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Chicken inspired by a recent trip to Jamaica where I tasted my first jerk chicken.

Every person on the island has their own family recipe for this mouth-watering chicken.

It’s coated in a seasoning mixture dominated by spices and chillis and then grilled. My rub is a mix of a blend of chillis, thyme, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves with a spicy kick . And it’s incredible.
Amazingly tender, moist, and juicy chicken bursting with savory flavors on every bite.  You’ll want to make this all year round!

For best results, let the chicken marinate overnight, so the seasoning has time to thoroughly penetrate the meat.

And it is frigging delicious. Just throw it on the grill and enjoy!

xxx MM

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Caribbean Jerk Chicken

  • Author: Melissa Mayo

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks)
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Coarse salt

FOR THE SPICE RUB

  • 1 stick of cinnamon
  • 1 TBS whole cloves
  • 1 TBS whole allspice berries
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 ½ TBS thyme
  • 2 TBS brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper/ chilli flakes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C

Use a mallet to break the cinnamon stick into smaller pieces. Toast the cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice, and peppercorns in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat until fragrant (2 to 3 mins).

Add the toasted spices, thyme, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper/chilli flakes to a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Grind into a powder.

Use 3 TBS of the jerk spice and mix it with the olive oil to make a paste. Cut a few slits into each leg and rub the chicken with the paste. Season with salt.

Place the chicken skin side up on a baking sheet and roast until golden brown and cooked through (30-35min).

SERVES 4-6

Notes

The spice rub can be made ahead and any remaining spice can be stored in an airtight container to use again.

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I'm Melissa, your host & tour guide.

A Food Network chef, author, mamma, eternal optimist, wannabe-mermaid, spice mixologist, and “dough therapist” (yep, it’s a thing)—

I'm also the founder of Susina Cucina, the gorgeous, Italian cooking school I manifested into my reality. I’m obsessed with Aperol spritzes, travel, and mouthwatering food… especially pizza and pasta.

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