This jerk-style chicken delivers a ton of flavor while dialing back the heat.
It has the flavor and flair of Jamaican jerk chicken minus the heat normally associated with it, packed with tons of sweet, savory, complementary, and contrasting flavors.
Chef Ryan tested the recipe and served it with a Jamaican rice and peas recipe from Pitmaster Club member Dewesq55 and the pairing was perfect for dinner. To get maximum flavor impact, you really want to give this dish the proper time to marinate with the rub. Henrik is one of our moderators and this recipe is from his book Barbecue, Fire And Smoke.
Grilled Jamaican Jerk Style Drumsticks Recipe
Rate this RecipeThis twist on traditional Jamaican jerk chicken delivers much of the same bold flavors of the original while dialing back the heat.
Ingredients
Method
- Prep. For the jerk paste, mix together the olive oil, mustard, allspice, cinnamon, paprika, ginger, onion, and thyme in a bowl until the spices rehydrate and the mixture forms a wet paste. Mix together all the ingredients for the sticky glaze in a bowl.
- Marinate. Score the chicken all over in a crosshatch pattern (optional), and place into a large zip top bag or bowl. Scoring the chicken in a crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife all the way around the surface will ensure penetration of flavors past the surface down into the crevices of the meat. Add all of the spice paste, and move the meat around to evenly and completely coat all surfaces. Seal or cover and pop the meat into the fridge for at least a couple of hours or overnight.
- Fire up. Light your grill for 2-zone cooking, aiming for a temperature of approximately 350°F on the direct heat side of the grill.
- Cook. place the drumsticks on the indirect side, and close the lid.
- When the drumsticks are close to 150°F internal temp, brush them liberally on one side with the sticky glaze, and move them over to the direct heat side so the glaze can set and begin to caramelize.
- Turn the chicken pieces over on the hot side of the grill, and coat with more of the glaze. Continue cooking the chicken until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165˚F. If the glaze starts to burn, simply move the chicken back to the indirect side of the grill, add the cover, and allow the drumsticks to finish cooking.
- Serve. Remove the drumsticks from the grill, plate, and serve immediately.
Notes
About the paprika. If you have smoked paprika, now’s the time to use it.
About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works.
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