In my July/August 2022 Food Network Magazine that I just got was Kwame Onwuachi’s recipe for jerk chicken. Incase you didn’t know Kwame Onwuachi is a James Bead award winning chef and has been a Bravo TV Top Chef contestant. When I saw his recipe I knew it would be good. I can just tell by reading it. You do spend a day brining the chicken and another day marinating the chicken. You finish the chicken with jerk bbq sauce. The chicken was even delicious and flavorful even before the bbq sauce. I made two substitutions. I swapped out bone in skin on chicken for boneless chicken thighs. The other substitution was that I couldn’t find Scotch bonnet peppers so I substituted habanero peppers (they have the same exact heat but aren’t as sweet as Scotch Bonnets). ANYWAYS ….It’s a very good recipe. Delicious, spicy, full of flavors. Makes around eight servings.

Ingredients for around 8 servings

2 Tablespoons kosher salt – brine

1 Tablespoon sugar – brine

1 teaspoon allspice berries – brine

1 Scotch bonnet halved (I substituted an habanero) – brine

1 garlic head halved – brine

1 inch piece of ginger with skin on sliced – brine

2 1/2 pounds skin on chicken quarters legs and thighs (I used boneless skinless thighs….6 of them that weighed around 3 pounds)

1/4 cup soy sauce – marinade

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce – marinade

1 Tablespoon tamarind paste – marinade

2 Tablespoons chopped scallions – marinade

2 Tablespoons fresh thyme – marinade

1 Tablespoon garlic minced – marinade

1 Tablespoon ginger – minced – marinade

1 teaspoon ground allspice – marinade

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar – marinade

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – marinade

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves – marinade

1 bay leaf – marinade

1 Scotch bonnet – minced (I substituted a habanero) – marinade

pinch salt – marinade

5 Tablespoons reserved jerk marinade paste – jerk bbq sauce

2 Tablespoons canola oil (plus more for grill pan) – jerk bbq sauce

1 onion diced – jerk bbq sauce

3 cloves garlic – minced – jerk bbq sauce

1 1/2 cups ketchup – jerk bbq sauce

1/2 cup dark brown sugar (this I used slightly less) – jerk bbq sauce

Make the brine. Combine 32 ounces of water with the salt, sugar, allspice, scotch bonnet, garlic, ginger Bring to a boil on medium -high heat. Cook around five minutes.Add 1/2 cup of ice and let it cool to room temperature. Add the chicken to the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Make the jerk paste marinade.

Stir together the soy sauce, Worcestershire, tamarind paste, scallions, thyme, garlic, ginger, allspice, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, Scotch bonnet, and salt. REMOVE 5 TABLESPOONS for the bbq sauce.

Remove the chicken from the brine and toss out the brine. Blot the chicken dry.

Toss the chicken in the jerk paste and massage it in. (I did this in a gallon ziplock bag)

Refrigerate 24 hours.

Make the jerk bbq sauce. Put a medium size fry pan with the canola oil on medium low heat. Heat the oil till shimmering. Add the onion, garlic ginger, reserved marinade. Simmer till onion is clear (5-8 minutes). Add the ketchup and brown sugar and heat till the mixture is red and caramelized (around 30 minutes). Take off heat and blend till smooth.

Cooking the chicken. Preheat the oven and oiled grill pan to 325 F. are sure the grill pan gets hot and let it roast for ten minutes. Remove the chicken from the marinade ****BUT SAVE THE MARINADE*****If you are using skin on chicken it goes for around ten minutes a side. I used boneless skinless thighs and I did 15 minutes on each side.

It didn’t char like I wanted maybe because of the lower heat but it did come out really great and very juicy. I thought about grilling the chicken on my bbq grill but I would have made a mess out if it that would be hard to clean in the over 100 degree temperature that we have in Phoenix.

Chicken is not done yet.

You put the chicken in a pan and pour the marinade on it.

Cover the pan. Cook till the chicken is done. 45 minutes was suggested for bone in skin on chicken that you can crisp up under the broiler. The chicken thighs only needed 15 minutes and before serving got brushed with the Jerk bbq sauce.

A special THANKS!!!! to Kwame Onwuachi and Food Network Magazine for such a FORKING AMAZING Recipe! This one is truly a keeper.