Jerk Chicken

If you haven't heard of jerk cooking before, don't worry, we're not talking about a rude chicken. In this case, the word "jerk" refers to both a type of seasoning and a style of cooking that originated in Jamaica, and is now a staple in Caribbean cuisine. Jerk spice is a combination of everyday ingredients that blend together into a really unique and nuanced flavor that's sweet, smoky, fiery, and fragrant. Traditionally, meats were marinated or rubbed with this seasoning and cooked in underground jerk pits, and some restaurants still use that method to this day. To make your life a bit easier, this recipe calls for cooking your chicken in a smoker, though we won't stop you if you want to do it the original way. Even though you'll find some people claiming that you can leave out the hot peppers if you want to do a mild version of this recipe, the truth is that jerk chicken is supposed to be spicy, so if you want it to be authentic, you should prepare yourself for one heck of a kick. There are two main tricks to getting a perfectly juicy bird with a lot of color and flavor. The first is spatchcocking the chicken so it cooks more evenly (which we'll cover in the recipe, so don't worry if you have no clue what that means). The second is starting with lower heat and increasing it partway through, which is where the MEATER app's custom alerts come in handy. For this traditional Jamaican dish, have some fun with classically Caribbean sides like coconut rice, plantains, or sweet potatoes. Bitter beverages are known for making spicy sensations worse, so you can grab one of those if you're into that sort of thing, or you can find more relief with something with a little bit more sugar content. Lagers or white wines like pinot grigio are your best bet, or just lean into the island theme with a fruity cocktail.