Servings: 1 whole chicken
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Equipment
- apple wood chunks or logs cherry & pecan wood are also great options
Ingredients
For the Jerk Wet Rub
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed 70g or 2½ oz
- 2 medium scotch bonnet peppers
- 2 tsp ground allspice
- 7 cloves garlic 37g or 1¼ oz
- 3½ oz scallions about 3 stalks or 100g
- 3½ oz fresh thyme about 8 sprigs or 100g
- 1 oz fresh ginger about 2 TBSP minced or 30g
- 1½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
For cooking the Chicken
- 1 whole roaster chicken or 8 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken parts
- Red Stripe beer or other mild/light beer
Instructions
Make the Wet Jerk Rub
- Add all the ingredients for the rub (brown sugar, scotch bonnet peppers, scallions, thyme, ginger, garlic, ground allspice, black pepper & salt) to blender or food processor. Blend continuously on high speed until it forms a spreadable paste.
Spatchcock the Chicken (if using a Whole Chicken)
- With the chicken breast side down, feel on either side of the tail for a soft spot with a little give. Using a sturdy pair of kitchen shears, cut along that soft spot located next to the tail and follow it all the way up along the spine. Repeat on the other side.
- Discard the spine (or save as desired for chicken stock) & remove the innards.
- Pat the entire chicken dry on both sides with clean paper towels.
- Flip the chicken over so the breast side faces up. Press down on the center of breast bone with the heel of your palm. You should hear or feel a slight crack.
Get the Chicken Ready for the Grill
- Apply the wet rub prepared earlier to the chicken. Pull the skin away from the meat (without removing it completely) and apply the rub under the skin in addition to the outer portion. Do this on both sides.
- Marinate the seasoned chicken for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight for best flavor.
- Once the grill is ready, insert a meat thermometer into the thigh of the chicken. Avoid touching it to bone and ensure that most of it fully surrounded by the meat of the chicken thighs for an accurate reading.
How to Prepare the Grill for the Jerk Chicken
- Ignite your coal briquettes. 25-30 briquettes (or about a third of the charcoal chimney) should bring the grill up to the 250°F needed to smoke the chicken. The briquettes are ready once the charcoal mostly ashes over and stops producing thick white smoke.
- Once the briquettes are ready, split them in two piles in the ends of the grill barrel. Leave enough space in the center to avoid exposing the chicken to direct heat.
- After piling your briquettes, add a couple wood chunks alongside the charcoal briquettes. Close the grill and allow the wood to preheat. Once the thick white smoke is no longer coming from the grill it is ready.
Jerking the Chicken
- Once the grill is ready place the chicken directly on a grate in the center. There shouldn't be any flames or lit charcoal directly under the chicken.
- Close the grill and allow the chicken to smoke & cook for 1.5-2 hours or until the internal temperature of the chicken thigh reads 150°F. Open the grill as needed to add coal briquettes to maintain a temperature range of 225-275°F.
- Once the meat thermometer reads 150°F, splash the chicken with the Red Stripe Beer (if using) on both sides. Use just enough to baste the chicken.Be careful when flipping the chicken as it will easily come away at the joints since it is almost cooked.
- Slide the grate over so that the chicken is now directly over the coal briquettes and allow the chicken to continue to cook here until it reaches the target internal temperature of 165°F. Again, the flames should not be touching the chicken.
- Once done allow the chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the moisture to redistribute throughout the meat.
- Serve hot. Store leftovers in an airtight container and consume within 4 days.
Notes
- If splitting this prep between 2 days be sure to get as far as marinating so that the chicken has time to absorb the flavor of the marinade
- Use gloves when applying the rub to chicken. Scotch bonnet peppers are spicy so using your bare hands can be irritating to your skin. In addition, even after washing your hands, capsaicin (what gives peppers their spicy flavor and burning sensation) can linger so touching your hand to your face/eyes can get dicey!
- Wait until the thick, white smoke clears from the grill chimney. This smoke can give an acrid flavor to the chicken. The "good" smoke is "thin, blue smoke," and is only barely perceptible and almost resembles light steam. See this video reference in the blogpost of clean burning "thin, blue smoke."
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