Smoked Jerk Chicken
10:20 - Prep 8:20 / Cook 2:00
Intermediate
A Jamaican favorite, our Smoked Jerk Chicken is spatchcocked and marinated in a soy sauce and lime jerk marinade and slow smoked over pimento wood. It’s full of flavor with Scotch bonnet peppers, cane sugar, fresh ginger and a hint of cinnamon. Dial the heat up or down with seeds from the Scotch bonnets.
About the Cut:
A spatchcock or spatchcocked chicken is a whole chicken with the backbone removed to lay flat, which makes it cook more quickly and evenly.
2-4 Servings
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken (2- 5 pounds)
- 1-2 pimento wood chunks
Jerk Marinade
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/3 cup cane sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 2 Scotch bonnet peppers, cored & finely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves only
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ground allspice
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preparation
List
Steps
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1.
Combine soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, vegetable oil, onions, peppers, thyme, garlic, allspice, paprika, ginger and cinnamon in a medium-size bowl. Set aside.
Hot TipTo adjust the level of spiciness, after you core the Scotch bonnets, add some seeds and flesh to the mix. How much you add depends on your preference.
2.
Using meat shears or a sharp knife, remove the backbone from the chicken. Then, cut through the breastbone from the inside so the chicken can lay flat like an open book.
3.
Place the bird in a large glass baking dish with the jerk marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours. Flip the chicken at the halfway point to marinate evenly.
4.
Preheat your smoker to 275°F and toss a few wood chunks onto hot coals for smoking.
5.
Remove chicken from the marinade and place in the smoker, skin side up. Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
6.
Remove chicken from the smoker and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Hot TipGiving your meat the time it needs to rest allows juices to redistribute, retaining moisture for tender meat. The internal temperature will continue to rise 10 to 15 degrees until it levels out and then begins to fall.
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