Gordon Ramsay’s jerk chicken is scored chicken legs rubbed in a fiery marinade of Scotch bonnet chillies (habaneros), allspice, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and fresh thyme. Browned in the pan and finished in the oven, it serves 4 in about 40 minutes plus marinating time.
The recipe comes from the Ultimate Cookery Course, where Ramsay calls it “real feel-good carnival food.” He says “the warmth of the spices punctuated by the fierce heat of the Scotch bonnet chillies always puts a smile on my face.” He also walks through it step by step in his YouTube video.
The step that makes the difference is scoring the chicken before rubbing in the marinade. The cuts let the spices reach the bone, so you taste jerk in every bite. Without it the marinade slides off and the inside stays bland.
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Gordon Ramsay’s Jerk Chicken
Course: Dinner, MainCuisine: Caribbean, BritishDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes30
minutes340
kcal45 minutes
Fiery Scotch bonnet and allspice marinated chicken from the Ultimate Cookery Course. Browned in the pan, finished in the oven at 220°C, served with rice.
Ingredients
- For the jerk marinade:
1-2 Scotch bonnet chillies (habaneros), deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
5-7 thyme sprigs, leaves only (about 2 tbsp)
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground allspice
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
- For the chicken:
4 large chicken legs, skin on, cut into drumsticks and thighs, scored
Olive oil, for frying
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Rice, to serve
Directions
- Make the marinade: Combine the chopped Scotch bonnets, crushed garlic, thyme leaves, ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a bowl. Add a good grinding of black pepper and a dash of olive oil.
- Marinate the chicken: Rub the marinade into the chicken pieces, pushing it into the scored cuts so it reaches the bone. Leave for at least 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge for deeper flavour.
- Brown the chicken: Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Heat a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat with a dash of olive oil. Fry the chicken for about 10 minutes, turning until golden brown on all sides.
- Add Worcestershire and bake: Pour in the Worcestershire sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes if the chicken needs more colour.
- Serve: Plate the jerk chicken hot with rice and any pan juices spooned over.
Notes
- Ramsay writes that you can use less Scotch bonnet or swap for a milder chilli like jalapeño if you prefer less heat. The UCC explains that Scotch bonnets measure 350,000 Scovilles, so one is plenty for most people. Overnight marinating gives the best result.
FAQs
How hot is this jerk chicken?
That depends on how many Scotch bonnets you use and whether you keep the seeds. Ramsay writes in the UCC that they measure 350,000 Scovilles, which is seriously hot. One chilli with seeds removed gives a strong kick without being painful. The book says you can swap for “a milder variety, such as the Tabasco or jalapeño.”
The allspice, cloves and cinnamon balance the heat with warmth, which is what separates jerk from something that is just hot for the sake of it. The Worcestershire sauce rounds everything out in the last few minutes.
Why does Ramsay add Worcestershire sauce?
It adds an umami layer that most jerk recipes miss. Traditional Jamaican jerk uses soy sauce for the same reason. Ramsay swaps it for Worcestershire, which brings tamarind, vinegar and anchovy into the pan juices as it reduces.
Two tablespoons is enough. It does not make the chicken taste of Worcestershire, it just deepens the savoury base underneath the spice. For another marinated chicken that builds its flavour differently, the chicken tikka masala works the spice into a blended sauce instead of a dry rub.
Can you make jerk chicken on the barbecue?
The UCC uses the oven, but the technique works on a barbecue too. Brown the marinated chicken over direct heat for 10 minutes, then move to indirect heat, close the lid and cook for 20 minutes. Charcoal smoke adds a layer that the oven cannot replicate.
If you go that route, the street corn dip makes a natural side since corn and jerk are a classic Caribbean pairing. Ramsay fries corn on the cob in the video right after finishing the chicken.
What is the difference between jerk and fried chicken?
The marinade and the cooking. Jerk chicken is rubbed in spices and roasted or grilled, so the flavour comes from the caramelised surface and the meat underneath. Ramsay’s buttermilk fried chicken is battered, coated in flour and deep fried, so the flavour sits in the crust.
Jerk is leaner because there is no batter and no deep frying. The skin crisps in the oven instead. Both start with legs or thighs, but they end up as completely different meals.
What sides go with jerk chicken?
Rice is the classic. Ramsay writes “serve hot with rice” in the book, and plain white or coconut rice works best because it soaks up the pan juices without competing with the spice.
A sweet potato salad adds a sweeter contrast that holds up against the heat. The sticky spiced chicken wings use tamarind instead of allspice. The two together give you a Caribbean and Asian spice table without repeating the same flavour.
