Jerk Chicken with Brown Sugar and Lime

Jerk Chicken with Brown Sugar and Lime
By: Chef Cristian Feher
www.tampabaychef.com

 Whether you’re grilling out, or using the oven, this recipe makes a flavorful, juicy and tender chicken you will not soon forget! I find traditional Jamaican Jerk chicken, delicious, but a little too hot (from the Scotch bonnet peppers). So I skipped the hot peppers, and created this recipe to capture the essence of jerk chicken, with the sweetness of brown sugar and tang of fresh limes!

For this recipe, you can use pre-mixed jerk seasoning from the grocery store, or you can make your own (recipe below). You can also choose to use bottled lime-juice if you don’t have any fresh limes.

It’s important that after seasoning the chicken, that you let it sit overnight in the fridge to let the flavors of the spices, sugar, and lime juice soak into the chicken. It will be worth it, I promise!

If you are going to mix your own jerk seasoning, here is a basic recipe:

- 2 parts white sugar

- 2 parts onion powder

- 1 part dry thyme

- 1 part allspice

- 1 part salt

- 1/2 part turmeric

- 1/2 part cinnamon

- 1/2 part cloves

- 1/2 part dried red pepper flakes

Main recipe:

- 6 chicken drumsticks (skin on)

- 4 chicken thighs (skin on)

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 3 tbsp of jerk seasoning

- 4 tbsp of lime juice

- 4 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
- 2 tbsp of salt

- 2 limes, sliced

Instructions:

1. Make sure the chicken is completely thawed out. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Put in large container, pot, bowl, or whatever you’re going to put it in.

2. Coat chicken with jerk seasoning, salt, and brown sugar. Mix well with wooden spoon or your hands.

3. Drizzle the chicken with the lime juice and soy sauce. Mix well with wooden spoon or your hands.

4. Place the lime slices over the chicken to infuse it with the essential oils of the lime, cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. Grill on the BBQ until done, turning often to avoid burning, or roast at 375 until chicken is browned and cooked through (about 30 to 40 minutes depending on your oven).

NOTE: To prevent the sugar on the chicken’s surface from burning in the oven, cover loosely with a sheet of non-stick foil during roasting process.

BASTING: For the last five minutes of grilling the chicken, baste it with 1 tbsp of Japanese soy sauce and 2 tbsp of lime juice.