Jamaican Jerk Chicken

4-6     1½ Hours     Smoke     Mesquite

The Scotch Bonnet pepper is the official pepper of Jamaican Jerk flavor. These stout and kinda cute peppers look like tiny orange lanterns. They’ll definitely light you up. I find scotch bonnets difficult to find locally, but the habaneros used here have the same fruity and intense heat. Yeah, mon!

¼ cup corn syrup or cane syrup

8 cloves, whole

3 habanero peppers, sliced

3 tablespoons whole allspice berries or pimento berries, divided

¼ cup chopped green onions

2 tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon thyme

8 bone-in chicken thighs

¼ cup olive oil

1. In a blender, combine corn syrup, cloves, habanero peppers, 2 tablespoons allspice berries, green onions, salt, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, and thyme to make a Jamaican Jerk sauce. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
2. Preheat the smoker to 250°F and add wood.
3. Add the remaining allspice berries to the smoker box with the wood.
4. Rub the chicken thighs with the olive oil.
5. Reserving ¼ cup of the sauce for later, then baste the thighs, getting under the skin, as well. Optional: Keep with Jerk tradition and score the legs with three 1” cuts on the top of each thigh.
6. Place the thighs in the smoker and smoke for approximately 1½ hours, until a digital thermometer registers 165°F.
7. Remove chicken from the smoker and baste with the remaining sauce. Serve hot.

Real cane syrup is a less processed form of syrup you can sometimes find near Aunt Jemima in the grocery store. Use it, or sweet molasses, to give this chicken an added depth of flavor.