Jerk Chicken

Hi everyone! Today's recipe is another International dish, this time we will go all the way to Jamaica for a delicious and super easy to make Jerk Chicken, this dish has all the savory and succulent flavors of Jamaican cooking and it's made with ingredients you will find at any grocery store, it's very simple to make and also very budget friendly and crowd pleaser,  it's perfect for grilling during summer but you can also bake it all year around.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:

• 8 Chicken pieces or a whole Chicken cut in pieces

To make the Marinade:

• 3 tablespoons of finely chopped White Onions
• 2 finely chopped Green Onions
• 1 minced Jalapeño Pepper
• 3 minced Garlic Cloves
• The Juice and Zest of 1 large lime (1½ tablespoons lime juice)
• 2 tablespoons White Vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground All Spice
• 1 teaspoon ground Thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
• Salt to taste
• Ground Black Pepper to taste

Make the Marinade:  In a large bowl (large enough to store all the chicken pieces) combine all the ingredients to make the marinade, season with salt and ground black pepper to taste, stir well taste the flavor. Once you are happy with the flavor, set aside for a minute.

Rinse the chicken pieces with cold water, then dry them really well with paper towels. Make one or two cuts a long the chicken pieces. (do not cut all the way through the chicken, the cuts don't need to be too deep,  the cuts are just so the marinade can season the chicken meat better!).

Marinate the chicken pieces in the all spice mixture, make sure the marinade is covering the chicken pieces really well, and make sure the marinade also goes inside the cuts you made on the chicken.  Marinate in the refrigerator for at least three hours. If you have more time marinate for more time.

Grill it: You can grill this chicken, and it will cook in about 20-35 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Flip the chicken pieces 3-4 times while cooking.

Bake it: To bake it, preheat the oven to 375ºF.  Place the chicken pieces in a baking sheet or dish, pour the marinate over the chicken pieces to keep them moist,  brush with a bit of extra virgin olive oil (the oil is just to give them more color, and it's optional), and bake the chicken for about 35-45 minutes or until cooked.  (Smaller pieces will cook in about 35 minutes larger pieces will cook in about 45 minutes.)

The internal temperature of the Cooked chicken pieces should be 165-175ºF.

I served this Chicken with broiled vegetable for a very healthy and delicious Caribbean Dinner.

  Enjoy