Today, we would like to share with you 2 simple ways to make jerk chicken drumstick at home, on the charcoal grill, and in the air fryer.
Disclaimer: We have never been to Jamaica, and probably never had authentic jerk chicken…
But we’ve done a lot of research and got inspiration from several recipes. So we came out with this recipe which is easy for everyone to cook at home, whenever you are craving for the Jamaican flavor.
We were using drumsticks because they are easier to deal with compared to the whole chicken.
For the charcoal grill method, the chicken got so much extra flavor from the smoking process.
For the air fryer, it is so much easier to handle. Just marinade the chicken, wait for the next day, then push the button, and it is done! Plus the cooking process was so fast, just marinating the chicken and the rest can be done within 15 minutes.
We like both depending on how many cooking times we had, or if it rains… Both of the methods turned out amazing, so juicy inside.
Easy Jerk Chicken Drumstick | Charcoal Grill & Air Fryer Method
Equipment
- Charcoal grill
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 10 chicken drumstick
Chicken Marinade
- 1.5 tbsp allspice ground
- 1 tbsp black pepper ground
- 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 10 thyme sprigs or 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 knob ginger sliced
- ½ onion
- 8 spring onion
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper habanero pepper
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ cup water if the paste is too thick
- 2 tbsp canola oil
Foil packet for the grill
- 10 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp allspice berries
Instructions
- Add all of the chicken marinade ingredients into the food processor. Grind everything into a thick paste. Mix the marinade with the chicken, together with 2 tbsp of oil. Then toss them into a zip bag and leave them in the fridge overnight.
Charcoal Grill Method
- The next day, fill the chimney with charcoal, light up some newspaper, and wait for about 15 minutes. During this time, you can add 2 cups of soaked wood chip, 1 tbsp allspice berries and 10 bay leaves into a foil packet. Use the fork to poke some holes so that the smoke can escape.
- When the top part of the charcoal starts to be covered with some white ashes, pour it onto the grill. Let it heat up for 5 minutes, and clean the grate with wire brush. Soak a paper towel in the oil and then brush the grate, so it won’t stick. Place the foil packet on top of the charcoal and we are good to go.
- We are using the 2-zone method here, and place the chicken on the cool zone, which is the side without charcoal underneath. For the ventilation, close one side of the vent and open the top vent on the chicken side, so the smoke will flow to the chicken.
- Cook until the chicken's internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Move the chicken above the charcoal and sear it for about 5 minutes, and then it is done! Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Air Fryer Method
- For the air fryer method, we used the same marinade except for adding 1 tbsp of smoked paprika, So that it will bring some smoky flavor. Marinade the chicken one day ahead.
- The next day, take the chicken out from the fridge and preheat the air fryer at 400ºF.
- Add the chicken to the air fryer and then spray each side with oil. When it is about to reach 145ºF, flip the chicken. Take the chicken out when it reaches 165ºF. Let it sit for 10 minutes, and it will be ready to eat.
Dipping Sauce
- I usually make the dipping sauce while the chicken is cooking. Combine the remaining seasoning with the same amount of apple juice. Bring it to a boil, and thicken the sauce until it reduces to half of its original quantity. Then transfer to a bowl for later use.
