Belize Recipes -Belizean Jerk Chicken

Belizean Jerk Chicken Recipe


Ingredients to make Belizean Jerk Chicken:

  • 3 whole chickens

Ingredients to make Jerk seasoning:

  • 4 sweet peppers
  • 2 onions
  • 2 tomatoes (not too ripe)
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 2 habanero peppers (can be reduced)
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 10 leaves local oregano
  • 1 table spoon dried oregano
  • 1 table spoon thyme leafs
  • ½ table spoon paprika powder
  • ½ table spoon cumin
  • ½ table spoon crushed black pepper
  • ½ table spoon salt
  • 3 oz dark rum
  • 3 oz lime juice
  • 2 slices orange peel
  • 20 cilantro seeds
  • 4 leaves all spice
  • Some olive oil to liquefy
  • 6 lbs sweet potato
  • 8 oz margarine or butter
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • Salt & black pepper to taste
  • 6 oranges

Preparation of Jerk Chicken:

  • Cut the chicken in 8 pieces and remove all skin, then rinse the chicken in some water to remove all bone fragments and blood .
  • Cut the onions, pepper, garlic and ginger roughly before putting in the food processor
  • Then add the dry herbs and spices, the lime-juice and the rum. Blend the mixture on full speed and add as much olive oil as needed to give it a smooth texture.
  • Rub the chicken pieces with the jerk seasoning and allow marinating several hours (overnight is best)
  • Place the chicken on a baking tray and roast on a smoky barbeque oven for up to 45 minutes on low heat.
  • Drizzle or brush the chicken with the marinate on a regular base
  • Peel the sweet potatoes and boil in sufficient salted water till done.
  • Strain the potatoes and allow to dry for a couple of minutes.
  • Then mash them in a food processor while adding the butter, eggs and cinnamon.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Transfer the mashed potatoes to a piping bag.
  • Cut the oranges in half and remove all meat.
  • Pipe the mash in to the orange skin
  • Place the filled oranges on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes on 350 F

This version of the jerk seasoning is best after about 24 hours of marinating. Apart from chicken this preparation can be used for pork, lamb and even fish.

Do you like this Belize Recipe? I’d love to hear your thoughts if you leave a comment below!

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4 thoughts on “Belize Recipes -Belizean Jerk Chicken”

  1. Yum!
    Thanks for that, Chaa Creek. This will feature on our menu for 21st September celebrations here in Australia.

    Now if anyone has a recipe for home-made recado…

    Reply
  2. Hi Marc:

    This post is a bit late, but here is a recipe for home-made recado:

    By the way, what restaurant do you work at here in Australia? I live in Australia (Sydney) as well but hail from Belize.

    Cheers,

    Reply
  3. Hey, thanks for that Denise!

    No, I don’t work in a restuarant, but I once had a small one in Cayo. I live in Byron Bay now, but since my kids were pretty much raised in Belize we still live on rice and beans, stwe chicken, tortillas and fry jacks – who wouldn’t? So, many thanks for the recado recipe, and I can’t wait to try it! Finding recado here is like trying to find Vegemite in the Jewel…

    If you’re ever in Byron give a shout – it’s always great to see people from Belize here!

    Thanks again, and cheers

    Reply
  4. This is wonderful and authentic. I would like to use your recipe with credits for an upcoming post on Belizean travel. Please let me know your thoughts on this. Thank you. Renee

    Reply

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