Name: Caribbean Jerk Skillet Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 4 chicken breasts; 2 teaspoons ground allspice; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 tablespoon dried thyme; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; ¼ cup brown sugar; ½ cup lime juice; 2 tablespoons hot sauce; Lime slices for serving if desired

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Marinate in the morning for a quick dinner at night! Caribbean Jerk Skillet Chicken has AMAZING flavor. It’s both tangy and sweet.

Now that warm weather is slipping in here and there, we’ve been enjoying some new quick dinner recipes…because who wants to be stuck inside cooking when the sun is shining? Not this mom!

This easy Caribbean Jerk Skillet Chicken is slightly new flavors for us, but the kids loved it, and it’s spicy, so Matt was behind it too! They loved it as much as our Greek chicken marinade.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe:

filled with pantry staples
only 15 minutes prep
only 15 minutes cook time
options for grilling and oven baking
makes a great freezer meal

ingredients for caribbean jerk skillet chicken

What spices are in Caribbean jerk chicken?

The dry seasonings are:

ground allspice
cinnamon
dried thyme
salt
black pepper
brown sugar

Then to that you’ll add lime juice and hot sauce. This is not a dry rub, but rather a marinade.

What does it taste like? Jerk chicken is spicy and warm, yet slightly tangy and sweet. If you aren’t thrilled about hot and spicy foods, scale back the hot sauce or use a mild sauce in place of it.

Is it healthy? This chicken isn’t considered low carb because of the brown sugar in the recipe. We recommend trying it as written first, but if you’re looking for low carb (or Paleo, Keto or Whole30), try switching out the brown sugar for golden granulated Monk Fruit. It works as a great substitute.

Marinating Chicken

Marinate this chicken for at least two hours, but you can marinate it up to 10 hours if you’d like. I often prepare the chicken at the beginning of the day when I have the most energy...then I let it marinate all day long. When it is time for dinner it only takes about 15 minutes to cook up. So easy!

What should I marinate chicken in? You can use a zippered disposable bag if you’d like. Or you can place it in an airtight container. Either way, store the chicken in the refrigerator.

**Pro Tip: Allow the chicken to sit for about 15 minutes at room temperature before cooking. This allows the chicken to cook more evenly. No one wants raw chicken on their plate.**

How to Cook Chicken in a Skillet

Cast Iron makes a beautiful presentation for this dinner. You can use any type of skillet to cook the chicken though.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Take the chicken breasts out of the marinating dish allowing the excess marinade to drip off of the chicken before placing it in the skillet.

marinated chicken in a cast iron skillet

Cook for about 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear, it is no longer pink inside and the internal temperature reads 165°Fahrenheit.

blackened chicken in a cast iron skillet

How do I keep my chicken from being dry?

The key to tender, juicy chicken is to not overcook it! Simple as that. Keep a thermometer close by. **We LOVE our Thermoworks ThermaPen to quickly test meat temperatures. This probe thermometer is AMAZING. Get it here.**

Can you cook jerk chicken in the oven?

Yes. It’s a great option if you don’t have time to stand in front of a skillet.

Preheat the oven to 400º Fahrenheit.
Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet.
Bake for around 20 minutes. The exact timing will depend on how large the chicken breasts are. Make sure the chicken has reached 165º Fahrenheit internal temperature.

Can you grill jerk chicken?

Yes, you can. And it is so, so good. Preheat the the grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chicken on on the grill and cook for about 6-10 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Chicken Freezer Meal

This recipe makes a perfect meal prep freezer meal. Prepare the chicken with the marinade and place it in a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 6 weeks.

Remove the chicken from the freezer about 36 hours before you are wanting to cook it. Make sure that the chicken is fully thawed before cooking so that it cooks evenly.

What to Serve with Caribbean Jerk Chicken

Serve the chicken breasts sliced over a bed of rice (or our low carb rice) with steamed or roasted vegetables such as asparagus or brussels sprouts.

This chicken is also great served sliced on top of a green salad or use slices of it to top a homemade pizza.

You may also love our easy blackened chicken recipe!

Caribbean Jerk Skillet Chicken

4.57 from 23 votes

Marinate in the morning for a quick dinner at night! Caribbean Jerk Skillet Chicken has AMAZING flavor. It's both tangy and sweet.

Servings 4

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Marinating Time 2

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken breasts
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons hot sauce
Lime slices for serving if desired

Instructions

Sprinkle chicken with the salt and pepper.
In a small bowl mix together the allspice, cinnamon, thyme, brown sugar, hot sauce, and lime juice.
Place chicken breasts in dish and pour the marinade mixture over top.
Wrap the top of the dish of chicken with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Take the chicken breasts out of the marinating dish allowing the excess marinade to drip off of the chicken before placing it in the skillet.
Cook for about 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear, it is no longer pink inside and the internal temperature reads 165°Fahrenheit.
Serve the chicken breasts sliced over a bed of rice with steamed vegetables. This chicken is also great served sliced on top of a green salad or use slices of it to top a pizza.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the recipe making 4 pieces of chicken, with 1 serving piece of chicken. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**