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Jerk chicken with rice & peas

Jerk chicken with rice & peas

A weekend Jamaican dinner. Ready in about 2 hours 50 minutes. Difficulty: more effort.

  • 20 minPrep (about)
  • 2 hr 30 minCook (about)
  • 2 hr 50 minTotal time
  • 4Servings
  • More effortDifficulty

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Ingredients

How many people?

− 2 people +

Changed from 4 to 2 people · Back to 4

Main ingredient

  • 6 chicken thighs

Fresh & other

  • ¼ lime
  • 1 bunch green onions Shopping tip: Green onions (scallions).
  • 1 ½ tsp ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ onion
  • 2 red chiles Shopping tip: Fresno or red jalapeño for mild (seeds out); Thai bird's eye for hot.
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 ½ oz basmati rice
  • 7 oz coconut milk
  • 1 bunch green onions Shopping tip: Green onions (scallions).
  • 1 sprig thyme Shopping tip: Fresh sprigs or dried both work (1 tsp dried = 1 tbsp fresh).
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 14 oz kidney beans

Sauces & oils

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Spices & seasonings (3): thyme, allspice, allspice
  • ¼ tsp thyme Shopping tip: Dried thyme is fine here.
  • 1 ½ tsp allspice
  • 1 ½ tsp allspice

How to make it

Steps in our own plain words.

  1. To make the jerk marinade, mix all your ingredients in a food processor along using 1 tsp salt.

  2. Blend to a purée.

  3. If you’re having getting it to blend, keep turning off the blender, and trying again.

  4. Stir the mixture.

  5. It will start.

  6. Blend up – don’t be tempted.

  7. Add water, as you want thick paste.

  8. Taste the jerk mix for seasoning – it should pretty salty, but not unpleasantly, puckering salty, throw.

  9. Do it in more chillies if ’s not spicy enough for you.

  10. If it tastes too salty plus sour, try adding in bit more brown sugar till the mixture tastes well balanced.

  11. Make some slashes in the chicken thighs.

  12. Pour your marinade over the meat, rubbing it in all the crevices.

  13. Cover.

  14. Leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.

  15. If you want to barbecue chicken, get your coals burning 1 hr so before you’re ready to cook.

  16. To get a more authentic jerk experience.

  17. Add some wood chips to your barbecue.

  18. Heat chicken.

  19. Do it over slow, indirect heat for 30 mins.

  20. To cook in the oven.

  21. Heat to 350°F (325°F for a fan oven).

  22. Put the chicken bits in a roasting tin using the lime halves.

  23. Cook for 45 mins until soft and cooked through.

  24. While your chicken is cooking, prepare the rice & peas.

  25. Rinse your rice in plenty of cold water.

  26. Tip it into a large pot with all the rest of the ingredients except the kidney beans.

  27. Season with salt.

  28. Add 1 ¼ cups cold water.

  29. Set over a high heat.

  30. Wait until the rice begins to boil.

  31. Turn it down to medium heat, cover.

  32. Cook for 10 mins.

  33. Add the beans to the rice.

  34. Cover with a lid.

  35. Leave off the heat for 5 mins till all the liquid is absorbed.

  36. Squeeze the roasted lime over the chicken.

  37. Dish up using your rice & peas, plus some hot sauce if you like it spicy.

On the side: Green salad

A side we added to round out the meal. It is not part of the original recipe.

How to make it (10 min)
  1. Rinse the salad greens. Slice the cucumber.
  2. Put it all in a bowl and toss with the dressing just before eating.

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Recipe from TheMealDB, adapted from the original. Steps rewritten in our own words. Times are estimates.