Mexican Jerk Chicken

We love jerk chicken and we had a sneaky suspicion that it might just work just as well with chipotle chilli paste as it does with scotch bonnet, making for a slightly milder but equally delicious result.

We weren’t disappointed.

Chef’s tip

If you’ve got the time, toasting the spices before grinding them will release more flavour.

Prep time

20mins
Cook time

40 mins
Total time

1hr
Ideal for

BBQ
Make it

Mexican
Serves

4-6

This recipe uses

Chipotle Paste

Find us in the
Mexican Section

Ingredients

FOR THE MARINADE

½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tbsp. allspice berries (use allspice powder if you can’t get hold of these)
1 tbsp. peppercorns
1 tbsp. finely chopped thyme leaves
4 spring onions
2 tsp chipotle chilli paste
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp. soy sauce
juice of 1 lime

FOR THE REST

6 chicken legs/thighs

How to make it

Put the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice berries, peppercorns, thyme, spring onions, chipotle chilli paste, sugar, salt, soy sauce and lime juice in a food processor (everything apart from the chicken).
Blitz to a paste, then pour over the chicken. Massage in as much as possible (putting it all into a freezer bag is the easiest way).
Leave covered in the fridge for as long as possible, preferably overnight.
Place the chicken on a hot barbecue or grill for 10 minutes, moving around regularly to prevent burning. Move to a cooler spot and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, or until cooked through (cut into a thick piece to check the colour). Remove and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.