Whats the Best Jamaican Souvenir? Take Home a Favourite Local Recipe: Jamaican Jerk Chicken

If you are looking to get a little taste of authentic local Jamaican cuisine; check out this great local Jamaican Jerk Chicken recipe from Tracy on Jamaican Travel And Culture's website. And please feel free to try it out and let me know what you think in the comments section below! Also make sure you check out our Travel Around Jamaica Tours website to find great deals on private airport transfers and private Jamaica sightseeing tours and excursions in Montego Bay, Negril and Ocho Rios.

Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to prepare enough jerk chicken for 4 people:

 One 3 1/2 lb chicken (3lb of chicken breasts may be used if preferred)
 6 sliced scotch bonnet peppers (jalapenos may be used if scotch bonnet peppers are unavailable)
 2 Tbsp. thyme
 2 Tbsp. ground allspice
 8 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
 3 Medium onions, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tsp. ground black pepper

1 to 2 Tsp of the following (to taste) :
-ground cinnamon
-nutmeg
-ginger

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
Juice of one lime
1 cup orange juice
1 cup white vinegar

Preparation
 Chop the onions, garlic and peppers. These do not need to be chopped too fine as they will be liquidized by the blender.

Blend all of the ingredients (excluding the chicken) in a blender to make the jerk sauce. 

Cut the chicken up in to 4 pieces.

Rub the sauce in to the meat, saving some for basting and dipping later.
 Leave the chicken in the fridge to marinade overnight.

Cooking
 Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turn the meat then bake for another 30 minutes.

 or

 Grill the meat slowly until cooked, turning regularly. Baste with some of the remaining marinade while cooking. For best results, cook over a charcoal barbeque (ideally over a rack of pimento wood).

Serving

 Chop each quarter chicken portion in to 5 or 6 smaller pieces using a heavy cleaver.

 Use a wooden spoon (or something similar) to hold the chicken in place whilst chopping and NOT YOUR HAND (you will be chopping with enough pressure to cut through bone!!!)

Serve with festival and salad or rice and peas or hardo bread and the jerk sauce left over for dipping.