Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

This oven baked Jamaican Jerk Chicken recipe will make your mouth sing!  A saucy, spicy and sweet marinade coats the chicken before it bakes!  Each chicken piece is tender and has an exciting mix of flavors that make you come back for seconds!

This Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe is exactly how I would describe my blog.  It is a simple recipe made with fresh ingredients that are boldly combined to bring you an unexpected flavor.  Some of my favorite recipes are the ones where sweet and spicy ingredients come together.  Some of my most memorable recipes have much more to offer than one flavor profile.  Recipes like this Sweet and Savory Braised Brisket, this Smoky Pork Loin with Pineapple Mango Salsa and this Grilled Cherry and Brie Pizza are easy recipes that are made with ordinary ingredients that get served with a twist.

During my Panama Canal Cruise on board the Coral Princess, I was fortunate to enjoy legit Jamaican cuisine.  After our languid river tubing excursion, we stopped at a private beach where we were treated to authentic Jamaican cuisine.  We were able to sample vegetable curry, pineapple sausage kabobs, Jamaican Jerk chicken, fried plantains of-of course, mojitos.  Out of everything I sampled, it was the jerk chicken that has been on my mind since returning from my trip!

This is my tribute to that authentic island recipe.  It all starts with a simple jerk marinade.  A food processor makes short work of mixing the marinade.  Spices, onions, orange juice, garlic, jalapenos, brown sugar and olive oil, mix together and then coat each chicken piece.  The longer you allow the chicken to rest in the marinade, the more the flavor is pronounced.  Speaking flavor, my spice level is tame for this recipe.  My family does not enjoy spicy foods as much as I do.  Consider your tastes when you make this recipe.  You can easily adjust the heat of the spices, and you can leave out the hot peppers.

I baked my chicken pieces and then placed them on the grill for about 10 minutes near the end of the cook time. The grilling seared in the flavor and cake a little crust to each chicken.  You can grill the chicken the entire time if your prefer.

If you want to learn more about how to cruise the Panama Canal or other destinations, visit Princess.com.

This post was sponsored by Princess Cruises; all opinions are my own.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

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Preparation 00:15 Cook Time 00:60 Total Time 0:15

A sweet and spicy chicken recipe that brings out the flavor of the islands!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken wings
• 2 lbs chicken drumsticks
• 2 tablespoons onion
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 chopped jalapenos

Instructions

Place all the ingredients except for the chicken in a food processor and process until combined. Pour marinade into a ziptop bag. Add chicken pieces to bag and marinade for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Arrange chicken pieces and bake for 30 minutes. Flip chicken and bake for 20 minutes.

Heat a grill pan or outdoor over medium-high heat. Grill chicken for 10 minutes per side or until browned.

by Tanya Schroeder

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