Rum Jerk Chicken
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Rum jerk chicken using flavorful chicken thighs are a hit for your next cookout.
One of the fun memories I have of our Jamaica retreat was tearing into some jerk chicken with my hands and gobbling up each juicy, spicy bite. I think we don’t eat our food with our hands enough, don’t you? (Well, except for my toddler, who thinks everything is for hands, but at least asks permission first — usually.)
Ever since then, I’ve been wanting to make a version of jerk chicken at home, but didn’t feel too much like grilling over the winter. Now that the temperatures are going back up, my itch for the grill has been growing, so I quickly put these rum jerk chicken thighs together.
I love recipes that don’t take much work overall, and especially recipes that can be hands-off for long periods of time. The marinade for rum jerk chicken comes together really quickly with the assistance of a blender, but you can even skip that step if you prefer. Then the chicken can sit in the fridge while you’re at work or off conquering the world, and they’re ready to cook up when you are.
My rum jerk chicken was made for Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month’s theme is Boozy Cooking and is hosted by me! For our Boozy Cooking dinner, we all created recipes using beer, wine, or spirits.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.
We have a core group of 12 bloggers, but we will always need substitutes and if there is enough interest would consider additional groups. To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.
Boozy Cooking
Appetizers
- Beer Cheese Dip in a Bread Bowl from Never Enough Thyme
- Tequila Lime Chicken Wings from Spice Roots
Soups
- Carbonnade Beef and Beer Stew from Mother Would Know
- One Hour Ham and White Bean Soup from Miss in the Kitchen
Main Course
- Rum Jerk Chickenfrom Stetted
- Peruvian Pisco Roast Chicken (Gluten Free) from The Heritage Cook
- Red Wine and Pork Pasta Sauce Food Hunter’s Guide
- Sous Vide Chinese Drunken Wine Chicken from Jeanette’s Healthy Living
Desserts
- Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Irish Whiskey Frosting from Creative Culinary
- Irish Cream Pots de Creme from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter Ice Cream Sauce from Pastry Chef Online
My family likes this recipe because it’s spicy but not so much so that we’re grabbing for the milk. If your kids don’t like spicy, simply remove the skin from the thighs.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! It means so much when you enjoy my recipes, so let me know how it goes and leave a comment if you have any questions.
Rum Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dark rum
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1- inch-long piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon allspice
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons ground cayenne or ancho chile pepper
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 chicken thighs
Instructions
- Combine rum, lime juice, onion, ginger, garlic, allspice, thyme, cayenne, salt, and black pepper in a blender and pulse until smooth.
- Lay chicken thighs in a large casserole pan and pour marinade over the top. Turn chicken to evenly coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
- Prepare the grill by cleaning it and using a small amount of oil to grease grate to prevent sticking. Turn the flames on to medium.
- Grill chicken thighs over medium heat, skin-side down for about 10 minutes, then flip and continue grilling for another 8-10 minutes. Smaller or boneless thighs will take less time to cook.
Notes
If you like, reserve the marinade after removing the chicken, bring to a boil in a saucepan, and use to baste chicken.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.
About Megan
I focus on fresh ingredients and easy methods, with spins that keep meals interesting. Dinnertime shouldn’t be stressful or complicated, and I’m here to help you enjoy the time spent in the kitchen. Read more…
I’ve never been to Jamaica but my son has – I know he’d love this jerk chicken!
I’m always looking for more chicken recipes and this looks scrumptious! My hubby is the kid in our family so I’ll have him remove the skin off his 😉
I love a jerk chicken but I never thought about making a rum jerk chicken. What an excellent idea. I would take mine with some extra habanero please.. YUM
I’m with Ansh…and why have I never thought to add rum? I’m verklempt! Sounds so good I’m scrounging for some thighs in about 2 seconds. Not kidding.
Fabulous flavors that took me back to the islands too. Best rum I’ve ever had! And you most definitely could rule the world with this meal waiting for you at home! 🙂
Thank you so much for hosting this month, Megan! I guess I have you to thank/blame for the 2 cups of chocolate peanut butter porter ice cream sauce sitting in my fridge! lol
I mostly cook with thighs, too–so good! I love jerk chicken and eating with my hands, so I’m putting this in rotation come grillin’ season!
What a perfect way to grill chicken. I love eating with my hands, and this makes a great meal for weeknights – I can leave the chicken to marinate all night, then throw it on the grill just before dinner. I can’t believe jerk is so simple – why haven’t I made it before?
Fabulous flavors that took me back to the islands too. Best rum I’ve ever had! And you most definitely could rule the world with this meal waiting for you at home! 🙂
Thank you so much for hosting this month, Megan! I guess I have you to thank/blame for the 2 cups of chocolate peanut butter porter ice cream sauce sitting in my fridge! lol
I mostly cook with thighs, too–so good! I love jerk chicken and eating with my hands, so I’m putting this in rotation come grillin’ season!
I would love to visit Jamaica – never have been! In the meantime, I’ll settle for this delicious recipe. Yum!
I made the marinade to use as a sauce- I doubled it and cooked the alcohol off . I didn’t think it tasted very good so I added honey and pineapple, now it tastes good and I will be serving it tomorrow as a Jamaican jerk chicken sandwich with jerk glaze- at the restaurant I cook at.
I made the marinade to use as a sauce- I doubled it and cooked the alcohol off . I didn’t think it tasted very good so I added honey and pineapple, now it tastes good and I will be serving it tomorrow as a Jamaican jerk chicken sandwich with jerk glaze- at the restaurant I cook at.