- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (about 3 lbs)
- 2 –3 Scotch bonnet peppers stemmed (seeds removed for less heat)
- 1 tbsp allspice pimento berries, ground, or 1 tbsp ground allspice
- 6 scallions roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger peeled
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Key Takeaways
- Real jerk flavor comes from Scotch bonnet peppers + allspice, not smoke and sugar alone
- Marinate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight — 30 minutes won't cut it
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks hold up best to the marinade and the grill
- A wet paste (not a dry rub) is what makes jerk seasoning actually stick to the chicken
- Jamaican jerk and generic "Caribbean jerk" are not interchangeable terms
