This is the perfect recipe for summer grillin’ and chillin’ in the backyard with a nice frosty margarita. Yum!
~Jamaican Jerk Chicken~
For the Jerk Chicken:
In a ziploc bag place the following ingredients:
1 tsp lime rind, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1 tbsp ground allspice, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp finely chopped jalepeno, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg, 3 garlic cloves chopped, 2 scallions chopped, and 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (pound down so they are not too thick). Marinate this mixture at least 2 hours in the fridge, turning occasionally.
For the Sweet Potato base: (Do this while the Chicken is marinating)
Stab 3 yams with a fork, spray lightly with oil or pam and wrap in foil. Place in a 375 F oven for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size of them. They will feel very tender when done.
For the Mango Salsa: (Do this while the sweet potatoes are baking)
Place all the following ingredients in a medium bowl:
1 tsp finely diced jalapeno (you can add more if you like it hot), zest of 1 lime, juice of one lime, 1 tbsp honey, 1 red bell pepper diced, 1/4 – 1/2 an english cucumber diced, 1 mango diced, 1 avocado diced, 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, 1 scallion sliced thinly, 1/4 cup non-fat greek yogurt. Mix all ingredients and place in fridge until ready to plate.
Time to Grill the Chicken:
Prepare the grill. Grease grill with canola oil to keep the chicken from sticking. For great grill marks place chicken on grill for 5 minutes, turn chicken about 35 degrees and cook another 5 minutes on the same side. Baste chicken with the extra marinade. Turn chicken over and repeat on the other side. Total cooking time, depending on the thickness, should be about 20 minutes. Instant Thermometer should read about 160 in the thickest part. Let chicken rest 5 minutes when done.
For the Presentation:
Cut the sweet potato in half widthwise then in half again lengthwise and fan open on plate, place about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salsa mixture over the sweet potato, slice chicken thinly and fan slices on top. Dollop with more greek yogurt, lime slice, and sprig of fresh cilantro. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. Yum!
This recipe will serve about 4-6 people.
Tweaked and adapted from cookinglight.com’s Jerk-Style Chicken recipe.
