For Jamaicans, jerk chicken is more than just a culinary delight. It’s a cultural experience that is deeply embedded in the energetic vibes of the Jamaican streets.
Indeed a way of life, the Jamaican jerk chicken especially pan chicken experience is one that is nothing short of magical. Done to perfection, surrounded by the vibrant reggae or dancehall riddims, there is just something that you won’t experience anywhere else but on the buzzing streets. Even more spectacular, each pan vendor has their own secret ingredient. You’ll often find on several streets that sell jerk chicken in the Kingston metropolitan area, several vendors lining the street close to each other. In regular Jamaican high spirits, they’ll in their competitive jostles sweet talk you into believing that their chicken is the king of the street and none other can test theirs.
So special is jerk pan chicken to the Jamaican scene that in Portland, Jamaica, each year there is the Boston JerkFest. Started in 2013, the Boston JerkFest, dedicated to celebrating everything jerk boasts the best of the best pan jerk chicken vendors. And of course, to make it the ultimate jerk experience, there are live music and rich cultural performances as an added bonus and the perfect accompaniment to your jerk chicken meal. Quick to note too is that your chicken is best served complete with festivals, corn, or bread.
In Jamaica, because jerk is so customary, there have now been a plethora of excellent simple and extravagant ways tocombine jerk chicken with several other meals. Jerk Chicken Tropical Salad is one of those delicious Jamaican cuisine which is a wonderful and colorful display of Jamaican vegetables, sumptuous condiments and delicious jerk chicken. We know right! Simply mouthwatering?
Grab a taste of the tropics as you add both sweet and savory to make a one-of-a-kind meal. You’ll also love the pop of colors too. It’d make you feel like you’ve taken a trip to the Caribbean with grilled sweet red peppers, juicy ripe pineapple, crispy cucumbers, creamy avocados, and fresh greens. To get your jerk chicken just the right taste, be sure to use Jirie’s Jerk Seasoning (mild or spicy). You’re sure to savor the taste of the thyme, cloves and nutmeg, onions, crushed red peppers, and other island spices. Since we believe like Paul Newman that “from salad dressings, all blessings flow,” we recommend that you try his Own Honey Mustard Lite Dressing. You’ll love the ease with which you can prepare your salad. Really you’ll be done in a breeze!
We’re going all out too because we want you to have a special Jerk Chicken Tropical Salad experience so here’s our menu, best served with yellow saffron rice (recipe also included) and plantains. So get ready to dish up your taste of the tropics using our Jirie Jerk Seasoning!
Jerk Chicken Tropical Salad
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Grill
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thigh
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 small red onion
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp Jirie 2 Version Jerk seasonings
- 2 heads romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 large red bell peppers seeded and cut into rings
- 2 ripe avocados peeled and sliced
- 1 English cucumber sliced
- 1/2 ripe pineapple cut into chunks
- 1 bottle Newman's Own Honey Mustard Lite Dressing
Instructions
- For the Jamaican Jerk Chicken: Place all the ingredients, except the chicken, in the food processor and puree until smooth
- Allow the chicken to marinate for at least one hour, but up to 16 hours.
- When the chicken is ready to grill, preheat the grill to medium heat.
- Once hot, remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on the grill.
- Grill for 5 minutes per side. Then allow the chicken to rest 5 minutes before cutting.
- Meanwhile, grill the red pepper rings for 1-2 minutes per side to soften.
- Once the chicken has rested, cut into strips.
- Arrange the romaine lettuce on a large platter, topped with grilled peppers, cucumbers, pineapple, and avocado slices.
- Fan the chicken pieces over the top and drizzle with Newman's Own Honey Mustard Lite Dressing.
- Serve immediately.
Tumeric Rice
Equipment
- rice cooker
- colander
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups stock chicken or vegetable
Instructions
- Before cooking, rinse the rice in a colander under the tap, or by covering with water, swirling, and carefully decanting (repeat 2-3 times until the water becomes clear).
Stove Top
- In a medium pot, combine the rinsed basmati rice with coconut oil, turmeric, ground ginger, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and stock.
- Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let sit for another 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.
Rice Cooker
- Combine the basmati rice with coconut oil, turmeric, ground ginger, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and stock.
- Cook using the 'white rice' function (or regular function if there is not a white rice option).
- Once the cooking time is up, fluff with a fork and enjoy!
Notes
- You may use any long grain or brown rice for this recipe.
If you’d like to swap the onion and garlic powder for fresh ingredients, try ½ an onion (finely diced) and 2 cloves of garlic.
Sautee in the oil until softened before adding the other ingredients. Storage
- Get the cooked rice into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking and do not let it sit out at room temperature for extended periods of time.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze in a meal prep container or bag for up to 3 months.
- Heat until steaming hot in the microwave; do not reheat more than once.