The Best Jerk Chicken and Potatoes Recipes

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Jerk Chicken is a West Indian classic. That said, the recipes you are about to learn is a humble take on a fiery fragrant dish that is not for the faint-hearted when it comes to chili.

As with all of the recipes listed here, this is far from authentic. But it is your personal style that will take you on the wonderfully aromatic flavors evident in these dishes.

Of course, you could turn the heat lower by using milder and fewer chilis. And it is your cooking method that will make it so diverse.

That does seem to beat the idea of trying to replicate these dishes with such a reputation for chili burn. But it is your dinner, so do your best to make it for you!

Skillet Jerk Chicken with Potatoes by Krumpli

Ingredients for the Marinade

• 2-5 whole roughly chopped chile
• 2 roughly chopped spring onions, both green a white parts
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 Tsp of Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Tsp of Ground Cloves
• 1/2 Tsp of Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp of Ground Allspice
• 1 Tsp of Dried Thyme
• 1/2 Tsp of Grated Nutmeg
• 1/2 Tsp of Black Treacle, Substitute for molasses
• 1 Tsp of Cider Vinegar
• 2 Chicken Legs
• 1 Tbsp of Neutral Cooking oil
• 350 g of Potatoes, Roughly double the size of a golf ball cut into quarters
• 2 Tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce

Process

1. Combine the chili, garlic, and spring onion in a mini blender and blitz with enough oil until it turns to paste. Transfer it into either a sealable container or a ziplock bag big enough to store two chicken legs.
2. Add the black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, thyme, nutmeg, black treacle, and vinegar. Mix it with the paste.
3. Separate the chicken legs from the thighs and drumsticks. Make two cuts diagonally across the thickest portion of each drumstick. Do the same for the chicken thighs, then massage in the marinade paste
4. Set it aside for at least an hour or overnight. Remove it from the fridge about an hour before you are ready to cook, and allow it to reach room temperature.
5. Place a cast iron or heavy-based pan in the oven with 1 Tbsp of oil in the oven and preheat it to 200°C..
6. Generously season your potatoes with salt and pepper and add them to the pan in the oven and allow them to roast.
7. After 20 minutes, preheat a frying pan over medium heat and fry the chicken. Ensure that it turns golden on all sides before transferring to a skillet
8. Deglaze a frying pan with 50ml of water and 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. Add it to the skillet and cook it for a further 20 minutes.

Roasted Jerk Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes by A Calculated Whisk

Ingredients for the Jerk Seasoning

• 6 trimmed and coarsely chopped scallions
• 1-2 Deseeded and coarsely chopped habanero peppers, deseeded and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pitted Medjool date, soaked in hot water for ten minutes
• 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves (or 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried thyme)
•  2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg
•  1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin
•  1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

For the Chicken and Vegetables

• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (or ghee)
• 4 chicken legs (about 2 pounds total)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
•  1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound of baby potatoes, halved
• 4 chopped carrots
• 3 peeled and sliced shallots

Process

1. To make the jerk seasoning, put all the ingredients in a blender and process them until paste forms. If your blender doesn’t produce the needed power, try adding some water a tablespoon at a time. You can prepare the jerk seasoning a day or two ahead and store it in a jar inside the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
3. Heat the ghee or coconut oil in a very large ovenproof skillet and place it inside the preheated oven over medium-high heat. 
4. Add the chicken legs, skin side down, and sear it for about 8 minutes or until the skin turns to a nice golden brown.
5. While the chicken is searing, sprinkle about half the salt and pepper on the meaty part of the chicken legs. Turn the chicken over on the other side then sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper on top. Sear the other side until well-browned (about 6 minutes). Transfer the chicken to a plate.
6. Reduce the heat a bit and add the potatoes, carrots, and shallots to the pan. Give it a nice stir and use a spatula to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, mixing them with the vegetables. 
7. Cover the pan and let the vegetables cook for five minutes, stirring it once about halfway through.
8. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, rub the jerk seasoning all over it.
9. Set the chicken legs skin side up in the pan amongst the vegetables. Pour in any juices that were collected on the plate and any extra jerk seasoning.
10. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast it uncovered for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh and it should read 165°F.

Jerk Chicken with Sweet Potatoes Sheet-Pan Dinner by Betty Crocker

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of peeled and finely chopped ginger root
• 1 tablespoon of dry jerk seasoning
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 4 1 3/4 pounds of boneless and skinless chicken breasts
• About 4 cups of 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch per pieces
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Process

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Spray a large, rimmed sheet pan with a cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oil, ginger root, jerk seasoning, soy sauce, and salt then give it a good mix. 
3. Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture into a medium bowl then add the chicken. Toss it to coat and then cover it before placing in the fridge. 
4. Add the sweet potatoes to the remaining mixture in the bowl then give it a nice toss. Pour the potato mixture onto the pan then roast it for 15 minutes.
5. Add the chicken to the pan with the potatoes then bake it for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (at least 165°F) and the potatoes are tender. 
6. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Jerk Chicken with Crisp Potato Skin by Sorted Food

