This bowl is full of island flavor

Jerk chicken cooked in the oven, served with roasted plantains, Jamaican rice and peas, and then topped with a spicy sweet pineapple salsa.

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Jerk Chicken is easy!

To make jerk chicken in the oven, simply rub the chicken with jerk spice rub and roast it. This is the easiest jerk chicken recipe ever! When you pull this lovely bird out of the oven, the result is a crispy-skinned bird with a wonderful spicy Jamaican flavor.

I roast the chicken on a baking rack over a heavy sheet pan. This allows air to circulate under the bird. Pro tip: You can use this rack technique for a cut up fryer or for just a bunch of chicken thighs or breasts that you might be cooking up for your weekly meal prep.

Wait a second, my chicken doesn’t look like that!

How’d you get it so flat?

For this beast bowl I decided to share a technique that I use all the time in my kitchen – spatchcocking. Besides being super fun to say, spatchcocking is an easy way to reduce the time that it takes to cook a whole bird. By spatchcocking the bird you are able to get seasoning easily all over the meat and your chicken ends up nice and crispy and evenly cooked. As a bonus, it’s also super easy to carve.

How to Spatchcock a Chicken

To spatchcock a bird you will need a nice pair of kitchen shears to cut the backbone out of the bird. This is very easy. Using the kitchen shears, just cut along either side of the backbone and pull it out. Next, turn the bird over and press it flat. Congratulations, you have spatchcocked your bird! See, easy!

The raw backbone in this photo will go into a stock pot with carrots, onions, celery, a few spices and the ‘extras’ that always come inside your chicken.  I will also add the remainder of the carcass from the bird after it is carved. See my recipe for bone broth to see how to make this healing staple.

And now onto the rest of this beast bowl.

Quick and Easy Jamaican Rice and Peas

Jamaican Rice and Peas is a traditional island staple. This Caribbean flavored rice has a mild coconut flavor and is usually made with pigeon peas. However, sometimes these are hard to find in your local grocery store so I’ve substituted small red beans.

Pineapple Salsa

If you spend any time around my house for dinner you will know that I love salsa. Chips and salsa is one of my snacking weaknesses. Salsas add a bright spicy flavor to anything. Traditional salsa fresca is something that I almost always have in the fridge for eating on eggs – or basically anything.

This pineapple salsa is so good! I love the sweet pineapple paired with savory ingredients. I chose to use serrano peppers in this salsa – they are spicier than jalapeños and have a sharp bite to them. They are my preference in any salsa, but I know everyone doesn’t love things as spicy as I do. In this salsa however, the serranos are toned down because there is so much sweetness from the pineapple. The beauty of making your own salsa is that you can dial in the spice just the way you want it!

Roasted Plantains

I roasted my plantains in a cast iron skillet in the oven right along side my chicken. They came out perfectly done. While everything was cooking in the oven I made the rice. Then while the rice was simmering, I made the salsa.

My cooking plan of attack for this beast bowl.

1. Preheat oven.
2. Spatchcock chicken, rub it down with jerk seasoning, get it in the oven.
3. Peel and cut up plantains, get them in the oven.
4. Make rice while chicken is cooking.
5. Once rice is on simmer, make salsa.
6. Make sure to keep an eye on chicken and plantains while cooking rice and making salsa.

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Jamaican Chicken Beast Bowl

Course: Main

Cuisine: Beast Bowl

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

Servings: 8

Calories: 452 kcal

Author: Laura

Easy jerk chicken served with Jamaican rice and peas, roasted plantains and pineapple salsa. This beast bowl is full of island flavor. 

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Ingredients

Jerk Chicken

• 2 lbs chicken whole bird, breasts or thighs
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp jerk spice rub

Roasted Plantains

• 4 ripe plantains
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp salt

Jamaican Rice And Peas

• 1 14oz can small red beans
• 1 14 oz can coconut milk
• ½ small yellow onion diced
• 2 green onions
• 2 cloves garlic pressed
• water to bring liquid to 4 cups
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp salt

Pineapple Salsa

• 2 cups fresh pineapple diced
• 2 serrano peppers finely diced
• ⅓ cup red onion finely diced
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro minced
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 lime juiced

Fixins

• baby kale greens
• romaine
• spinach
• shredded carrots
• red bell pepper
• purple cabbage

Instructions

Jerk Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 425℉

2. Prepare pan for roasting. 

   

3. Use either a whole chicken, spatchcocked or cut up parts.

4. Rub chicken with jerk seasoning rub.

5. Place chicken on roasting pan. 

6. Roast until chicken is 165℉. Time will vary depending on cut of chicken. 

7. When cooked to the proper temperature. Let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing. 

   

8. Slice and store extra chicken to make lunch and dinner the rest of the week. 

Roasted Plantains

1. Peel plantains and cut into 2 inch pieces. 

2. Toss in oil and salt. 

3. Roast in a cast iron skillet or on a baking sheet. (These can be cooked in the oven right alongside of the chicken. Just make sure you keep an eye on them and take them out when they are a golden brown.)

Jamaican Rice and Peas

1. Drain the red beans, make sure to reserve the liquid for cooking. Set Aside. 

2. Combine liquid from red beans and one can of coconut milk in a large measuring cup. (I use a 4 cup glass measuring cup)

3. Add enough water to the measuring cup to bring the liquid up to 4 total cups. Set aside. 

4. Add oil to medium sized sauce pan. Heat on medium high. 

5. Add yellow onion and garlic, cook for a few minutes until fragrant and translucent.

6. Add the rice and cook for a few minutes until rice is coated with oil. 

7. Add beans, green onions, thyme, salt, and liquid to pan. Stir.

8. Bring to a boil.

9. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed. About 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

Pineapple Salsa

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir. 

Beast Bowl Assembly

1. I served these with just a handful or two of baby kale greens. They are bitter and pair nicely with the sweet salsa and spicy chicken. 

2. However - the magic of the beast bowl is that you can add any base fixings that fit your mood. My go-tos are romaine and spinach, shredded carrots, red peppers, and purple cabbage. 

Nutrition Facts

Jamaican Chicken Beast Bowl

Amount Per Serving

Calories 452 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 12g 18%

Saturated Fat 5g 25%

Cholesterol 40mg 13%

Sodium 627mg 26%

Potassium 675mg 19%

Total Carbohydrates 72g 24%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 18g

Protein 15g 30%

Vitamin A 23.2%

Vitamin C 50%

Calcium 3.6%

Iron 9.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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