Jamaican Jerk Chicken in a Cast Iron Wok

chicken

🥗Healthier: turkey

💰Cheaper: chicken thighs

Turkey is leaner, while chicken thighs are more affordable.

jerk seasoning

🥗Healthier: homemade spice blend

Homemade blends can be lower in sodium.

Influenced by a YouTube friend who made barbecued pork with Jamaican jerk seasoning.

Decided to try a chicken dish cooked on the stovetop in a cast-iron wok instead of grilling.

Mentioned that the oven was not working, so the dish was prepared entirely on the stovetop.

Discussed the spices used in Jamaican dishes, including allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, anise, cloves, and brown sugar.

Mentioned difficulty finding scotch bonnet peppers but used scotch bonnet pepper sauce instead.

Mixed the marinade with scotch bonnet pepper sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic.

Marinated 5 pounds of chicken pieces in the marinade overnight.

Sear the chicken in batches in the cast-iron wok to avoid overcrowding.

After searing, put all the chicken back into the wok, cover it, and let it cook for about 5 minutes.

Prepared a sauce by adding tomato paste, leftover marinade, and enough chicken broth to mostly cover the chicken.

Covered the wok again and let the chicken cook for 25 minutes.

Uncovered the pan and let it simmer in the sauce for another 15 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce.

Topped the finished dish with parsley and cilantro before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: