Name: Grilled Jerk Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; 6 scallions, roughly chopped; 2 scotch bonnet peppers, stemmed; 3 cloves garlic; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp lime juice; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves; 2 tsp ground allspice; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; 1 tsp salt; ½ tsp black pepper; To finish lime wedges and sliced scallion

Grilled Jerk Chicken Thighs

Bone-in thighs rubbed in a blended scotch bonnet-allspice paste, marinated overnight, then grilled skin-down over two-zone heat until charred and cooked through.

Serves

Prep

20 min (plus overnight marinate)

Cook

30 min

Written

August 4, 2026

Method

Combine the scallions, scotch bonnet, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, oil, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a food processor and blend to a coarse, spoonable paste.

Score the skin of each thigh a few times, then rub the paste over and under the skin. Cover and marinate in the fridge at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

Let the chicken sit at room temperature 20 minutes before grilling, and set up the grill for two-zone heat, with coals or one burner banked to one side.

Grill the thighs skin-side down over the direct side until deeply charred in spots, about 5 minutes.

Move the thighs to the indirect side, cover, and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F at the thickest point, 20 to 25 minutes more, turning once.

Rest 5 minutes, then serve with lime wedges and scallion.

Notes

The sugar in the marinade is what makes two-zone heat non-negotiable — parked entirely over direct flame, it scorches to bitter black before the meat underneath is anywhere near done. Char the skin hard first, then let the indirect side finish the job slowly.

Wear gloves handling the scotch bonnet, and drop to one pepper (or swap in a habanero) if a full two feels like too much — the heat builds fast once it’s blended through the whole marinade rather than left in one bite. Good with rice and peas or grilled plantains, and the paste works just as well on drumsticks or a whole spatchcocked bird if you’d rather skip skewering thighs one at a time.