Easy Jerk Chicken - Tasty and Kid-Friendly!

Updated: Oct 9, 2023 by Corina Blum · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 26 Comments

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It's not quite so hot and spicy as some recipes but this easy jerk chicken is just as full of flavour and makes a great family meal. If you're looking for a kid-friendly jerk chicken recipe then this is it!

We arrived back from our holidays to a messy house, lots of washing and unpacking and of course the children to entertain at the same time. I needed an easy recipe but I still wanted that spicy holiday vibe.

This easy jerk chicken turned out to be the perfect recipe for a fuss free family meal. Like many of my recipes, it starts with a great marinade.

I love marinades as they are so easy to mix up quickly early in the day or the night before. You can then just leave them to do their work until you are ready to cook.

Making this Jerk Chicken Family Friendly

This jerk chicken marinade is full of the warm spices of cinnamon and allspice, along with garlic, lime, brown sugar, soy sauce and of course chillies.

I wanted this to be a family meal that we could all enjoy so I only used one chilli and not a scotch bonnet as would have been traditional. However, this does not mean that you have to follow my lead completely. Feel free to use hotter chillies and more of them to suit your taste!

Cook this jerk chicken in the oven or bbq!

I cooked this easy jerk chicken in the oven and trust me, it smells amazing as it's cooking. However, if you do manage to get the bbq out you could cook it outside or just finish it off on the bbq.

What to eat with the jerk chicken?

Well, you can choose but what could be more traditional than rice and peas? I've been testing some of the Tilda rices recently and as I really needed an easy but tasty meal, I chose to serve it alongside the Tilda Limited Edition Caribbean Rice and Peas.

The rice cooks in just 2 minutes in the microwave. It's got a lovely creaminess from the coconut as well as a slight chilli kick. It went really well with the jerk chicken.

I also made a quick and easy salad with chopped tomatoes, cucumber, onions, peppers and coriander. Again, you could add some chopped chilli if you wanted!

Easy jerk chicken with rice and peas and salad

What can you do with the leftover jerk chicken?

If you're looking for easy meals full of flavour then this definitely fits the bill. It's a great #CookOnceEatTwice meal to reheat the next day or even to eat cold. The leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to three days.

I love to put the leftover jerk chicken in a picnic or packed lunch. It's delicious eaten cold with salad, rice, pasta, couscous or bread. I love it in this jerk chicken salad with mango dressing.

Why not take the chicken off the bone and put it in a healthy wrap, a quesadilla or just a plain old chicken sandwich? But of course one that's full of flavour and spice!

Plate of jerk chicken, bowl of rice and bowl of salad

Recipe

Easy Jerk Chicken

Corina Blum

An easy jerk chicken recipe that's perfect for the whole family!

4.41 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Total Time 45

Course chicken, Main Course

Cuisine Caribbean

Servings

Calories 364 kcal

Ingredients

1 lime juiced
1 tablespoon garlic crushed
1 red chilli finely diced
1 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon soft dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oil
1 kg chicken legs and thighs

Instructions

Mix up all the marinade ingredients. Coat the chicken with the marinade and leave in the fridge until ready to cook. I left it for 7 hours but anytime between and 2 and 24 hours is fine.
Put the chicken on a greased baking tray and bake in the oven for 40 minutes at 200C.

Notes

Add extra chillies to the marinade for a hotter jerk chicken.

Nutritional information is approximate and a guideline only.

Nutrition

Calories: 364kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 24gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 373mgPotassium: 352mgSugar: 3gVitamin A: 240IUVitamin C: 22.3mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1.3mg

Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram @Searchingforspice

More tasty marinades

If you like this easy jerk chicken marinade then why not have a look at some of my other tasty marinade recipes

If you're a fan of spicy recipes then do check out my easy spicy recipes collection too!

Disclosure: I was sent complementary samples of the Tilda rice but all opinions are my own.

More Chicken Recipes and other Poultry Recipes

About Corina Blum

Corina Blum loves easy healthy recipes that taste great and often involve spices. She's a big fan of air frying and loves developping recipes inspired by global flavours. As well as a food content creator shes also a busy mum of two children.

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