Jerk Chicken is probably Jamaica’s most iconic dish and this oven-baked version is just as flavorful as the grilled version. This is a recipe you’ll want to save, remake, and pass on to your children. It’s honestly that GOOD.
What is jerk chicken?
This jerk chicken recipe should come as no surprise…it had to happen sooner or later 😀
Jerk chicken is almost as old as Jamaica itself and is believed to have been developed by enslaved Africans who escaped to Jamaica and combined their cooking techniques with the seasonings and spices of Jamaica’s native Arawak people. Jerk chicken is at its core a dish that symbolizes rebellion against oppression and the uniting of different cultures through food. What could be better than that?!
The term “jerk” refers to both the jerk marinade used to flavor the meat and the method of cooking the chicken. Jerk marinade can be wet or dry, and usually has pimento (all spice), scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, and a mixture of different herbs and spices. Jerk chicken is typically grilled on pimento wood placed over a charcoal fire. Now, who knows why I suddenly had the urge to make jerked chicken in the winter, but one thing was for sure, I was not about to fire up a grill!
Some purists (i.e. my mom) would say jerk chicken cooked in an oven is NOT jerk chicken. And fine, if we’re being particular, it’s not. So for those people, I’ll make a grilled jerk recipe in the summer lol! But I am convinced that after trying this recipe, even the most traditional Jamaican will agree that you can get just as much flavor by cooking jerk chicken in the oven.
The recipe…
What really sets this recipe apart is all the different marinades and rubs we’ll be using.
Wet Jerk Marinade
I already shared a recipe for a wet jerk marinade here. We’ll be using that same marinade today, just applying it to chicken. The wet marinade will stick to the chicken and soak into the meat overnight. This is the first infusion of flavor.
Green Seasoning
In addition to the wet jerk marinade, we’ll be creating another wet marinade with lots of herbs and seasonings. This second wet marinade is a “green seasoning” which is very common in Caribbean cooking. It’s made with many different ingredients, but usually features thyme, celery, scotch bonnet pepper, tomatoes, all spice, and pimento seeds. This green seasoning will make sure the chicken isn’t one note, and has that complex flavor that makes jerk chicken oh so good.
Dry Seasoning
First, a quick note on to the chicken. I like to use chicken quarters, because the leg and thigh are the most flavorful parts of the chicken, and they won’t get dry from the very high heat we’ll have to use to cook this recipe.
After cleaning the chicken and rubbing it down with lemon juice, apply both wet marinades, along with browning (for color), and additional scotch bonnet peppers if desired. Then we add our dry seasoning. I like to use Adobo seasoning, and salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub everything in and ensure that the chicken is well coated. Let the chicken marinate for at least 1 hour, but preferably over night. Great flavors take time to develop!
Cooking the Chicken
Since this is a baked jerk recipe, we will be cooking the chicken in the oven instead of on a grill. To get a crispy exterior, we’ll bake the chicken for 1 hour at 475 degrees F, flipping once halfway through. To ensure a crispy skin, cook the chicken in a cast iron skillet, starting with the skin side down. We are cooking at a very high heat and the cast iron pan will make sure that heat is evenly distributed throughout the chicken.
When the chicken is done, top with fresh lime juice and enjoy. This will disappear in minutes… I guarantee it.
Well that’s it for the week. If you enjoy this recipe, and special shout out to my amazing friends who taste tested this recipe for me!
Share this recipe…
If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know by rating it and leaving a comment below. I would love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag #sweetandsorrel on Instagram!
Baked Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
Wet Jerk Marinade
- 3-4 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers remove seeds for less spice
- 5 scallion (green onion) stalks, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh thyme, stems included
- 10 seeds all spice (pimento), dried
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp browning
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- coarse salt and pepper, to taste
Green Seasoning
- 5 scallion (green onion) stalks, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, stems included
- 1/4 cup fresh thyme
- 1 small cooking tomato
- 4 cloves garlic cloves
- 5 all spice (pimento) seeds, dried
- 1 medium green bell pepper
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeds removed
Chicken
- 4-6 chicken quarters (leg + thigh)
- 1 tbsp Adobo seasoning
- 2 tbsp browning
- 1 tbsp habanero sauce optional
Instructions
- Prepare the seasonings. First, make the wet jerk marinade by combining all the ingredients for the marinade in a food processor and pulsing until combined. Set aside. Next, make the green seasoning by combining all the ingredients for the marinade in a food processor and pulsing until mixture forms a thick paste. Set aside. [NOTE: You'll have more green seasoning that you need for this recipe. Store any extra seasoning in the fridge, it will keep for about a week].
