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Smoked Jerk Chicken

Smoky, tangy and the perfect hint of spiciness, you can't go wrong with smoked jerk chicken. I'm smoking jerk chicken wings and thighs here but you can use any cut you want.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
marinating time30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 45 minutes
Course: main
Cuisine: American
Keyword: How to Make Jerk Chicken, smoked jerk chicken
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 701kcal
Cost: $10

Equipment

  • cutting board
  • bowl
  • plastic wrap
  • smoker
  • Grill

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs chicken thighs bone in and skin on
  • 3 lbs chicken wings bone in and skin on
  • 2 bottles lawrys jerk marinade

Instructions

  • Prepare the chicken if needed (cut the wings into flats and drumettes and remove excessive skin from thighs).
  • Place the chicken pieces into a large bowl and cover with marinade, leave 1/4 of one bottle of marinade for basting onto chicken when moving to the grill.
  • Smoke on smoker at 230 until chicken reaches an internal temp of 155. Near the end of the smoke, start the grill and allow to come to medium high to high temp. Move the chicken to the grill when it is at temp and place skin side down. Baste with the saved marinade. Cook on first side until dark char marks appear and the skin begins to release from the grill grates. Turn and baste again with remainder of the reserved marinade. Cook to internal temp of 165.
  • Remove chicken from the grill and allow to rest with foil tented over the top for 5-10 minutes.

Video

Notes

  • This recipe is so easy that there aren't really many tricks and tips... just marinate and then smoke and then grill for a sweet char.
  • If you can not do the final char, no worries, they will still be delicious!
  • Most people marinate in a plastic bag, but you don't have to do that. I just put the chicken in a bowl and pour the marinade over the top and stir to make sure everything is submerged. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
  • Chicken is one of those foods that you have to be careful with. Don't allow it to sit out on the counter before you cook it for more than an hour. Bacteria builds up quickly.
  • The best trick and tip is to finish the chicken on a very hot grill to char and crisp the skin. Save back a little of the marinade so that you have some to paint on during this step.

Nutrition

Serving: 1lb | Calories: 701kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 293mg | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 613mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 386IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg