This flavorful and incredibly tasty roast Jamaican Jerk chicken is juicy and will win you over. Cornish chickens baked in the oven, generously seasoned with aromatics, and basted with a mouthwatering garlicky lemon sauce. This is the ideal chicken supper to prepare for any other event or on a weeknight!
Oh my god, sweetie. We’re digging into a dish of this delectable cuisine today! When it comes to my favorite West Indian dishes, jerk chicken is without a doubt in the lead. The strength of extremely different tastes in that jerk flavor puts it in a class by itself. Large, holiday-sized roasted birds aren’t my thing. That’s why I had so much fun creating this slightly reduced recipe for fewer portions.
Roasted Jamaican Jerk Chicken
As I said before, scallions, peppers, salt, onion, alspice, nutmeg, thyme, and more provide a rich taste to Jamaican jerk! I know you’ll enjoy how quick and simple it is to create this complete dish, making it ideal for a weeknight. This jerk chicken is moist and flavorful throughout; it’s not dry at all.
Ingredients
- Butter and olive oil: For the basting/finishing sauce and for coating the chicken.
- Garlic: No need for an explanation.Garlic and chicken are a natural match.
- Hens from Cornwall: The protein star! Cornish game hens, sometimes known as Cornish hens, are a specific breed of commercial chicken. They typically weigh between two and two and a half pounds, which is roughly half the size of a typical chicken. They cook more quickly due to their compact size, making them ideal for serving 1-2 people.
- Seasoning jerks: My go-to flavored is Walkerswood, which is a particular favorite. Instead of being at all like a dried spice mix, this jerk seasoning is sold in a paste-like shape with a thick viscosity that spreads like butter.
- Herbs de provence: One of my preferred combinations for seasoning! This kind of spice is a mixture of dried herbs that work well in almost any dish that calls for roast chicken. A flavorful mixture of thyme, basil, lavender, fennel, rosemary, tarragon, marjoram, and other herbs is commonly found in herbs de provence seasoning.
- Fresh herbs: You’ll fall in love with the aromatic pop that herbs like sage and thyme offer. These are fresh herbs that are packed into the hollow.
- Chopped parsley: Freshly chopped parsley or slightly dried parsley that will rehydrate in the basting/finishing sauce can be used as chopped parsley.
- Shallot: Tastes more delicate and sweeter than onions, but yet somewhat similar.
- Lemon juice and slices: Freshly squeezed lemon juice has the strongest taste.
How To Make This Jamaican Jerk Chicken
- Prep and preheat. Set oven temperature to 400°F. Use whatever baking pan you have that has a wire rack installed, such as a quarter sheet pan. After giving the wire rack a quick coat of cooking spray, place the baking pot aside.
- Fill the bird up. With paper towels, pat the birds’ skin dry. Combine the herbs de provence and salt/pepper to taste in a small dish. Mix well to mix in the spice mixture and leave away. Use a little amount of the spice mixture to season the birds’ cavities. Next, insert two crushed garlic cloves, two lemon slices, three sage leaves, and three thyme sprigs into each hen’s cavity.
- Spice up the exterior. Olive oil should be drizzled on each hen’s exterior. Then season each hen’s exterior with the remaining spice mixture. Get filthy and thoroughly lather each fowl in the jerk seasoning using your hands (equipped with disposable gloves, if preferred).
- Next, use kitchen rope to truss the hens’ legs together. After preparing the baking pan or wire rack, place the birds on it.
- For one hour, roast the chickens without a cover. Let’s make the basting sauce in the meantime, around ten minutes before that hour is up.
- Construct the sauce. Put the butter, lemon zest and juice, chopped shallot, parsley, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in a small skillet over medium heat. Simmer for two to three minutes, then remove from heat.
- Use sauce to bast. Take the hens out of the oven. Make sure to smear the birds all over with half of the sauce. After that, return the birds to the oven and roast them for a further 20 minutes to allow the skin to caramelize and complete the roasting process.
- Assist. Drizzle the leftover sauce over the cooked chickens. Next, divide the hens in half. Serve this Jamaican jerk chicken right away, after roasting.
You guys, this recipe for Roasted Jamaican Jerk Chicken is incredibly simple to make. I like how flavorful and easy it is, yet it’s packed with plenty of flavor! Grab this delicious chicken supper that’s perfect for a weeknight! 🤤
Cleaning/Rinsing Your Poultry
I am aware that washing chickens is a very contentious subject. To be honest, I’ve seen that non-Caribbean people tend to be resistant to it. Many West Indians wash their meat in one form or another before cooking it. I’ve always remembered seeing my mother and grandmother cleanse chicken before when I was a child. Including my advice is completely optional, but if you’re interested, go ahead.
