Name: Kid-friendly African Jerk Chicken
Prep time: 4 h
Cook time: 60 min
Yield: 12 pieces
Cuisine: Mains
Ingredients: 12 pieces chicken leg and drumsticks; 2 tbsp cane sugar; 1 tsp paprika; 2 tbsp thyme (fresh and finely chopped); 3 tsp ginger (ground); 3 tsp coriander (ground); 3 tsp cloves (ground); 3 tsp cinnamon (ground); 1 tsp nutmeg (ground); 3 tsp chilli powder (ground); 2 tsp garlic (granulated); 1 tbsp salt; 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)

This West African Jerk Chicken recipe relies on a blend of heady spices rubbed into the chicken which is then flame-grilled or oven-baked to deliver chicken that is succulent, smoky, spicy and sweet. Delicious as a side dish or served with a salad.

One of the hallmarks of African or indeed Caribbean cooking is chilli. We love all things spicy. And spicy means all kinds of chillis – , habanero, jalapeno, scotch bonnet, ghost peppers – are usually on the menu. Not all once, of course, but you get the drift? Growing up in an African household meant I grew up on chilli and I especially love chilli. Now imagine the challenge of cooking for a household with a 7-year old who exhibits zero tolerance for any kind of heat in a dish. Do I have your sympathy yet?

This week, I set myself a challenge to modify the jerk chicken rub recipe I have used for years. You see, the African jerk chicken I grew up on, gets it’s heat from scotch bonnet peppers, which by the way, are devilishly hot. And that is incompatible with my 7-year old. The challenge was to create a jerk chicken rub mild enough for a chilli-sensitive palate, yet punchy enough to deliver a kick, jerk-style.

Dare I say, I may be onto something with this recipe, I think. And it has to do with the spice mix. It’s got that oooomph that you expect from a jerk rub… thank goodness!

This African jerk chicken is smoky and sweet in a spicy kind of way.

or should that be smoky and spicy in a sweet kind of way?

Kid-Friendly West African Jerk Chicken

Kid-friendly African Jerk Chicken

Servings	Prep Time
12 pieces	4 hours

Cook Time

60 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
12 pieces	4 hours

Cook Time

60 minutes

Kid-friendly African Jerk Chicken

Servings	Prep Time
12 pieces	4 hours

Cook Time

60 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
12 pieces	4 hours

Cook Time

60 minutes

Ingredients

12 pieces chicken leg and drumsticks
2 tbsp cane sugar
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp thyme fresh and finely chopped
3 tsp ginger ground
3 tsp coriander ground
3 tsp cloves ground
3 tsp cinnamon ground
1 tsp nutmeg ground
3 tsp chilli powder ground
2 tsp garlic granulated
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin

Units:

Instructions

Mix all the spices together. Do not add the oil to the spices at this point.
Stab the chicken legs, making 1 centimetre cuts into the flesh. Rub the jerk mix well into the chicken paying attention to get the mix under the skin and into the cuts as well.
Cover with cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
Brush extra virgin olive oil onto the chicken pieces before baking in oven for 40 minutes at 180ºC (fan-assisted), or grill on a charcoal grill on indirect heat for 50 minutes or until done.