The Best Chicken Recipe I've Made This Year

whole chicken

🥗Healthier: skinless chicken breast

💰Cheaper: chicken thighs

Thighs are often less expensive and more flavorful.

cooking oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Olive oil is healthier, while vegetable oil is more affordable.

chicken broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water with seasoning

Vegetable broth is lower in calories, and water is cost-effective.

fresh herbs

🥗Healthier: dried herbs

💰Cheaper: frozen herbs

Dried herbs are more accessible, while frozen can be less expensive.

Start with 4 skin on chicken leg quarters.

Remove the backbone using a pairing knife to expose the thigh joint.

Cut through the joint to separate the leg quarter into about 8 pieces.

Prepare a dry brine with 30 g of salt and 15 g of sugar, and generously season both sides of the chicken.

Brine the chicken in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.

Pick a big bunch of fresh thyme, using fingers to pull the stem through for quicker prep.

Chop the thyme into smaller pieces to avoid woody bits in the marinade.

In a food processor, combine the thyme, 50 g of garlic, 50 g of scallions, 50 g of sliced ginger, and 50 to 75 g of deseeded habaneros.

Add 100 g of olive oil, 75 g of soy sauce, 50 g of brown sugar, 20 g of ground allspice, 5 g of cinnamon, 5 g of ground nutmeg, 8 to 10 g of ground black pepper, and 60 g of fresh lime juice to the food processor.

Blend for about 1 minute until the mixture is smoothish but not a perfect puree.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and place it in a medium bowl.

Add about half of the jerk paste to the chicken and slather it on generously.

Lay the chicken out on a sheet tray to dry out as it marinates overnight, brushing any exposed areas with remaining marinade.

Marinate the chicken in the fridge for about 24 hours.

After marinating, check that the chicken has a matte look and drier exterior.

Set up the gas grill for two zone cooking with one side on high heat and the other on low.

Replace the grill grate with a metal smoker box filled with pimento wood chips for smoking.

Cook the chicken over the low heat side of the grill to mimic the drum grills of Jamaica.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: