Jamaican pan chicken
Pan chicken: Red Hills Road oil-drum jerk chicken
After dark on Red Hills Road in Kingston, smoke rises from rows of oil-drum barbecues where vendors grill pan chicken, a peppery jerk-style chicken served wrapped in foil with a slice of hard dough bread and a squeeze of ketchup-based pepper sauce. It is less smoky and sharper than Portland jerk, with plenty of black pepper, scallion and pimento. The common mistake is cooking over flaming coals, which burns the outside before the inside is safe; grill over steady medium heat with the lid down. The chicken is done when the thickest part reaches 74 °C and the juices run clear. Chef's tip: marinate overnight in the fridge and cook the pieces skin-side up first so the fat bastes the meat.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 3 ⅓ lb chicken thighs and drumsticksbone in, skin on
For the marinade
- 6 spring onions (scallion)chopped
- 2 scotch bonnet peppersstalks removed (wear gloves)
- 5 cloves garlic
- ¾ in fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp ground allspice (pimento)
- 2 tsp black peppercoarsely ground
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 limejuice only
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp salt
To serve
- 4 tbsp ketchup (optional)mixed with a little hot pepper sauce
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Blend 6 spring onions (scallion), 2 scotch bonnet peppers, 5 cloves garlic, ¾ in fresh ginger, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 1 tbsp ground allspice (pimento), 2 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 lime, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 2 tsp salt to a rough paste.
3 minStep 2: Slash 3 ⅓ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks to the bone 2–3 times, rub the paste all over and into the cuts, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Step 3: Light a barbecue and let the coals burn to a steady medium heat with no flames, or heat a grill pan or oven to 400°F. Take the chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
20 minStep 4: Grill the chicken skin-side up with the lid closed, turning every 8–10 minutes, for 35–45 minutes, until the skin is charred in spots and a thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F with clear juices.
40 minStep 5: Rest for 5 minutes, then chop into pieces and serve with hard dough bread and 4 tbsp ketchup.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 510 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jamaican pan chicken take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of spring onions (scallion)?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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