How to Bake Chicken - Jamaican Style

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Jamaican Style Baked Chicken Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Chicken leg quarters
• 3 tbsp Green seasoning
• 4 crushed pimento grains
• 1 tbsp finely minced ginger
• 1/4 tsp minced scotch bonnet
• 2-1/2 tsp all-purpose seasoning
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp browning 

For the Sauce:

• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 small onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp ginger slices
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1/2 – 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 – 1 cup water and slurry

NSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Season and Marinate the Chicken

Start by cleaning and patting dry the chicken leg quarters. Ensure they're nice and dry for that perfect seasoning. Mix the green seasoning, crushed pimento, minced ginger, minced scotch bonnet, all-purpose seasoning, black pepper, soy sauce, and browning in a bowl. Marinate the chicken in this flavorful concoction for a minimum of a couple of hours in the fridge. We want the spices to really soak in!

Step 2: Bake the Chickens

After those long hours of marinating, it's time to pop them in the oven. Place the marinated chicken pieces in a casserole dish for even heat distribution. You can wrap the dish in oven-safe wrapping paper or go commando – your choice. Bake the chicken for 30 minutes at 355°F, flipping the pieces half way, for that perfect tenderness.

Step 3: Prepare the Sauce

While the chicken is soaking up the heat in the oven, let's whip up the sauce – the key factor of our Jamaican Baked Chicken. In a cooking pan, saute in thyme, ginger, garlic, and onion. After a few minutes, add soy sauce and tomato ketchup, stirring the mixture for another couple of minutes. 

Step 4: Add Water and Brown Sugar

As the sauce thickens, introduce water to the party. Now, add brown sugar to the mix. The brown sugar brings a touch of sweetness to the sauce, creating a symphony of flavors. Keep stirring over medium heat until everything blends in together. Pro tip: skip the water. Get the chicken from the oven and pour out the liquid that has gathered in the casserole in a container. Use that to replace the water. It will add so much more flavour to the sauce.

Step 5: Continue Cooking and Thicken

Now, throw in black pepper and scallion to the bubbling mixture. Keep it on medium heat until it thickens. The secret weapon here is what we call the slurry – a mix of water and cornstarch. This will give your sauce that almost creamy, thick texture. Once it's achieved, remove it from the stove and let it cool down. 

Step 6: Pour the Sauce Over the Baked Chicken

Take the chicken out of the oven after 30 minutes and pour the sauce you just made over it. Make sure to spread it evenly. The sauce will add lots of flavour to this already tasty dish, and just incase you left your chicken in too long, it will add back some moisture too.

Step 7: Bake Again for Ultimate Perfection

Back into the oven, we go! Continue baking the chicken for another 15 minutes. For that extra oomph and a darker appearance, you can broil for the last 2-3 minutes.

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