Jamaican Jerk Chicken (Air Fryer, Oven, or Grill)

Add some flavor to your dinner with this delicious Jamaican jerk chicken recipe. It takes minutes to prep and can be cooked in the air fryer, oven, or grill for a delicious bite to suit any occasion.

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Whenever I think of Jamaica, jerk chicken and jerk pork come to mind. It’s that dish that always brings me back to the island. Jerk refers to the method of how the food is cooked, over pimento wood and slow-cooked over a fire, which results in a nice smokey flavor.

The spice that jerk is usually known for comes from the wet paste that marinates the food before smoking or grilling.

With a really good wet rub and some time marinating, you can make some delicious jerk chicken in the air fryer, oven, or grill.

If you love this recipe, be sure to try my jerk chicken wings and jerk chicken soup.

How to make Jamaican jerk chicken

• Rub chicken pieces with jerk wet paste, making sure to rub under the skin too.
• Marinate for 4 hrs up or up to overnight. Overnight is best.

• Cook according to instructions:

Air Fryer

• Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees Farhenheit. Place chicken pieces in the air fryer basket, skin side down, and cook for for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway.

Conventional Oven

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chicken pieces on baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes.

Grill

• Place chicken pieces on a grill that has been heated to medium using indirect heat and cook until internal temp reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This can take up to an hour on a grill.

• When the chicken is done cooking, use a sharp knife to further chop the chicken.

How long should you marinate the chicken?

Because there is very little acidity in the marinade, that can break down the meat, this chicken can be marinated for a long time. In fact, the longer the better. Marinate it for at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to develop, and you can leave it overnight. Overnight is best.

How long does it keep?

This Jamaican jerk chicken will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.

It can be reheated in the oven, covered with foil at 325F for around 20 minutes until heated through. It can be reheated in the air fryer at 400F for 4 to 5 minutes.

What do you serve it with?

This easy jerk chicken is great to serve with rice, veggies, salads and potatoes. Even use it to make a tasty sandwich if you like! Try it with any of these delicious recipes:

• Jamaican Instant Pot Rice and Beans
• Yellow Rice
• Sautéed Yellow Squash
• Quinoa Avocado Salad

Recipe Notes and Tips

• I like to use the Jamaican jerk wet paste from Walkerswood. This wet marinade tastes just like the jerk I would get in Jamaica. You can also use a homemade jerk wet rub.
• Jerk is usually served dry without a sauce but feel free to baste the chicken while cooking with jerk bbq sauce if you want a more saucy chicken. You can also serve the bbq sauce as a dipping sauce on the side. That’s what I do.

More Chicken Recipes

• Jamaican Curry Chicken
• Spatchcock a Chicken
• Brown Stew Chicken
• Honey Mustard Chicken Wings

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4.89 from 17 votes

Jamaican Jerk Chicken (Air Fryer, Oven, or Grill)

Add some flavor to your dinner with this delicious Jamaican jerk chicken recipe. It takes minutes to prep and can be cooked in the air fryer, oven or grill for a delicious bite to suit any occasion.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Jamaican

Keyword air fryer jerk chicken, easy jerk chicken recipe, how to make jerk chicken

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Marinating time 4 hours hours

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 299kcal

Author Tanya

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 2 lbs bone-in chicken pieces patted dry
• 6 Tablespoon Jamaican jerk wet paste
• Jerk BBQ Sauce optional

Instructions

• Rub chicken pieces with paste, making sure to rub under the skin too.
• Marinate for 4 hrs up or up to overnight.
• Cook according to instructions:

Air Fryer

• Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees Farhenheit. Place chicken pieces in the air fryer basket, cook for for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway.

Conventional Oven

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chicken pieces on baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes, flipping halfway.

Grill

• Place chicken pieces on a grill that has been heated to medium using indirect heat and cook until internal temp reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This can take up to an hour on a grill.
• Once chicken is done cooking, use a sharp knife to further chop the chicken,

Notes

• I like to use the Jamaican jerk wet paste from Walkerswood. This wet marinade tastes just like the jerk you would get in Jamaica. You can also use a homemade jerk wet rub.
• Jerk is usually served dry without a sauce but feel free to baste the chicken while cooking with jerk bbq sauce if you want a more saucy chicken. You can also serve the bbq sauce as a dipping sauce on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 263mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2463IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

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Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.