Jerk chicken is a Jamaican dish featuring chicken marinated in spicy jerk seasoning and traditionally cooked over pimento wood.
The seasoning commonly includes Scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, thyme, garlic, ginger, and scallions. Pimento, also called allspice, is especially important because its wood and berries provide the characteristic smoky, warm flavor.
Jerk cooking is associated with Jamaica’s Maroons, descendants of Africans who escaped slavery and developed preservation and cooking techniques in the island’s mountainous interior. The method later spread from rural Jamaica to restaurants and street stalls worldwide.
Jerk chicken is often confused with any grilled spicy chicken, but authentic jerk refers to both the seasoning style and the cooking tradition. Jerk pork is another classic version, while rice and peas are a common accompaniment.