It was not a good idea to cut the chicken out of the packaging and put it directly into the pan, hehe! How come? A lot of debris and goop is present on packed chicken. One technique to get rid of any contaminants before cooking chicken is to clean it. This is how I work: Place the Cornish Hens in a large basin. Add a little vinegar, some lemon slices, or a dash of lemon juice to the water and submerge them. After letting it soak for five to seven minutes, you may rinse the chicken, pat it dry with paper towels, and continue.
When washing chicken, a frequent myth is that since you’re handling raw poultry, germs will get everywhere. Everything will be OK as long as you are not touching anything, wash your hands, and sterilize the area thereafter.
Why This Roasted Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe Works (& Why You’ll Love It!)
- Low work, big payoffI often use this expression, and it’s always relevant to dishes such as this one. This recipe is perfect for hectic weeknights when you want a delicious, fast supper. Although this recipe for jerk chicken is simple, the deliciousness is not compromised in the slightest. A very low-effort meal that yields big rewards to add to your menu! 🙌🏾
- Taste on taste…Your people will love the tropical atmosphere and loads of flavorful richness this has to provide. This well-seasoned chicken is infused with rich, distinctive jerk taste, fresh herbs, and more, yasss.
- Never dry chicken…A piece of dried chicken is so depressing, oof. There’s none of that dryness here, nah. The chef’s kiss of extra-moisturized jerk chicken is guaranteed when the basting/finishing sauce is combined with the ideal cooking time.
- It’s infallible.Extremely easy to make, roasted Jamaican jerk chicken. You’re set with my step-by-step images. This recipe is incredibly difficult to mess up, and if you do, I honestly don’t know what to tell you! 😆
Storing & Reheating Leftover Jerk Chicken
Although it is best served the same day, you may keep it and eat it later. Any roasted jerk chicken that is left over should be stored in an airtight container. You may store this chicken in the fridge for up to three days. I suggest warming up leftovers in the oven or microwave for a thorough reheat. The chicken may need to be moistened as necessary by adding a splash of water or broth.
More Recipes You Might Like
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Grilled Drumsticks
- Easy Garlic Black Pepper Chicken
- EASY CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN
- Classic French Chicken Stew
- Easy Roast Chicken
Juicy Roasted Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 whole cornish hens cavities emptied- about 2 – 2 1/2 lbs each
- 1 tablespoon herbs de provence
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 leaves fresh sage
- 4 cloves of garlic crushed
- 4 slices of lemon thinly-sliced
- olive oil for drizzling
- 1 10-ounce jar Walkerswood Jamaican jerk seasoning
For the basting/finishing sauce:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small lemon zested & then juiced
- 1 small shallot finely minced
- 1 tablespoon lightly dried parsley
- 2 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and place a rack in the center. Use whatever baking pan you have that has a wire rack installed, such as a quarter sheet pan. Fitting your baking pan with a wire rack will guarantee that the bottom of the chicken roasts to a delicious crispy brown. After giving the wire rack a quick coat of cooking spray, place the baking pot aside.
- With paper towels, pat the birds' skin dry. Combine the herbs de provence and salt/pepper to taste in a small dish. Mix well to mix in the spice mixture and leave away. Use a little amount of the spice mixture to season the birds' cavities. Next, insert two crushed garlic cloves, two lemon slices, three sage leaves, and three thyme sprigs into each hen's cavity.
- Olive oil should be drizzled on each hen's exterior. Then season each hen's exterior with the remaining spice mixture. Let's now use the jerk seasoning to bathe the birds. Make sure to lather each fowl in jerk seasoning, getting into all the crevices and nooks, using your hands (covered with disposable gloves if preferred). I cover each hens with approximately 1/2 cup of spice, but you may use more if you'd like.
- Then, to keep the hen legs in place, insert the tips of the wings into the slits in the legs and truss them together with kitchen twine. After preparing the baking pan or wire rack, place the birds on it.
- For one hour, roast the chickens without a cover. Let's make the basting sauce in the meantime, around ten minutes before that hour is up. Put the butter, lemon zest and juice, chopped shallot, parsley, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in a small skillet over medium heat. After combining all the ingredients, simmer for two to three minutes. After that, turn off the heat and leave the sauce aside.
- Return to the birds and take them out of the oven, but leave the heat on. Make sure to smear the birds all over with half of the sauce. After 20 minutes or until each hen's internal temperature reaches at least 165°F, return the birds to the oven.
- Take the chickens out of the oven. After brushing the leftover sauce over the roasted birds, allow them to rest for a minimum of ten minutes. Next, use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut the hens in half. Serve this Jamaican jerk chicken right away, after roasting. This roast chicken is so delicious served with rice, plantains, and peas. Have fun!
Notes
- Please read the blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.