tbsp oil (canola, vegetable, peanut, olive oil)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 onion , diced (brown, white, yellow)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 small fresh thyme sprig
- 1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
- 14 oz / 400g can red kidney beans , rinsed and drained
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 3/4 cup water (or 1 cup if you like your rice very soft)
- 1 small bay leaf
- 2 tsp cajun spice mix (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
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Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
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Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add onion and thyme, and sauté for 3 minutes until translucent and just starting to turn golden brown.
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Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Put the lid on and bring to boil, then turn the heat down to low.
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Cook for around 20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed (tilt the saucepan - if there is no water, then it is ready).
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Remove from the stove and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. During this time, any residual water will be absorbed and the rice will continue to cook.
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I served this with Jamaican Jerk Chicken Drumsticks.
1. You can get cajun spice mix from the spice and herb section of the supermarket. It is no more expensive than other spices.
2. The original recipe called for 1 Scotch Bonnet to be finely diced and sautéed with the garlic. I omitted it because I serve this rice as a side dish for Jerk Chicken which is very strong flavoured and spicy.
3. Nutrition for the Caribbean Rice with Beans based on 6 servings (as a side).
Nagi. I have been following your blog for about a year or so. After the fish with lemon cream sauce, I was hooked. Your recipes are inspiring even when I haven’t had a chance to make them yet. This is one of them. I will definitely be making this and serving to my Caribbean friends, ASAP! I will come back to let you know how it all worked out.
Drooling!
I hope you get a chance to try this one Lisa! It’s SO GOOD! N xx
Just tried this for the first time today, excellent recipe! Everyone at the office said it was delicious, thanks for the great post!
That’s terrific Sheoak! Thanks for letting me know! N xx ❤️
Can you make the carribean rice with brown rice?
I’m sorry I haven’t tried that ML 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi,
magnificent recipes 🙂 .
Caribbean rice
I was wondering, i need to make 12 cups of rice for the whole family
should I use the same ratio of 1 cup of coconut milk to 1 cup of rice
or should i do 8 cups of coconut milk and top it up with water
Not sure how creamy the rice would get if I do 1 cup per 1 cup of rice
please could you guide me
So pleased you enjoyed this Patrick! Just scale up the recipe, 1 cup of uncooked rice = 3 cups cooked 🙂 Do you want 12 cooked cups? N x
Making 12 cups of raw rice , therefore do I use 12 cups of coconut milk , will it make it to creamy .
Intend making this in a rice boiler , after I fry the rice with all the the ingredients, except water and milk
Hi Patrick – yes 12 cups of coconut milk and all the other ingredients need to be scaled up too 🙂 By x 12
so good! The grill got some of my skin (booo!), but the dish was great! I used two chicken leg quarters and two big pork chops, and went with two jalapenos. The pork was even better than the chicken. And the rice/beans was a great side. Will not be my last time preparing this recipe.
BOO to that!!! 🙂 Quick tip – don’t move the chicken around when grilling, it actually naturally released once cooked 🙂 Little tip I got from Bobby Flay actually!
Omg I’m in love. I initially thought this recipe was too hard because it required so many ingredients + food processor but OH MY GOSH! It’s soooooo easy and worth every step! I used a nutribullet to blend the marinade. I marinated for 24 hours and grilled it. So so so goood. ANOTHER Nagi recipe for the books!!!
Fantastic to hear you enjoyed it Stephanie, thanks for letting me know! N xx
I added one habanero and it’s too spicy should I add more sugar? Help lol any suggestions
Hi Salina, I’m sorry I’m too late for this! My only suggestion would be too scrape off some of the marinade 🙁
Made this last night and LOVED it. I used two habanero peppers and it gave it some good heat. Just another recipe you’ve wowed me and my bf with.
Thanks Nagi!
I’m so glad Amaris!!! Thank you for trying my recipe and coming back to let me know you enjoyed it! N x