I love jerk chicken! One of my favourite memories of this spicy juicy dish happened in Grand Cayman. My husband and I were in the Caribbean attempting to navigate our way back to our hotel in a small cramped rental car. It had been a long day of driving and I was starving! Our GPS wouldn’t connect, we kept making incorrect turns, and eventually, we had to admit we were lost.

We pulled off the main road into a residential area – that was clearly not intended for tourists – so we could fumble with our GPS. Down the road, we saw people coming in and out of a small old shop carrying boxes wrapped in mismatched plastic grocery bags.

Now, I don’t usually make a habit of eating food from random places that I haven’t heard of. Hole-in-the-wall restaurants can serve up some of the best food available, but sometimes it can go the other way. That being said, I was, as my husband calls it, “Hangry” (Hungry/Angry).

We took the risk, and was I ever glad we did! When we entered the store there was nothing but an empty room and a counter. A small menu hung on the wall, and an older woman sat behind the counter making dough balls. We ordered jerk chicken and a few of the little donut-like balls she was making.  We ate our food outside in the blistering sun, our mouths on fire from the scotch bonnets, and we loved every second of it. We still talk about how delicious it was.

Jerk Chicken pairs perfectly with warm creamy coconut rice. We often make it at home, but last year, I decided to change things up and start making jerk chicken burritos! They’re so fast and easy, and often feed us for days. It didn’t take long before it became a favourite in our regular routine of meals.

When making jerk chicken, it’s very important to keep the skin and bone on your meat. It adds a ton of flavor and keeps your chicken nice and juicy. I always break down a whole chicken for this recipe and use a combination of light and dark meat in the burrito.

Recipe for Jerk Chicken Burritos: 

Jerk Chicken Ingredients: 

• 1 Whole Chicken (Deconstructed*)
• 2 Oranges (Juiced)
• Premade Jerk Chicken Marinade (OR)
  • 4 Medium Scallions/Green onions chopped
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Fresh Thyme
  • 1½ Tablespoons Fresh Ginger chopped
  • 8 Garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon 
  • 1 Tablespoon Allspice Coarsely Ground
  • 1 tablespoon Coarsely Ground White Pepper
  • ½ Tablespoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg
  • 2 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Honey
  • 2 Tablespoons Maggi Sauce or Soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon bouillon powder such as Knorr
  • 1 or more Scotch Bonnet Pepper adjust to taste
    • Recipe Credit to Immaculate Bites 
• 1/2 White Onion (Diced)
• 1-2 Jalapenos (Diced)

To Deconstruct your chicken, carefully chop legs, thighs, breasts, and wings. You will have 6 pieces.

Coconut Rice & Beans Ingredients: 

• 1 Cup of Uncooked White Rice
• 1 Can of Washed Kidney Beans
• 1 Can of Coconut Milk (2 Cups)
• 1 Cup Chicken Broth
• Coarse Salt and Pepper
• Optional: Paprika, 1 Can of Tomato Paste

Toppings:

• Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
• Lime Mayonnaise (60% Mayo, 60% Lime Juice)
• Fresh Green Onion
• Flour Tortillas

Instructions for Jerk Chicken Burritos: 

1: Deconstruct your chicken and lay it in a deep bowl. Squeeze the juice from two oranges over the chicken. Drop in roughly chopped onion, garlic, jalapenos, and jerk chicken marinade mixture. Carefully stir your chicken so it is evenly coated, cover, and refrigerate. Allow the marinade to soak in overnight (or ideally, no less than 6 hours).

2: When your chicken has had time to soak up the flavor, grill it until cooked (about 15 minutes per side). Halfway through the cooking process, remove your chicken wings and breasts to indirect heat. Or, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lay chicken flat on a baking sheet, and cook for 1 hour, 10  minutes.

3: Rinse your rice and place it in a medium size pot. Pour in coconut milk, chicken broth, and salt, and turn on high heat. Once your rice is boiling, cover it with a lid and reduce your heat to low. When your rice has cooked, stir in rinsed beans. If you are opting to include tomato paste and paprika, do it at this stage as well.

4: Layer your burrito: Lime Mayo, Rice, Chicken, and fresh chopped tomatoes, and green onion. Roll, and pan fry to crisp your tortilla (about 3 minutes per side on medium heat).

Enjoy!