Skip to main content
Epicurious
Bon Appétit

Miss Ollie's Jerk Chicken

4.5

(14)

A pile of jerk chicken on a plate.
Photo by Alex Lau

Let’s get a technicality out of the way: Classic jerk chicken is grilled over pimento wood (which comes from the tree that also produces allspice berries). If you want to order some online, we salute you. Everybody else: Hardwood or briquettes will have to do.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    8 servings

Ingredients

1 bunch chives, cut into 1-inch pieces
4–8 Scotch bonnet chiles or habanero chiles
5 garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 cup malt vinegar
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Jamaican rum
2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal or 1 tablespoon Morton kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
8 pieces skin-on, bone-in chicken legs (about 6 pounds total), drumsticks and thighs separated, patted dry
Vegetable oil (for grill)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Blend chives, chiles, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, rum, salt, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves in a blender until smooth. Place chicken in a large bowl and pour jerk marinade over. Turn thighs and drumsticks several times to coat. Cover and chill, turning chicken pieces once, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

    Step 2

    Remove chicken from marinade, wiping off any excess, and let come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Discard marinade.

    Step 3

    Prepare grill for 2-zone heat (for a charcoal grill, bank two-thirds of coals on one half of grill and scatter remaining coals over other side; for a gas grill, set one burner to high heat and the remaining burners to medium-low heat). Lightly brush grate with oil. Arrange chicken drumsticks and thighs, skin side down, on grate over hottest part of grill and grill, turning halfway through, until lightly charred, 5–10 minutes. Move chicken to cooler part of grill and continue to grill, turning several times, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 20–25 minutes longer.

    Step 4

    Transfer chicken to a platter and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

TagsRumAlcoholBeveragesCaribbeanCentral AmericanLatin AmericanJamaicanChicken LegChickenPoultryHabanero ChileChileVegetableNutmegHerbs & SpicesGarlicRoot VegetableChiveMainDinnerDairy FreeMake AheadGrillingSmokeJuneteenthKwanzaaBon Appétit

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Mango Chicken Summer Rolls
Rotisserie chicken makes quick work of these no-cook rolls with a spicy peanut sauce.
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App in July
Like hot honey chicken with peaches and a dirty martini spritz.
Paella de Pollo con Verduras
A crowd-friendly, crisp-edged chicken and vegetable rice from chef José Andrés.
José Andrés Recipes Worth Bookmarking
Like carrot farro salad and chicken paella.
Plum Karpatka (Polish Cream Puff Cake)
With dramatic choux layers and fruit-rippled cream, it’s the drag queen of Polish desserts.
Morning Buns
Tender, buttery breakfast pastries with crisp caramelized edges, a fragrant cinnamon-orange filling, and a crackly sugar topping.
Caramelized Onion Pasta
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
13 Types of Nuts and How to Cook With Them
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.