Backyard Jerk Chicken
jeffraben.com/recipes · No. 462
A Phoenix-summer take on the Caribbean classic — heat with a purpose. Authentic jerk takes years to get right and usually a pimento wood fire I don't have access to in the driveway. This is my adapted version — built for a standard kettle grill, tuned for people who like heat but also like being able to taste the next three things they eat. Think of it as the aftermarket exhaust of chicken recipes: louder, more aggressive, still street-legal.
Ingredients
Method
- Combine everything except the chicken in a blender. Pulse until you get a thick, spoonable paste — a little texture is fine, this isn't a smoothie.
- Score the chicken skin lightly (helps the marinade actually penetrate instead of sliding off like water off a freshly waxed hood). Rub the paste over and under the skin.
- Marinate at least 8 hours, up to 24. This is not a 20-minute-while-you-preheat-the-grill situation — the flavor needs the time.
- Set up two-zone grilling. Sear thighs skin-side down over direct heat for 3-4 minutes to render fat and get color, then move to indirect heat.
- Cover and cook indirect, turning occasionally, until internal temp hits 175°F — jerk chicken wants to be cooked a bit past the bare-minimum safe temp for texture, not just food safety.
- Let rest 5-8 minutes. Serve with lime wedges and something cold to drink — you'll want it.
Marinate 8-24 hours. Heat management tip: if you're worried about the Scotch bonnet running the show, start with one pepper and taste the raw paste (carefully) before deciding whether pepper number two earns its spot. You can always add heat later; you can't take it out.