This Smoked Jerk Chicken Recipe is juicy and tender with a delicious and perfectly spiced marinade with a spicy kick! The jerk marinade is made up of fresh ingredients and spices that will quickly become a family favorite! This is a great recipe for your Traeger or other pellet grill.
Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and process until all ingredients are finely chopped.
Pat chicken dry and place in a shallow dish (or ziplock bag) and pour marinade over the top, ensuring to coat on all sides. Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.
Preheat your Traeger or pellet smoker to 180F. Then place chicken directly on the grill grates of the preheated smoker and allow to smoke for 30 minutes.
Turn temperature up to 325F and continue to cook until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F, flipping halfway through.
Remove from grill and enjoy!
How To Make This Recipe On A Gas Or Charcoal Grill (without smoking):
Place chicken on preheated grill and cook until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F, flipping halfway through.
Remove from grill and enjoy!
Notes
Ingredient Notes
Jalapeños - Traditionally, jerk chicken is made with Scotch Bonnet Peppers which have a heat rating of 100,000 to 350,000 SHU. For reference, this is about 40 times as hot as jalapeño peppers. I like to use jalapeños to cut down on the spice and make it more of a family friendly (kid) meal, however, you can definitely sub with the traditional habanero or scotch bonnet peppers, just adjust the amount as needed for desired spice level.
Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs - Using thighs ensures this chicken will remain moist and delicious. You can also substitute chicken thighs for chicken wings!
Dates - Using dates keeps this marinade naturally sweetened (and Paleo compatible) as opposed to using granulated or brown sugar.
Avocado Oil - I always prefer avocado oil in marinades or sauces for it’s mild flavor, but it can be substituted for olive oil as well!
Recipe Tips
I always recommend using a meat thermometer for any cut of meat you are smoking, grilling, etc. It’s a foolproof way to ensure your meat is cooked to a safe temperature without over cooking it or drying it out. These chicken thighs should be cooked to an internal temperature (IT) of 165F.