Name: Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1.5 kg chicken wings; 2 piece scotch bonnet pepper; 4 piece scallions; 1 piece onion; 3 clove garlic; 2 slice ginger; 1 tbsp thyme; 1 tsp allspice; 0.5 tsp cinnamon; 0.5 tsp nutmeg; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 3 tbsp olive oil; 60 ml orange juice; 2 piece lime; 1 tsp salt; 0 black pepper

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings

Fiery, smoky wings drenched in a fresh Scotch bonnet jerk paste and grilled until the skin chars and crackles. This is jerk the way it was born in the Jamaican hills: bold, herbal, and built on pimento and pepper.

🇯🇲 Jamaica ·North America · $

30 min Prep

45 min Cook

75 min Total

4 portions

Jamaican jerk chicken wings are marinated in a fiery, fragrant paste built around Scotch bonnet pepper, allspice (known on the island as pimento), and fresh thyme, then grilled or smoked until the skin turns crispy and charred. There is no batter and no flour coating here; the crackle comes purely from the marinade and live fire. Scallion, ginger, garlic, and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg round out the paste, while a touch of soy and citrus balances the heat. Jerk is Jamaica's national cooking method, rooted in the history of the Maroons, who seasoned and slow-cooked meat over smokeless pimento wood fires in the mountains. The wings come off the grill smoky, spicy, and deeply savory, with the burnished edges that define real jerk. Serve them hot with a wedge of lime and extra Scotch bonnet for anyone who wants more fire.

Ingredients

1.5 kg chicken wings split into flats and drumettes, tips removed

Jerk marinade

2 piece scotch bonnet pepper more or less to taste; deseed for less heat

4 piece scallions roughly chopped

1 piece onion medium, roughly chopped

3 clove garlic

2 slice ginger thick slices, peeled

1 tbsp thyme fresh leaves, from about 10 sprigs

1 tsp allspice ground; pimento

0.5 tsp cinnamon ground

0.5 tsp nutmeg ground

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce dark soy sauce preferred

3 tbsp olive oil

60 ml orange juice

2 piece lime juiced; reserve a little for finishing

1 tsp salt to taste

0 black pepper to taste (optional)

Ingredients

4 portions

Ingredients

1.5 kgchicken wings split into flats and drumettes, tips removed

Jerk marinade

2 piecescotch bonnet pepper more or less to taste; deseed for less heat

4 piecescallions roughly chopped

1 pieceonion medium, roughly chopped

3 clovegarlic

2 sliceginger thick slices, peeled

1 tbspthyme fresh leaves, from about 10 sprigs

1 tspallspice ground; pimento

0.5 tspcinnamon ground

0.5 tspnutmeg ground

1 tbspbrown sugar

1 tbspsoy sauce dark soy sauce preferred

3 tbspolive oil

60 mlorange juice

2 piecelime juiced; reserve a little for finishing

1 tspsalt to taste

black pepper to taste (optional)

Instructions

Make the jerk marinade

1

Roughly chop the Scotch bonnet, scallion, onion, garlic, and ginger. Wear gloves when handling the Scotch bonnet and avoid touching your face.
2

Add the chopped aromatics to a blender or food processor along with the thyme, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, soy sauce, olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Blend to a chunky or smooth paste, whichever you prefer.
~5 min

Marinate the wings

1

Pat the chicken wings dry and place them in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Pour the jerk paste over them and massage thoroughly so every piece is coated.
2

Seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the deepest flavor. Turn the bag occasionally.
~120 min

Grill and char

1

Take the wings out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. If using a gas grill, wrap soaked wood chips and a few allspice berries in foil, poke holes, and set the pouch over a burner to add smoke.
~30 min
2

Heat the grill to medium, around 165 C / 325 F. Arrange the wings away from direct flame, cover, and cook with the lid down, turning often, for about 30 minutes until cooked through.
~30 min
3

Move the wings over direct heat and grill for a final 10 to 15 minutes, turning to char the skin without letting the sugar in the marinade burn black.
~15 min
4

Brush or squeeze the reserved lime juice over the wings, rest a couple of minutes, and serve hot.

Credits & Inspiration

Caribbean Pot
Chris De La Rosa's authentic fresh jerk marinade and grilling method with a wood-chip smoke pouch, the main reference for this recipe.
Immaculate Bites
Homemade jerk seasoning for wings, with baking, grilling, and air-frying options.
Chef Lola's Kitchen
A blended jerk marinade with citrus and a broiler finish for char, used to cross-check quantities.
Chili Pepper Madness
A Scotch bonnet-forward jerk sauce and grilling guide for spicy, charred wings.
Smithsonian Magazine
Background on the Maroon origins of jerk and cooking over smokeless pimento wood fires.