Skip to content

We use cookies and similar technologies (“cookies”) to help give you the best experience on our site and to show you relevant advertising. If you continue to use this site, we’ll assume that you’re happy to receive all cookies.

Birdie's 'everybody welcome' jerk chicken recipe

Birdie's 'everybody welcome' jerk chicken recipe

219 ratings

Having opened up her home to more than 800 foster children over the years, Birdie's house can be quite a busy place – especially at dinner time! But she loves cooking, and her delicious jerk chicken recipe is a great dish to welcome new children into the family (and can easily be multiplied to cater for larger crowds). See method

  • Serves 4
  • 10 mins to prepare and 50 mins to cook, plus marinating
  • 646 calories / serving
  • Dairy-free

Ingredients

  • 1kg pack British chicken legs

For Birdie's simple marinade

  • 2 tbsp jerk seasoning
  • 2 tsp chopped thyme
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped (including the green tops)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp clear honey
  • ½ lime, juiced, plus wedges to serve

For the salad

  • 2 corn on the cobs
  • 190g pack sweet mini peppers, sliced into thin rounds
  • 4 spring onions, sliced
  • ¾ cucumber, seeded and diced
  • 30g herbs such as mint, chives, basil and parsley, chopped
  • 40g rocket

For the dressing

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 3 tbsp light olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    2690kj
    646kcal     32%

  • Fat

    42g 60%

  • Saturates

    11g 53%

  • Sugars

    9g 9%

  • Salt

    2.2g 36%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 17g Protein 49g Fibre 5g

Method

155x255 JerkChicken
  1. Make 4 diagonal cuts on the skin side of each chicken leg, down to the bone. Mix the marinade ingredients together and season. Rub the marinade all over the chicken, working it into the cuts. Marinate, covered, in the fridge for at least 3½ hrs, preferably overnight.
  2. Preheat the oven to gas 5, 190°C, fan 170°C. Roast the chicken on a foil-lined baking tray for 30 mins, then turn the heat up to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C and cook for another 20 mins or until cooked through.
  3. Meanwhile, make the salad. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the corn cobs and simmer for 8 mins. Drain, rinse under cold running water to cool and then slice off the kernels by cutting down the length of the cobs with a sharp knife. Mix in a bowl with the rest of the salad ingredients.
  4. To make the dressing, put the mustard, oil and vinegar in a small jar with some seasoning, put the lid on and shake to mix. Toss with the salad to coat. Serve with the chicken and lime wedges to squeeze over.

Little help

Feeling inspired? Have a go at making the jerk marinade from scratch. Simply combine 2 tbsp ground allspice, 1 tsp onion granules, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp chopped thyme, 8 finely minced garlic cloves, 2 finely chopped Scotch Bonnet or mixed chillies, 2 finely chopped spring onions (including the green tops), 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp clear honey, 2 tbsp soft brown sugar, and the juice of half a lime. Marinate and cook the chicken as above.

Leftovers

Finely chop leftover chillies and spring onions and throw into a stir-fry. Add a squeeze of lime juice for a bit of added zing!

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

You may also like

Be the first to comment

Before you comment please read our community guidelines.