Authentic Jamaican flavours and chicken all slow cooked to tender perfection. Just a little bit of prep work and a really simple homemade jerk sauce, you have yourself a simple slow cooked meal with big flavours and just the right amount of heat. This is something a little bit different to try in your slow cooker, and great for batch cooking.
Jerk chicken in the slow cooker couldn't be easier. You just brown the chicken in the pan a little, blend all the ingredients to make the spicy Jamaican sauce and then put it all in the slow cooker together.
No need to fire up the BBQ to make jerk chicken - let the slow cooker do all the work for you. The slow cooker makes the chicken makes it deliciously tender and it just falls apart and you still get the char, as the chicken is browned first. This is a foolproof slow cooker recipe, and one you will want to make time and time again.
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Why should you try it?
- A really easy way to make jerk chicken
- A simple homemade sauce
- For people that love spicy food
- A great value meal
- Great for batch cooking
- Freezes well
Step by step
One: Put the olive oil, lime juice, ginger, spring onions (scallions), chillies, mustard seeds, salt and pepper, vinegar, garlic, thyme, tomato puree/tomato pasta, honey, rum (if using), all spice, cayenne and water in a food processor and blend until smooth. If you don’t have one, then use a pestle and mortar and stir in the water.
Two: Put the chicken in a hot pan with oil and brown for 3 minutes each side.
Three: Put the chicken in the slow cooker and pour over the jerk sauce.
Four: Put the lid on and cook in the slow cooker on high for 3 hours, or low for 6 hours.
Six: Serve the chicken on a bed of rice.
Jerk sauce
This sauce has all the quintessential Jamaican ingredients - thyme, peppercorns, chilli, spring onions, allspice and RUM! Yes, we put rum in our sauce. All the ingredients are added to a blender to make a really easy sauce, but you could buy ready made sauce instead if you prefer.
This recipe is definitely one for those that like a kick of heat in their food. The scotch bonnets in the jerk sauce are fruity, but fierce. Just the way jerk sauce should be. However, it doesn't have to be that spicy, or spicy at all. We only used 1 scotch bonnet, however you could use 2 for a spicier dish or use none at all.
Instead of adding brown sugar to the sauce, we added just a little honey so it gives the sauce some sweetness and cuts through the heat a little, but it isn't too overpowering.
Best chicken for jerk sauce
You can use any piece of chicken, like legs or breast, however we think that thighs work best in this recipe. Not only are they great value, but they are really juicy and have a lot more flavour.
What to serve this with
If you want to keep this meal really traditional, then serve it with rice n' peas. Now, this isn't the garden green peas that you have with your roast dinner. The "peas" in rice n' peas are actually kidney beans. It's a really great side dish with jerk chicken though.
You could serve it with plain rice, or even mashed potato. We also have it in wraps or pitas for an easy lunch and have served leftovers on a salad too.
Can this be cooked in the oven?
If you don't want to slow cook this, you can cook it in the oven instead. Simply marinade the chicken in the sauce for at least 2 hours (overnight is better) and then put in the oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Can it be frozen?
This is a great meal for batch cooking and freezing. Just make sure it is fully cooled and then put in freezable containers (with some rice n' peas too for ease) and then you can freeze it for up to 2 months. It will also keep in the fridge for 2 days.
Extra tips
- If you want an even spicier dish, then use 2 scotch bonnet chilies. If you don't want it spicy, then leave them out. You can always taste the sauce and adjust it to suit your tastes.
- You can leave out the rum if you want.
- This recipe can be make with chicken breast or legs instead. Please not that the cooking times may vary.
- Serve leftovers in wraps or flatbreads with salad and a creamy sauce.
More chicken recipes
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Recipe
Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
- 400 g chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lime (juice only)
- 30 g fresh ginger grated
- 4 spring onions (scallions)
- 1 scotch bonnet chilli
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree (tomato paste)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rum (optional, but it tastes even better this way)
- 1 tablespoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 5 ml water
Instructions
- Put the olive oil, lime juice, ginger, spring onions (scallions), chillies, mustard seeds, salt and pepper, vinegar, garlic, thyme, tomato puree/tomato pasta, honey, rum (if using), all spice, cayenne and water in a food processor and blend until smooth. If you don’t have one, then use a pestle and mortar and stir in the water.
- Put some oil in a pan and once hot, add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes each side to brown.
- Put the chicken in the slow cooker and pour over the jerk sauce.
- Put the lid on and cook in the slow cooker on high for 3 hours, or low for 6 hours.
- Serve the chicken on a bed of rice.
Notes
- If you want an even spicier dish, then use 2 scotch bonnet chilies. If you don't want it spicy, then leave them out. You can always taste the sauce and adjust it to suit your tastes.
- You can leave out the rum if you want.
- This recipe can be make with chicken breast or legs instead. Please not that the cooking times may vary.
- Serve leftovers in wraps or flatbreads with salad and a creamy sauce.
Manasi
This is so excellent!! It’s such a unique flavour - had it out of the freezer tonight and now I’m eyeing up your other slow cooker recipes.
Sue
The Jerk Chicken flavors can't be beat - fantastic recipe, thank you!
Dannii
Great to hear that you enjoyed it.
Nart at Cooking with Nart
Looks so delicious. I love rice with chicken. Will definitely try this recipe!
Shashi at SavorySpin
That jerk sauce is bomb! I'd lick the plate and my fingers if this jerk chicken was in front of me. Fantastic recipe!
Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter
Such a great recipe for any day of the week! Low how quick and easy it is too!