One of my favorite foods in the world is Back-A-Yard’s Jamaican jerk chicken. I will never be able to make jerk sauce like that restaurant does and that’s okay with me. Sometimes it’s good to have a food you can only get in one place so you really appreciate it. That said, I do hate living so far away from Back-A-Yard, which is located in Menlo Park and San Jose. The other day I was having a serious hankering for some Back-A-Yard and decided to finally try making my own jerk.
The one and only problem with jerk is that it is just too spicy for my kids, so I wanted to figure out a way to make a kid-friendly jerk that still delighted my taste buds. The marinade/sauce I created and have made several times now is wonderful, although nothing at all like Back-A-Yard’s. It’s much sweeter with just a hint of heat. The kids devoured their chicken, as did Nate and I!
Will I ever be able to replicate the pure culinary joy that is Back-A-Yard’s Jamaican jerk? Nope. But I’m okay with that, and I ended up with this scrumptious recipe instead!
Note #1: While I was editing this post and getting the link for Back-A-Yard, I discovered that Back-A-Yard is going to start selling sauces and rubs. I AM SO HAPPY! I will be able to get their sauce in my own kitchen! I’ll be sure to include a link in my Friday Show and Tell post when their online store opens.
Note #2: I forgot to photograph the sauce. It’s brown and tastes delicious. There you go.
Note #3: You can find the recipe for the potatoes in the background of the first photo by clicking here. They’re amazing. Thought you should know.
- Juice from 1 lime
- ½ cup olive oil or canola oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 6 cloves fresh garlic
- 6 green onions, very roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon jerk seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 10-15 pieces bone-in chicken (I prefer legs and thighs)
- Combine all ingredients (except the chicken) in a blender. Blend until a sauce consistency.
- Reserve ½ cup of the sauce to serve with the chicken later.
- Place chicken pieces in a ziploc bag then pour sauce into the bag. Close bag, pushing air out, and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Grill chicken as usual over moderate heat, cooking until inside temperature reaches 160-165º F.
- Heat reserved sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed. Serve with grilled chicken.
Hi! My name is Jane Maynard and you've landed yourself on my blog, This Week for Dinner™. Every Sunday I share a weekly menu...and count on you to share yours! You'll also find other deliciousness that I hope you'll enjoy!
I know my boys will love this!
I’m sure they would! Owen gobbled it up! 🙂
Love the name of this dish. I know my kids would appreciate the less heat of regular jerk!
my kids definitely appreciated having less heat – I like heat and tend to make things overspicy for my family. this chicken was a relief! 😉
Reminds me of the jerk chicken I had last summer when we visited the Caribbean! Definitely have to try this out.
hummm..yummy i like this
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