Jerk chicken with rice & peas
Jerk chicken with rice & peas is a Jamaican classic for good reason — chicken thighs does most of the work, and the method is rewarding enough for a weeknight. A hot pan and a little patience give you the kind of colour and texture that makes this dish. Scroll down for the ingredients, the step-by-step method, and answers to the questions we get asked most about it.
- Level Hard
Ingredients
- 12 Chicken Thighs
- ½ Lime
- 1 bunch Chopped Spring Onions
- 1 Tbs chopped Ginger
- 3 clove Garlic
- ½ Chopped Onion
- 3 Chopped Red Chilli
- ½ tsp Thyme
- Juice of 1 Lime
- 2 Tbs Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
- 3 Tbs Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbs Allspice
- 200 g Basmati Rice
- 400 g Coconut Milk
- 1 bunch Chopped Spring Onions
- 2 sprig Thyme
- 2 clove Garlic
- 1 Tbs Allspice
- 800 g Kidney Beans
Method
- To make the jerk marinade, combine all the ingredients in a food processor along with 1 tsp salt, and blend to a purée. If you’re having trouble getting it to blend, just keep turning off the blender, stirring the mixture, and trying again. Eventually it will start to blend up – don’t be tempted to add water, as you want a thick paste.
- Taste the jerk mixture for seasoning – it should taste pretty salty, but not unpleasantly, puckering salty. You can now throw in more chillies if it’s not spicy enough for you. If it tastes too salty and sour, try adding in a bit more brown sugar until the mixture tastes well balanced.
- Make a few slashes in the chicken thighs and pour the marinade over the meat, rubbing it into all the crevices. Cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
- If you want to barbecue your chicken, get the coals burning 1 hr or so before you’re ready to cook. Authentic jerked meats are not exactly grilled as we think of grilling, but sort of smoke-grilled. To get a more authentic jerk experience, add some wood chips to your barbecue, and cook your chicken over slow, indirect heat for 30 mins. To cook in the oven, heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the chicken pieces in a roasting tin with the lime halves and cook for 45 mins until tender and cooked through.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rice & peas. Rinse the rice in plenty of cold water, then tip it into a large saucepan with all the remaining ingredients except the kidney beans. Season with salt, add 300ml cold water and set over a high heat. Once the rice begins to boil, turn it down to a medium heat, cover and cook for 10 mins.
- Add the beans to the rice, then cover with a lid. Leave off the heat for 5 mins until all the liquid is absorbed. Squeeze the roasted lime over the chicken and serve with the rice & peas, and some hot sauce if you like it really spicy.
Tips for the best Jerk chicken with rice & peas
- Use a kitchen scale for the dry ingredients if you have one — baking is less forgiving than cooking.
- Taste as you go. Seasoning at the end is fine, but adjusting halfway through gives a more balanced result.
- Rest the finished dish for a few minutes before serving — it lets the flavours settle and the texture firm up.
- Preheat the oven fully before anything goes in — a cold start changes the texture.
Variations
- Individual portions: divide into ramekins or a muffin tin and reduce the baking time by about a third.
- Vegetable boost: stir in a handful of spinach, peas or diced peppers in the last few minutes of cooking.
- Swap the chicken for turkey or firm tofu or chickpeas — keep the cooking time similar and check for doneness.
Serving ideas
Serve slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoon of thick cream.
Storage
Keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days, or refrigerated for up to a week. Most versions freeze well for 2 months.
Frequently asked questions
What can I substitute for chicken thighs?
Any ingredient with a similar texture and cooking time works; see the variations below for ideas. Keep quantities the same and adjust seasoning at the end.
Can I make Jerk chicken with rice & peas ahead of time?
Yes. It actually improves after a few hours, so make it earlier in the day and reheat gently before serving.
Is this Jerk chicken with rice & peas recipe hard to make?
It is rated hard: 20 ingredients and 6 steps. Follow the order and the tips above and it is very forgiving.
Recipe data via TheMealDB — source
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