Ingredients

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 2 tbsp of jerk seasoning
• 1 tsp of allspice powder
• 2 tbsp of runny honey
• 2 peeled cloves of garlic
• 1 deseeded red chili
• 2 glugs of olive oil
• 6 trimmed boneless chicken thighs
• 1 lime
• 2 tbsp of tomato purée
• 200 ml of chicken stock
• 4 small carrots
• 1 red onion
• 1 tbsp of desiccated coconut
• 1 tbsp of brown sugar
• 1 tbsp of cider vinegar
• 1 handful of finely chopped fresh coriander
• 1 dollop of sour cream to serve

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Coat the potatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper, then bake them for an hour in the oven.
3. Grate the garlic and finely chop the chili. Throw in the jerk seasoning, allspice, honey, grated garlic, chili, and a glug of olive oil into a bowl and toss it with the chicken pieces.
4. Heat the oil in a pan. Wait for the chicken to turn brown and squeeze over the lime juice, then add the tomato purée. 
5. Spread the purée over the chicken before pouring in the chicken stock. Let it simmer until the sauce is reduced and thickened.
6. When it is cool enough to handle, cut the potato in half, lengthways. Scoop out the middle of the potato, leaving a thin layer of about 1/2 cm of potato on the skins.
7. Raise the temperature of the oven to 200ºC then place the skins back in to bake for 10 minutes.
8. Peel and grate the carrots then dice the onion. Add in the coconut, sugar, vinegar, and coriander. Season well.
9. Serve this dish with a garnish of chopped coriander, crisp potato skins, carrot salad, and a dollop of sour cream. This dish makes four servings.

Caribbean-Spiced Chicken and Roast Potato Chunks by Hello Fresh

Ingredients

• 2 potatoes
• 1 sachet of mild Caribbean jerk seasoning
• 1 packet of chicken thighs
• ½ tin of sweetcorn
• 1 bag of slaw mix
• ½ lemon
• 1 packet of smoky aioli
• olive oil

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C with fan-forced. Cut the unpeeled potatoes into 2cm chunks. Put it on a tray with baking paper before placing it inside the oven.
2. Drizzle olive oil over the potato chunks and season them with salt and pepper. Give a good toss to coat, then roast it until tender (about 20 to 25 minutes). TIP: Try cutting the potatoes into cubes so it cooks in time.
3. While the potato is roasting, add in the mild Caribbean jerk seasoning and drizzle it with olive oil in a medium bowl. Season it with salt, then add the chicken thigh and toss it to coat. Set it aside for a while.
4. Preheat a large frying pan over high heat. Add the drained sweetcorn and cook it. Keep on tossing until it is lightly charred (about 5 minutes). Transfer it to another medium bowl afterwards. TIP: Cover the pan firmly with any lid if the corn kernels are “popping out.”
5. Return the pan to medium heat and drizzle it with olive oil. Cook the chicken for 10 to 14 minutes, flipping through occasionally until it turns brown and cooked through. TIP: The spice blend will burn in the pan which adds to the flavor!
6. Add the slaw mix to the charred corn while the chicken is cooking. Add 1/2 of smoky aioli, then squeeze in all of the lemon juice. Season the dish with salt and pepper and toss it to coat.
7. Cut the Caribbean-spiced chicken. Divide the chicken, roast the potato chunks, and the charred corn rainbow slaw between the plates. Serve it with the remaining smoky aioli.

Roasted Jerk Chicken and Potatoes by Fave Healthy Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 chicken of about 3 lbs. cut up, rinsed, and dried
• 1 large sweet and peeled potato, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 medium peeled potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 peeled carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 medium onion cut into wedges
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil (divided into 2 tbsp & 1 tbsp)
• 4 tablespoons of Jamaican jerk seasoning (divided in half)
• 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of thyme (divided in half)
• 1 teaspoon of hot sauce, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line it with baking sheets and foil. Spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, give the sweet potatoes, potatoes, and onions a good toss along with 2 tbsp of olive oil, half of the jerk seasoning, and thyme. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread the veggies over the prepared baking sheet and set it aside while you prepare the chicken.
4. In the same bowl where you tossed the veggies, add the chicken, cider vinegar, the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tsp of jerk seasoning, the remaining thyme, garlic, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Rub the seasonings into the chicken and lay the pieces onto the other prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake them for an hour or until each tray has reached the level of color that you want then take them out from the oven and serve.