- Prepare chicken by washing with lemon juice and removing excess skin. Season with adobo, habanero sauce (if you want extra spice), browning (for color), wet jerk marinade, and about 3 tbsp of wet green marinade. Use hands to ensure marinade and seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Remove chicken from fridge and bring to room temperature. Bake chicken for 30-35 minutes on each side in a cast iron pan until skin is caramelized and chicken is fully cooked.
- Serve with additional wet marinade on top, if desired.
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37 Comments
Wow! It looks authentic. I have no doubt it’s gonna taste great, wish I could have some now.
<3 <3!
This was so good! I’m so glad I started following you! I definitely have more of your recipes I plan to try.
I’m so glad to hear it! I hope you enjoy the other recipes <3
I made this tonight with beans and rice and steamed cabbage. So good! Next time I wouldn’t add all of the marinades at once and adjust to taste (more wet and less of the green). Thanks for writing an accurate recipe and sharing it!
I’m so glad you enjoy it Nats! And yes, once you get the hang of it, this recipe is very customizable.
I loved this recipe! I’ve always really enjoyed jerk chicken but was intimidated by the idea of making it, and you’ve done such a good job of breaking down the ingredients and giving a great oven-friendly option. Definitely plan on making this one again (maybe with one less scotch bonnet… or just need to train my heat tolerance)!
I loved this recipe! I’ve always really enjoyed jerk chicken but was intimidated by the idea of making it, and you’ve done such a good job of breaking down the ingredients and giving a great oven-friendly option. Definitely plan on making this one again (maybe with one less scotch bonnet… or just need to train my heat tolerance)!
Julia,
Your version of this recipe came out great! I’m so glad you decided to make it! <3
The instructions for the Wet Green Seasoning are missing (or is it just me?)
In the ingredient list, the all spice berries are listed twice, once as 5 and again at the end as 10…what to do?
Hi Peg,
I’m not sure why you are not able to see the Green Seasoning recipe on the recipe card. Please try again and let me know if you have the same issue. The ingredients are divided by sub-group. You need 10 all spice seeds for Jerk Marinade and another 5 for the Green Seasoning, so in total you will need around 15. Hope this helps!
I see the recipe ingredients, see below, but there are no instructions as to how you combine them…
Wet Green Seasoning
5 scallion (green onion) stalks, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, stems included
1/4 cup fresh thyme
1 small cooking tomato
4 cloves garlic cloves
5 all spice (pimento) seeds, dried
1 medium green bell pepper
1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeds removed
10 seeds all spice (pimento), dried
Hi Peg,
Thanks for your reply! I’ve updated the recipe to clarify the instructions for making the green seasoning. All you have to do is throw everything in a food processor and pulse until a thick paste forms. I have a step by step video for preparing the green seasoning in the video highlights of my Instagram page if you still need further assistance.
Thank you so much for the clarification.
Anytime! Thank you for commenting, it really helps me make sure the recipes are accurate! Have fun making this one <3!
Making this tonight! Do you have any suggestions for using the leftover green sauce?
Yes! You can make my Trini Chicken Pelau, which also uses the green seasoning.
!!!
The green sauce recipe list 5 all spice seeds, then it lists 10. Does the green sauce need 5, 10 or 20 allspice seeds?
You need around 5 all spice seeds for the green seasoning. Thank you for spotting the duplicate ingredient! I corrected it, so the recipe should be clear now.
can i make the chicken in a foil pan instead of cast iron ?
Hi Jay, I would definitely make this in a cast iron pan so you get the hard sear and crust. I would not recommend a foil pan. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
As somebody who lives in an apartment with no outdoor cooking ability, I was super happy to find this recipe that accounts for the necessity of an oven. These came out tasting so good! They might look “blackened” but the chicken is so tender underneath. Definitely worth the time and effort of prep!
So happy to hear it Kay! Yes, the chicken is so tender!
If I wanted to grill this recipe, would you recommend any specific instructions, such as baking beforehand?
Hi Pamela,
This is a great recipe to grill! No substitutions or changes needed, and no need to bake beforehand.