Jerk-Inspired Chicken with Plantain Rice

Native to Jamaica, jerk chicken is marinated in a spice-filled marinade filled with sweet and spicy flavors. This recipe uses the most accessible jerk chicken spices, so you can conveniently reach into your spice cabinet at any time to make this meal. The plantain rice is also served Jamaican style, cooked with allspice, thyme, and coconut milk. For the chicken to have a strong flavor, be sure to marinate it overnight, although if you are short on time, 4 hours will do.

Serves 4

Ingredients for Jerk Chicken

4 free-range boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1⁄4 cup malt vinegar

11⁄2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon thyme

2 teaspoons allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

4 cloves garlic, minced

1⁄2 tablespoon minced ginger

Ingredients for Plantain Rice

4 large plantains

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt

Pepper

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

  1. Place chicken breasts flat on a baking sheet. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together malt vinegar, soy sauce, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, and ginger. Pour over chicken breasts and refrigerate at a minimum 4 hours and for best results overnight.
  2. Once chicken has marinated, preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 30 minutes.
  3. While chicken is baking, prepare Plantain Rice. Peel plantains, slice in half crosswise, and cut off both ends. Spiralize using a small-noodle blade. Convert plantain into bite-sized rice pieces by either cutting noodles with a knife or blending noodles in a food processor by pulsing until they form rice-like bits. You can also skip this step and mash the plantain into rice using a spatula once it’s in the pan, which also works well.
  4. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan on medium-low. Add plantains, breaking up into rice-sized bits with a spatula if you haven’t already. Add garlic powder, allspice, thyme, cumin, and a dash of salt and pepper and cook for about 2–3 minutes. Add coconut milk and cook for about 4–5 minutes until coconut milk is absorbed. Serve chicken over rice.