Whole Grilled Jerk Chicken Recipe

This time, we will be cooking one of our favorite recipes: Whole Grilled Jerk Chicken.

Before we start grilling the Jerk Chicken, let us give you some info about the cook. 
Preparation time: 30min to 12 hours (incl. marinating time)
Cooking time: Under 2 hours

Ingredients for Jerk Paste

• 2 onions
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger (chopped or grated)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2-3 pieces of habanero scotch bonnets peppers
• Half cup of brown sugar packed
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1.5 teaspoons pepper fresh ground
• 1 teaspoon of Asian 5 spice powder
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 6-8 scallions
• 2 teaspoon of allspice ground or 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground, half teaspoon nutmeg ground, half teaspoon cloves ground 

Ingredients for Ginger Beer Jerk BBQ Sauce

• 0.33cl ginger beer
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons of jerk paste reserved from above
• 3/4 cup pineapple juice 

Preparation for Jerk Paste  

1. First things first, take your chicken out of the fridge and let it hang out at room temperature while you prepare the paste.
2. Blend all the ingredients for the jerk paste in a food processor or blender. Blend until it looks like a paste. It’s ok if there are small chunks.
3. Reserve 3 tablespoons for the Jerk BBQ sauce depending on how you want to add the sauce. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to make the sauce.
4. Place the chicken in a tray or a resealable bag. And then rub the jerk paste onto every part of the chicken then cover the chicken and leave it to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight! 

Preparation for Ginger Beer Jerk Chicken BBQ Sauce

1. Combine ketchup, ginger beer, pineapple juice in a medium-size saucepan then mix in the reserved Jerk Paste.
2. Get it to a boil.
3. Lower to medium heat to help reduce the sauce.
4. Don’t forget to stir from time to time.
5. Remove from heat once it gets to your preferred consistency.
6. Store in a refrigerator
7. Use a spoon to spread the sauce all around the cooked chicken or just serve on the side as you prefer. 

Preparation for Grilling

1. Prepare your grill. We recommend using the “Indirect Heat” method, so a “hot spot” and a “cold spot”, here is more information on that.
2. Once the chicken is done marinating, remove it from the container and insert The MeatStick - TRUE wireless meat thermometer into the breast or the thickest part of the thigh. DO NOT HIT THE BONE. The MeatStick will help make sure that your Whole Grilled Jerk Chicken is cooked to perfection while you spend time with family & friends! 
3. Place the chicken breast-side down on the “indirect heat” spot of your grill.
4. Start cooking 30 to 45 min. Please note that it should be cooked with indirect heat so that it won’t get burnt.
5. Turn the chicken over after 45min on the grill.
6. During your cook, make sure to lightly baste the chicken with the Ginger Beer Jerk Chicken BBQ sauce.
7. When your chicken reaches, 163°F/72°C, place it on the hot side of the grill in order to get some caramelization and crispiness on your chicken.
8. Once the internal temp reaches 165°F/73°C your chicken is ready! The MeatStill will notify you once it reaches that temperature.

Before cutting into your chicken, let it rest for 10 to 15min. Once it’s all rested, enjoy your delicious Whole Grilled Jerk Chicken! You can also add lime juice or extra sauce on the side.