Grilled Jerk Chicken (or Pork) Recipe – the Taste of the Caribbean at Home

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In my house we love flavor; the bolder, the better. I first made this jerk marinade recipe a few years ago and used it on a pork tenderloin and it was amazing. We’ve made it with pork ever since until the other day when I had some chicken leg quarters in the fridge and very little inspiration to go with them. The warmer weather is starting to set in and I wanted something light and flavorful so I finally decided to use my jerk marinade on the chicken for the perfect summer meal. 

I’m not going to lie, jerk marinade has a lot of ingredients. In our house, these are things that we have on hand all the time anyway but not every household has a big spice cabinet like we do. 

The Ingredients

Chicken, white vinegar, apple juice, extra virgin olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, a medium onion, garlic, a jalapeño, thyme, cayenne pepper, allspice, cinnamon, and sage. I also throw in a few scallions (green onions) if I have them. 

Roughly chop your choppable things and throw them in a blender or food processor along with the liquids and spices. Then let ‘er rip. 

When you’re done you will have this smooth, thick, fragrant marinade.

Put the chicken in a plastic storage bag (or bowl if you prefer) and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours. I usually do it overnight since I know my morning limitations and getting dinner started isn’t normally on my radar. 

Once you’re ready to make dinner heat up the grill or your oven to about 350 degrees and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. If you don’t have a meat thermometer then 45 minutes to an hour for bone-in chicken should do it, depending on the pieces you’ve chosen to use. 

I like to serve this meal with my favorite summer salad. Even if you don’t make the chicken, make this salad and thank me later. You’re welcome. 

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Grilled Jerk Chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

A delicious summery meal that's full of Caribbean flavor

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Ingredients

• 3 pounds of bone-in chicken, I prefer thighs or leg quarters
• ¾ cup of white vinegar
• ½ cup apple juice
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp allspice
• ¾ tsp cinnamon
• ¾ tsp ground sage

Instructions

1. Add all of your ingredients (except the chicken, of course) into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth
2. Add chicken and marinade into a food storage bag and marinate at least 4 hours or overnight
3. Grill or Cook at 350° until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°, about an hour depending on the size of the chicken pieces.