Grilled Jerk Chicken breasts are made with a simple, yet spicy homemade marinade that is a combination of savory, spicy and sweet; just perfect for mild-tasting chicken breasts.
Grilled jerk chicken breasts are zesty and filled with flavor. The jerk chicken marinade is simple to make with spices and condiments that you most likely have in your kitchen already. It's an easy recipe that everyone will love.
Authentic jerk chicken recipes are made with hot peppers such as jalapeno peppers, habanero peppers or scotch bonnet peppers which I can't always find so I like to make my own jerk seasoning blend using dried spices.
The homemade spice blend is easy to make, and once it's made, it can be stored in the spice cabinet for a few months which is very convenient to make this recipe fast.
Why you will 🤍 this recipe
- The marinade is easy to make with dried spices which you probably have in your kitchen already.
- It's packed with flavor!
Here is What You Will Need
This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make this recipe, scroll down to see ingredient notes and substitutions as well as a printable recipe card with exact measurements and complete cooking instructions.
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🛒Ingredients
- boneless chicken breasts
- tamari sauce
- apple cider vinegar
- olive oil
- Jerk Seasoning Blend - here is my recipe for Jerk Seasoning Blend
🥄Equipment
- glass or ceramic dish or large bowl to marinate the chicken
- gas grill, charcoal grill indoor grill, or grill pan
Here is how to make this grilled jerk chicken recipe
Preheat a grill at high heat.
Step 1. mix up the Jamaican jerk marinade ingredients, in a bowl and add the chicken. Marinate the chicken for at least one hour.
Step 2. Preheat the grill, once it's hot, place the chicken on the grill. If the grill is too hot, reduce the heat to medium heat and cover grill and cook the chicken for about 5 to 8 minutes depending on how thick the chicken is.
Step 3. Flip the chicken breasts over and cook for 5 to 8 minutes longer until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Chicken. You can use boneless chicken thighs in place of boneless chicken breasts or a combination of both.
Boneless chicken can be replaced with bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, however, the cooking time will be longer, check the internal temperature of the chicken before serving with an instant-read meat thermometer.
Tamari Sauce. Is a fermented and gluten-free Japanese soy sauce. It tastes similar to soy sauce but has a richer flavor.
Substitute Tamari Sauce with an equal amount of soy sauce or coconut aminos which is soy free.
Jerk Seasoning Blend. I like to use my homemade jerk seasoning to make the marinade, and you can also use a packaged jerk spice blend.
How to store and use leftover grilled Caribbean jerk chicken
Store leftover grilled jerk chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Leftover uses - This is a great recipe to double; leftover grilled jerk chicken breasts have so many uses. Serve them in a salad, nachos, in sandwich, wrap, quesadilla or pita bread.
Recipe variations
Dry Rubbed Jamaican Jerk Chicken. Instead of marinating, rub some of the spice blends onto the chicken breasts without the marinade for about 20 minutes before grilling.
Change up the Meat. Replace the chicken with boneless pork chops, or pork tenderloin. We've tried them all and they all taste great!
Tip! Try an instant-read meat thermometer for the quickest and best results.
Make it Vegetarian. Slice a block of firm tofu in half (horizontally), marinate it for several hours, then grill it for 5 minutes on each side.
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Serving Suggestions
Serve this juicy chicken garnished with chopped green onions, and Sauteed Baby Turnips, Greek Chopped Salad, Mexican macaroni salad, jalapeno poppers or Arugula Salad and a baked potato.
Just before the chicken has finished cooking on the grill, add a few slices of pineapple, grill them and serve them with the chicken.
Top the grilled chicken with mango strawberry salsa
💡Tips
- The longer the chicken marinates, the flavor will intensify. If you have the time marinating overnight is best.
- The chicken will be ready to flip over once it no longer sticks to the grill.
Yes, you can. Place the chicken marinated chicken breasts on a baking sheet or roasting pan, and bake at 350 until the chicken reaches 165 (about 20 minutes).
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons tamari sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons jerk seasoning blend
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Make the marinade: add seasoning blend, tamari sauce, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil to a glass bowl that's large enough to hold the chicken and mix well.
- Add the chicken breasts to the marinade in the bowl and turn them a few times to make sure they are coated on all sides with the marinade. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Preheat a gas grill or electric on high heat.
- Place the chicken breasts on the grill; reduce the heat and cover the grill. Cook them for 7 minutes, flip them over and cook for about 5 minutes more until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
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