Tender Jerk Chicken
I’m teaching a pressure cooking class and needed a protein to go along with my Caribbean Black Beans. So I tried Jerk Tofu and got a big thumbs down from my family. It sounded good, but just didn’t work out like I thought. It took a lot of prep and effort and tasted like “spicy hockey pucks”, so into the garbage and back to the kitchen for more experimenting. I don’t usually use my pressure cooker for chicken, I prefer to use the Dutch Oven and let it slow cook in the oven, but the pressure cooker rocked this recipe, turning out tender, flavorful chicken with a rich, deep, slightly spicy sauce. Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken is really versatile and can be made in 12 minutes….that is not a typo…in the pressure cooker or linger all day in the slow cooker or a few hours in the oven. Family declared it a winner. You can pre assemble these and turn them into a quick weeknight dinner. Jerk Chicken Tray Bakes happily sit in the fridge ready to pop in the oven for 40 minutes for a quick weeknight dinner.
Pressure or Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 servings
Use the Pressure Cooker, Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or Dutch Oven for this amazingly tender take on Jerk Chicken. Or make a tray bake and cook in the oven later.
Ingredients
Spice Rub
- 1 teaspoon Mixed Spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, coriander) or Jerk Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Hot Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Ginger
- 4 stalks Fresh Thyme Leaves, stripped from the stalk or 1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
- 3 tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Chicken and Sauce
- 6-8 Skinless Chicken Thighs with Bone or Boneless
- 1 can or box Chopped Tomatoes
- 1 large Red Onion, Chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, Chopped
- 1 hot Chili Pepper (remove seeds for less heat), chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar or Cider Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Tamari or Soy Sauce
Instructions
- Mix all the spices on a large plate
- Rub the chicken all over with the spice mix
- Heat a generous glug of Olive Oil in a Pressure Cooker, or Dutch Oven over high
- Brown the Chicken well on all sides
- Add the Onions and Garlic and give it all a stir and let brown just a few minutes
- Turn the heat down (be careful of the splatter) and add the rest of the ingredients
- Cook in the oven at 375f or 185c for 30 min. Turn the heat down to 300f and leave for up to 2 hours
- Remove the Chicken with Tongs carefully as it will be very tender
- Transfer to a foil lined tray and broil under a high broiler 3-5 minutes until browned (optional)
- Serve over Rice with a ladle of Sauce and a sprig of fresh Thyme
INSTANT POT OR PRESSURE COOKER METHOD
- Heat a splash of Olive Oil on the Saute feature and brown the spice coated chicken a few minutes on each side
- Add all the remaining ingredients and lock the pressure valve
- Switch to Manual Mode and set time for 12 minutes
- Let pressure come down naturally for at least 5 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure
- You can brown them under the broiler or serve straight away
Notes
TRAY BAKE OPTION: Rub Chicken with spice mix and lay them in a shallow oven proof dish (square cake pan works well) add the rest of the ingredients and cover tightly with foil. Store in the Fridge up to 3 days, then cook at 180c or 375f for 40-50 minutes. You can remove the chicken and brown under the grill if you like
Jerk Chicken Tray Bake
Jerk Chicken with Kale and Sweet Potatoes
Looks and sounds delicious. Will definitely try this recipe.