Jerk Chicken With Pickled Bananas Recipe (2024)

There is no substitute for homemade jerk sauce. Not even Walkers Wood. Try it before you pass judgement.

Why would you come to a cooking site that typically presents “from scratch” (or mostly so) recipes to complain that a jarred product would be easier? Yeah it exists and would be easier, but if you wanted to do that you wouldn’t want or need this recipe.

Here's a nice article about Mr. Lewis, from whom the original recipe came: https://www.telegram.com/entertainmentlife/20190317/meet-chef-shaun-lewiscraft-table-amp-bar-worcester

Sure you could do this or buy some Walkers Wood, rub it over chicken, put in a plastic bag, refrigerate for a day and grill.

This was an incredible meal. I served the Jerk with David Tannis' coconut rice and peas and the pickled bananas. And all in my NYC apartment. YUM!The only change to the recipe was that I subbed a bottle of Jamaican ginger beer for the stout as I don't drink. I cooked the chicken skin-side up on a cooling rack over a half-sheet pan covered with foil. In my gas oven: 400F convection roast for the first 20 minutes. 425F for the next 20 minutes. 2 minutes under broiler. Skin was nicely crackling.

A spectacular recipe. In the pursuit of peppery perfection, I substituted fresh scotch bonnet peppers for the habeneros, and because I frankly dislike bananas, used firm plantains instead. The overnight vinegar soak defangs the peppers and yields that authentic Caribbean punch. Oh, and keep the banana brine for pepper relish! Pack with red onions, carrots, a few allspice berries, your favorite pepper or two, and return to the fridge.

Questions for the person who contributed this recipe or the NYT editor: What kind of balsamic vinegar: white or dark, old or young? What kind of smoked paprika: Spanish, Hungarian, sweet smoked or bittersweet? Why extra virgin olive oil? The flavour of the extra virgin oil will only disappear in the mix of hot and sour and spicy, so any olive oil or any oil will do, won't it? And why not use brown sugar instead of white? It would add a wonderful deep flavour to the dish.

"It’s not spicy hot but has a magnificent warmth that spreads across your chest in a slow build."Surely any recipe that calls for 1/4 cup of Tabasco and a Habanero chile is very spicy hot. I live in New Mexico and consume quite a bit of chile, but this recipe would probably send me and any guests I might cook it for to the kitchen for something to put out the fire. "The magnificent warmth that spreads across your chest" would be a painful experience for most people that I might cook for.

An alternate cooking method other than low, slow grill? Oven on 425 and thighs skin side up on racks over sheet pan would work well, I would think. Anyone else have a suggestion on cooking method? NYC still doesn’t allow me to charcoal grill in my studio! Can you imagine!?

I look at sour bananas as a type of "pickle," which is always nice alongside some spice. You could add honey or sugar if you're looking for something sweeter. With jerk, I usually serve bruleed pineapple spears or pineapple rice. I'm curious about grilling this chicken skin-down. My daddy taught me bone side down on the charcoal Weber til finishing the skin side nice and crispy in the final minutes. It's never failed me and I don't get burnt skin.

Ok so I read all the notes (thank you all!!) and decided to make this. I halved the sauce and brine and had the perfect amount. I also didn’t have the whole nutmeg, allspice etc and just used my already ground spices. It was really truly delicious. My kids would not even try the bananas, unfortunately, but I’m slightly addicted myself. I’ll def be making this again. My hubs was super impressed.I served it alongside green salad, beans and rice and some summer fruit. An amazing dinner.

I made this weekend and the chicken turned out fantastic. I made a few modifications: I substituted 1/4 cup white vinegar for the 1/4 cup Tabasco because I was worried about the spice level for mixed company. I left out the Jalapeno and habaneros but used a total of 4 scotch bonnet peppers instead.I used powdered spices instead of the whole spices and it was fine. Added a tbsp minced ginger because every other jerk recipe I've ever seen has it.

