Jamaican Jerk Chicken Skewers
Zesty island spices give this easy Jamaican jerk chicken lots of bold flavor. These grilled chicken skewers are topped with simple yet flavorful cilantro lime ranch dressing and cooked to perfection on a traditional grill or in a grill pan on the stove.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 scallions ends trimmed and cut into 3 pieces
- 4 cloves garlic peeled or pressed
- 1 small hot pepper preferred scotch bonnet or habanero, stem and seeds removed
- 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and sliced
- 3 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1½ tablespoon brown sugar lightly packed
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme minced, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast trimmed of fat and cut into ¾-inch cubes
Optional garnish ideas
- scallions thinly sliced
- red chili pepper thinly sliced
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Add the scallion, garlic, hot pepper, ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, vegetable oil, brown sugar, thyme, salt, black pepper, allspice, and nutmeg to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to chop everything up a bit, and then process until it turns into a chunky sauce with a consistency similar to runny salsa.
- Measure out ½ cup of marinade and put it in the fridge in an airtight container for cooking later. Add the chicken and the remaining sauce to a large bowl and toss well to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- 20 minutes before you want to cook the chicken, soak 6 wooden skewers in water (to help prevent them from catching on fire). Preheat grill to medium-high.
- Spray the skewers with cooking spray, then thread the chicken onto them. Grill the skewers until the chicken is fully cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes per side, brushing with the reserved marinade if they look dry. When the chicken is done, there should be no pink in the center, and it should reach an internal temperature of 165F.
- Serve the chicken skewers topped with any garnishes you like, along with Creamy Cilantro Lime Ranch for dipping.
Notes
These skewers are heavenly dipped in creamy cilantro lime ranch which you can make in a few minutes with this recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1skewer | Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 761mg | Potassium: 506mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
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