Jamaican Jerk Chicken Grill Packets
The following recipe was created in collaboration with Lauren Schulte. To see more of her bites and meals, visit her Instagram @TheBiteSizePantry.
Don’t let dinner jerk you around when you can spice it up with my Jamaican Jerk Chicken. It is so easy! Just plop everything on a piece of tin foil and dinner is a wrap… a foil wrap that is. These Jamaican Jerk Chicken foil wraps go right on a hot grill or, if you don’t have a grill, they cook just as well in the oven. Let them cook away, then serve in the foil wrap you cooked them in!
My house-made jerk seasoning is very simple to mix up. One of the things that I love about making my own spice mixes is that I learn so much about what’s actually in those magical pre-made concoctions that at the store. They certainly save time when you’re in a pinch, but with just a couple pinches of allspice, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt and thyme, you can have your own seasoning in no time. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy and a whole lot of flavor.
My green goddess sauce is a nice accompaniment to the sweet and spicy flavors of the jerk chicken, but you can omit it if you want. I like to drizzle it over the chicken as soon as it’s done and ready to eat. I also love to add a little more green to this meal with some quick and simple grilled garlic zucchini. While the foil packets are warming on the grill, lightly coat the zucchini rounds with olive oil spray and sprinkle some garlic salt on both sides. It only takes a couple of minutes on each side and you have a delicious side dish to go with your chicken.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Grill Packets
Ingredients
For the Grill Packets
- 3 6 oz. chicken breasts
- ½ of a red onion, sliced into thin strips
- 2 limes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 3 cups of pineapple chunks
For the Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
- 3 Tbsp. onion powder
- 2 Tbsp. sea salt
- 1 Tbsp. thyme
- 2 Tsp. allspice
- 2 Tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 Tsp. cayenne pepper
For the Green Goddess Sauce
- 1 cup cilantro
- 7 green onion stalks
- 1 jalapeno
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 avocado
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup of the pineapple juice or ¼ cup garlic expressions dressing (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 500˚F.
- Combine all of the Jamaican Jerk seasoning ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Blend all Green Goddess Sauce ingredients together in a food processor until smooth.
- Leave the chicken breasts whole or dice them into smaller pieces. Chop the bell peppers in small chunks and slice the red onion in long thin strips.
- Take 2 long sheets of tin foil and lay one across the other to form an “X.” Place the pineapple chunks down first followed by the chicken breast on top. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of jerk seasoning. You won’t need to add any olive oil or butter to this because the juices from the pineapple will cook the chicken and veggies.
- Top the chicken with the bell peppers and red onion.
- Fold over the sides of the tin foil and roll and pinch the sides together to form a foil packet. You want to make sure it’s wrapped tightly so that the steam doesn’t escape. The steam helps to cook the chicken along with the veggies.
- Place the foil packets on the hot grill. Close the lid and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Flip the packets and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- With a few minutes left of the cooking time, place the zucchini on the grill and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another minute until grill marks form.
- Serve the jerk chicken foil packs with a drizzle of the green goddess sauce and a side of rice.
Note: I like to take any leftover jerk seasoning and mix it with instant white rice and a can of drained red kidney beans. I call it dirty rice. It’s delicious with the jerk chicken.