It does not state to save the marinade after the chicken was in it. It says to reserve 3/4 cup before using it on the chicken.

Pro tip: use this as a preparation for wings - amazing.

Could you use this marinade with fish or shrimp?

I’d use scotch bonnets if you can get them. That’s what’s traditionally used in Jamaica and I’m assuming subsisted here due to its lack of availability in the original recipe. Scotch bonnets are more citrusy than habaneros and bring more heat.

My favorite NYT recipe. All the prep, and yes, it takes a prodigious amount of time, is completely worth it. The warmth of the jerk sauce is the warmth of flavor, not overwhelming heat. Yes, I spooned all the remaining dipping sauce (a portion of the marinade that is set aside) into my mouth, rather than waste it. Don’t skip the banana pickles. They’re fabulous. Two suggestions: Make more than you think you’ll eat - it’ll disappear. Double the marinade. Freeze half for next time.

So, I was skeptical of this recipe as I was making it because the marinade is extremely laborious (1+ hour to prepare everything) and some of the combinations seemed wild... I had NO idea how it would turn out. But now that I've made it, I must say, I am a total convert. I'd say it's essential to use boneless skin-ON thighs - quick tip, just buy regular bone-in thighs and use kitchen shears to cut the bone out by cutting behind and around the bone - it will slip out quite easily. Butcher free!

My husband doesn’t like dark meat chicken. Would this work with chicken breast? How to modify the cooking time?

Have made this several times with both chicken and pork. My go-to jerk, better than anything I've tried before and very similar to the beach hut jerk platter we've had in Turks and Caicos. 100% worth the effort and NO rub will come anywhere close. Longer the marinade the better 3-4 days but at a minimum overnight. The pickled bananas are awesome too. A crunchy jicama cucumber mango and red bell salad dressed with lime juice, EVOO and a drop of honey or agave and you're off!

Bananas were interesting.I was a bit concerned about the 1/4 cup of Tabasco but overall the chicken was underwhelming in both heat and taste.

Can you do this in a regular oven?Can you use Breasts instead of Thighs?

I followed the recipe as followed except I cook my chicken thighs in an Instapot. I missed the cripsy chicken skin, but I love fall-off-the-bone meat.

Make this exactly as written and you won’t be disappointed.

This was a great jerk chicken, worth the effort of making the marinade. I also put it on steamed sweet potato halves and grilled them with the chicken for the vegetarians in the house. The pickled bananas were a big hit, but I’m glad I only pickled them for 1 day - they were soft and sweet/sour/spicy but on the edge of slimy. Another day and I think they might have been goo.

I ommited the scallions and forgot the tablespoon of balsamic and those minor changes to the recipe seem to have had major effects. Even with two habaneros, a large jalapeño and the quarter cup of Tabasco I got very little flavor or heat from the marinade even after a two day sit. It was good grilled chicken...but I'd have to tell someone it was jerk. Might try it again but with that extensive an ingredient list I was hoping to get wowed. For whatever reason, not this time.

Awesome with a little extra spice. Put in backyard charcoal and wood smoker, to die for, sorry but just can’t do the real deal inside.

Don’t discard the marinade after removing the chicken to grill it. Put it in a pan and sauté it. One of the best parts of the meal after combining a gazillion ingredients! Planning to use it with leftover turkey for a pot pie with puff pastry on top.

Loved it, even though it was a lot of work. I used half the marinade and froze the other half, so it‘s worth it. Might be a good idea to do a double batch the next time. I cooked the chicken sous-vide for two hours at 80 degrees C for tenderness, then reduced the juices to almost a paste. With that I basted the chicken as it finished off under the broiler. The smoked paprika lends it a nice, well, smokiness. Never had authentic jerk chicken so no frame of comparison but it tasted really good.

Oh yes! This is great. Got the pastes from Amazon. I made sweet potato fries to go with, but next time I'm going to try suggestion to add sweet potato rounds with the chicken after dunking in the marinade. Thank you again, Melissa!