Baked Jerk Chicken
Amazing Baked Jerk Chicken. Marinated overnight then baked until tender, juicy and crispy on the outside.
Baked Jerk Chicken
It’s a lot easier to make Jerk Chicken at home than you think. The trick to making oven baked jerk chicken is to marinade it overnight then broil it in the oven for a crispy caramelized skin.
The flavor comes from the marinade which is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. Sweet from the molasses and spicy from the habanero.
This recipe is a great make ahead meal. The night before throw all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor pulse them up and through it in a ziplock bag along with the chicken. When it’s time for dinner take the chicken out of the marinade and bake!
The chicken gets it’s spice from the habanero pepper. I added in two and deseed them. You can always add in one or omit if you don’t like the heat. If the sauce is too spicy for you add a little extra lime juice to balance out the heat.
How to make Baked Jerk Chicken
- Marinate: Add oil, molasses, lime juice, habanero peppers, ginger, garlic and spices to a food processor and pulse until combined. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade, set aside. Pour the rest of the marinade into a large ziplock bag along with the chicken. Marinate for at least and hour or preferably overnight.
- Bake: When you are ready to cook preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take the chicken out of the marinade and place the chicken in a cast iron skillet or oven safe pan. Cook for 1 hour or until chicken is fully cooked. Take out of the oven and brush on the reserved marinade.
- Broil chicken: Turn oven to broil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the skin is browned and crispy. (Make sure to keep a close eye on it so it does not burn.)
- Serve: Immediately with fresh chopped cilantro and lime wedges for serving.
Tips for making The Best Baked Jerk Chicken
- Don’t skip the marinating. It makes the chicken super tender and adds so much flavor. The longer you marinade the chicken the better!
- I recommend using chicken thighs or drumsticks in this recipe. They have more fat and will keep the chicken from drying out.
- If you can’t find habanero peppers you can substitute scotch bonnets. Just adjust to taste. Scotch bonnets tend to be a bit spicier.
Sides dishes to serve with this Baked Jerk Chicken Recipe
- Avocado Corn Black Bean Salsa
- Coconut Rice
- Mango Salsa
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Roasted Veggies
Here are more delicious chicken recipes to try!
- Easy Chicken Marsala
- The BEST Chicken Parmesan
- Easy Chicken Shawarma
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
- Easy One Pan Bourbon Chicken
- Easy Thai Chicken Satay
Baked Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks skin on and bone in
Marinade
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 habanero peppers stemmed and seeded
- 1/2 tablespoon ginger half a knob
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- *NOTE* Prep time does not include marinating time.
- Add all of the marinade ingredients to a food processor and pulse until combined. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade.
- Pour into a large ziplock bag along with the chicken. Marinade for at least and hour or preferably overnight.
- When you are ready to cook preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Take the chicken out of the marinade and place the chicken in a cast iron skillet or oven safe pan.
- Cook for 1 hour or until chicken is fully cooked.
- Take out of the oven and brush on the reserved marinade.
- Turn oven to broil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the skin is browned and crispy. (Make sure to keep a close eye on it so it does not burn)
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from Life Made Simple
Originally published Jan 26, 2017