This summer, I grew Scotch Bonnet peppers primarily to make Jerk Chicken. Scotch Bonnet peppers have a nice amount of heat, similar to a habanero pepper, with some sweetness. I am part Jamaican, but this Jerk recipe is not 100% authentic. It is, however, 100% delicious.
The way to my heart is a rice bowl of any kind. Coconut rice and beans, mango salsa, jerk chicken thighs, and coleslaw creates the perfect bite. Any heat from the chicken is balanced out by the sweet and tangy mango salsa, the sweetness of the coconut rice, and some refreshing coleslaw.
Jerk Chicken Rice Bowl
Course: Uncategorized10
servings30
minutes40
minutes660
kcalIngredients
- Jerk Chicken
3 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tbsp ground Jamaican allspice
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp salt
3 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground thyme
4 scotch bonnet chiles, stems removed*
12 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- Coconut Rice and Beans
2 cups white rice, washed
1 15 oz can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 oz can full fat coconut milk
- Mango Salad
2 ripe mangoes, diced
1/2 red onion, sliced
2 small red bell peppers, diced
handful biquinho peppers, stems removed and halved
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded if necessary and diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced finely
the juice of 1 lime
pinch of salt
- Quick Coleslaw
1 1/2 lbs cabbage, washed and thinly sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup light mayonnaise
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp agave nectar
Directions
- Jerk chicken
- Pulse fennel seeds and cloves in a high powered blender or spice grinder until powdery. Sift through a fine mesh sieve.
- Pulse together allspice, nutmeg, salt, pepper, cinnamon, thyme, scotch bonnets, garlic, onion, ginger, and 1 tbsp of the fennel/clove powder until a thick paste forms.
- Add in coconut oil and soy sauce, blending until smooth.
- Place marinade and chicken in a ziplock bag and marinate in the fridge at least 6 hours, preferably overnight if not longer.
- Heat grill over high heat. Reduce the middle 2 burners to medium low.
- Using a towel, oil middle grill grates. Place chicken over middle burners, a method known as indirect cooking.
- Grill for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until an instant thermometer reaches 165ºF.
- Coconut Rice and Beans
- Thoroughly wash your rice.
- Add coconut milk to a large measuring cup. Add enough water to make three cups of liquid, a little more than 1 cup.
- Bring the coconut milk and water to a boil before adding rice. Cook according to package instructions.
- When rice is finished, add beans and remove from the heat.
- Mango Slaw
- Combine mango, onion, bell peppers, biquinho peppers, cucumber, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt in a bowl.
- Coleslaw
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, soy sauce, lime, agave, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add cabbage and carrots and mix until vegetables are well-coated.
- Assembly of Bowl
- Start with a generous heap of coconut rice. Then, add chicken, slaw, and coleslaw.
- Top with fresh parsley or cilantro, scallions, and a fresh squeeze of lime juice.
Notes
- I added in the whole scotch bonnet, and I can tolerate even spicier. Feel free to leave out seeds or reduce the number of peppers if you’re not a fan of spicy food.
