Chef Tom's Jamaican Jerk Chicken Skewers | Grilled Fresh!

scotch bonnet peppers

💰Cheaper: jalapeño peppers

Jalapeños provide heat but are milder and easier to find.

brown sugar

🥗Healthier: coconut sugar

Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: tamari

Tamari is gluten-free and has a similar flavor.

vegetable oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

Olive oil offers healthier fats.

Fire up the grill, using a Primo ceramic grill with large lump charcoal, banking the coals to one side.

Add pecan chunks to the coals for smoke flavor.

Prepare the marinade by combining scotch bonnet peppers, ground allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, fresh thyme, minced garlic, soy sauce, white vinegar, lime juice, minced green onion, minced ginger, smoked salt, smoked black pepper, and smoked turbinado sugar in a food processor.

Blend the marinade into a paste.

Spread the marinade over 4.5 to 5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs, massaging it in on all sides.

Let the chicken marinate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and thread it onto flat bamboo skewers, splitting the thighs down the middle for easier skewering.

Sprinkle the skewers with jerk rub by Plowboy's Barbecue before grilling.

Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning.

Preheat the grill to about 600 degrees Fahrenheit and add pecan wood on top of the charcoal.

Place the chicken skewers on the cast iron grate and cook in batches, allowing them to char and release from the grate before flipping.

Once the chicken is charred, move it to the indirect heat side of the grill and brush with pineapple juice to glaze.

Close the lid and let the chicken finish cooking until it reaches an internal temperature of 175 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: