Jerk Chicken Bowl

Jamaican spiced grilled Jerk Chicken with rice, black beans, cilantro, fresh pineapple and mango, and red peppers. 

This is a recipe straight from my cousin, Michelle, and it is one of my favorites. When I was pregnant with my second child, I was super sick. I lived in the same neighborhood as my cousin and she was the Queen of service. She would drop off dinner, snacks, Jack Johnson CD’s and anything else to bring some joy. 

I will never forget when she brought this Jerk Chicken dinner to our family. I couldn’t keep much down but I remember trying this and loving it and ultimately begging for the recipe. 

The Jerk Chicken is made by marinating it in spices, hot sauce, lime juice, and a touch of oil.  It makes it extra juicy and flavorful.

When we went on a Caribbean cruise, one of the stops was Jamaica. We went on an excursion and they fed us lunch. The main course was jerk chicken and I was hooked. Don’t feed me bland chicken…I only want it to be bursting with flavor!

The ingredients used to make this Jamaican Jerk Chicken are hot sauce, scallions, garlic, fresh lime juice, allspice, cinnamon, brown sugar, thyme, salt and pepper, and a little oil. The combination of spices brings warmth, smokiness, and spiciness to the chicken. Allspice is reminiscent of warm cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and is widely used in Caribbean and Latin American cooking.

The chicken can be marinated for at least 30 minutes but 4-8 hours is ideal. I suggest grilling the chicken to give it an extra layer of smokiness. Let it rest and then slice into pieces.

This Jerk Chicken Bowl can be layered in a bowl with cooked rice tossed with black beans, cilantro, and lime juice. Add some fresh fruit such as pineapple or mango to tie in the Caribbean flavors. Then add some red, yellow, and orange peppers for crunch. 

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Jerk Chicken:

Bowl Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade:

• In a large Ziploc bag or bowl, mix all marinade ingredients together. If you so desire, you may add oil for extra juiciness. I suggest piercing the chicken with a fork to allow for the marinade to penetrate the chicken.

• Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 4-8 hours is ideal. When ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium heat. Brush grill with oil to prevent sticking. Place chicken on the grill. Cook for approximately 5 - 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees. Remove chicken from grill and let rest for 5 minutes.

Bowl Instructions:

• Cook rice according to package instructions. Make sure to salt the water when cooking the rice. For extra flavor, toss black beans with scallions, cilantro, and lime juice.

• To assemble bowls, layer rice, beans, peppers, pineapple, mango, cilantro, lime wedges.

Calories: 220kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 1773mg, Potassium: 623mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 98IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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