Jamaican Jerk Potatoes by Recipezazz

Ingredients

• 2 medium baking potatoes
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
•  1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
•  2 teaspoon of jerk spice

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat it with a non-stick spray then set it aside.
3. Rinse the potatoes well before cutting them into quarters unskinned.
4. Give all ingredients a good toss in a large bowl, making sure the potatoes are well coated.
5. Pour the mixture over the baking sheet and place it in the oven.
6. Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes per side then stand to turn them on the skin side until cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes altogether, depending on the size of potatoes.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Stir-Fried Potatoes by Love Potatoes

Ingredients

• 400g of diced smooth potatoes
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 250g of boneless chicken breast, skinned and sliced
• 1 small deseeded and sliced red pepper
• 1 tablespoon of Jamaican Jerk seasoning
• 2 whole pineapple rings in fruit juice, drained, and cut into cubes (keep 2 tablespoons of the pineapple juice for later use)

Process

1. Boil the potatoes in a large pan for approximately 8 minutes until it is tender. Drain and set it aside.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oil in a large frying pan then stir-fry the chicken, pepper, and Jamaican Jerk seasoning for 5 minutes.
3. Add the pineapple and the 2 tablespoons of its juice with the potatoes and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Chicken and Jerk Potato Salad by Taste

Ingredients

• 500g of thickly chopped chat potatoes
• 1 red capsicum, sliced into thick strips
• 1 yellow capsicum, sliced into thick strips
• 1 red onion, sliced into wedges
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of Jamaican Style Spicy Jerk Rub
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 600g of chicken tenderloins
• 1/4 cup of aioli
• 2 tablespoons of plain Greek-style yogurt
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• 2 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 sliced avocado
• 80g of baby spinach

Process

1. Place the potato in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover it with a lid then set the microwave on High (100%) for 5 minutes or until it is almost tender. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
2. Combine the potato, capsicum, and onion in a bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the spice rub and place half of the oil. Toss nicely to combine.
3. Place the chicken in a separate bowl. Add the remaining spice rub and the remaining oil. Toss nicely to combine.
4. Preheat a chargrill plate and barbeque hotplate on medium-high heat. Cook the chicken and potato on a chargrill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until it is tender and cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, cook the capsicum and onion on a hotplate, tossing them occasionally, for 4 minutes or until it is charred and just tender.
6. Combine the aioli, yogurt, lime juice, thyme, and extra spice rub in a bowl. Season them with salt and pepper.
7. Slice the chicken in half, diagonally. Combine the chicken and vegetables in a large bowl with avocado and spinach. Serve the potato salad drizzled with the dressing.

Spatchcocked Jerk Chicken and Potatoes by Cravings

Ingredients for the Spice Blend

• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoon of dried thyme
• 11/2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ teaspoon of sweet paprika
• ¼ teaspoons of ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

For the Chicken, Potatoes, and Onions

• 1 pound of baby or fingerling potatoes
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
• 4 tablespoons of canola oil
• Freshly ground black pepper and Kosher salt to taste
• One small whole (3 pounds of chicken)
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Process

1. Preheat the oven up to 400° Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, heat an ungreased, large cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes. 
2. While the skillet is heating, place the cayenne, thyme, sugar, salt, allspice, pepper, nutmeg, paprika, cloves, and cinnamon in a bowl. 
3. Give the potatoes and onions a good toss in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season it generously with salt and pepper. 
4. Arrange the chicken on a cutting board, breast side down. Use the kitchen shears to cut out the back, then split the breastbone using your hands and some bodyweight. Flatten the chicken. 
5. Massage the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the oil, then sprinkle it with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the spice blend then rub it in. 
6. Turn the chicken and sprinkle it with another 3 to 4 tablespoons of the spice blend all over the skin and rub it in. 
7. Increase the heat of the skillet to medium-high, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then place the chicken, breast side down. Cook it until the underside is crisp for 4 to 5 minutes.
8. Use some tongs to flip the chicken, then add the potatoes and onions around the chicken. Transfer it to the oven and cook it until the potatoes are golden, the onions are caramelized, and the chicken is cooked and the skin is crisped all-around for 35 to 40 minutes.
9. Remove the chicken from the oven, and let it rest for 5 minutes, then use the kitchen shears to cut the chicken right in the pan. 
10. Serve the chicken with the potatoes, onions, and any pan juices. Garnish it with parsley.

Final Thoughts

Every time we eat Jerk Chicken, either at a friend’s house or in a Caribbean restaurant, all of the chili heat will ‘drop kick’ you in the face straight away. However, it does not stick around for too long.

Traditionally, scotch bonnet chili is often used in these dishes. However, if you don’t grow scotch bonnet in your garden or don’t have access to it, you can use fresh Cayenne peppers.

Cayenne peppers are different and they have an almost viscous peppery initial ‘bite’ that turns mellow very quickly. They are not as hot but have a very similar ‘kick’ when it comes to heat distribution.

Do you want the perfect jerk chicken experience?

Below are some essential items that you should use to cook the perfect jerk chicken.

Smoker ovens

Get the smokey flavour in your jerk chicken.

Jerk chicken recipe books

Learn from others that have perfected the jerk chicken cooking technique.

Bbq turning tongs

Make sure your food is well cooked by turning the meat properly with turning tongs.

BBQ gloves

Keep save with BBQ gloves, which will allow you to cook the meat properly.

BBQ Woods and Charcoal.

Vary the smokey flavour by using different BBQ woods and charcoal.

Meat thermometer

Check the temperature of your meats while cooking.

BBQ sets

Get a complete BBQ set so that you are prepared to BBQ the best jerk chicken.