Jerk Whole Roast Chicken
This Jerk Whole Roast Chicken with a maple-jerk glaze is a sure crowd-pleasing main dish perfect for holiday season!
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 105kcal
Ingredients
CHICKEN:
- Organic whole chicken (I used a 5-10 lb. small chicken; See Notes!)
- 3-4 Tbsps jerk seasoning, homemade or store-bought
- ½ cup jerk sauce/marinade, homemade or store-bought (See Post for Notes!)
- 2 carrots, peeled + chopped
- 1 red onion, cut into quarters
- 3-4 Tbsps unsalted butter, softened at room temp.
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2-3 scotch bonnet peppers (You can also use habanero peppers)
- 2 Tbsps pure maple syrup
POTATOES (OPTIONAL):
- 4 organic russet potatoes, chopped
- 2 Tbsps Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
MAPLE JERK GLAZE:
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon jerk sauce/marinade, homemade or store-bought
Instructions
CLEAN + MARINADE THE CHICKEN:
- In a large bowl, add your freshly cleaned + rinsed whole chicken (pat dry) along with the jerk seasoning, rubbing everything together until chicken is fully coated. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. NOTE: For best results, it's best to marinate chicken overnight in the refrigerator stored in a tightly sealed bag. When ready, remove the bag with the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to come at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease an oven-safe cast iron essential oven pot or roasting pan.
- Once at room temperature, using your fingers, dress chicken with butter ensuring that you get directly under the skin as well, etc. followed by the maple syrup, rubbing it over the tops and side of chicken. Stuff the inside of the chicken with onions, thyme, scotch bonnet peppers (optional), and rosemary sprigs----for extra flavor!
PREP THE POTATOES:
- Add the chopped potatoes and carrots in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and season with seasonings (1 teaspoon each: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, oregano, basil, and parsley), tossing until fully coated. Set aside.
ASSEMBLY:
- Add chicken to the prepared essential oven or dutch oven (breast side down with feet tied together with twine), along with the chopped potatoes and carrots.
- Roast chicken for 45 minutes before adding glaze.
TO MAKE THE MAPLE JERK GLAZE:
- In a bowl, mix together maple syrup and jerk sauce/marinade until combined.
- Halfway through, brush half of the glaze unto the chicken all over the tops and sides. Continue roasting (for another 45 minutes or so) or until chicken becomes charred and the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush on remaining glaze.
- Once done, remove from oven and let it rest for 15-30 minutes before slicing.
- Bon Appetit!
Notes
- STORAGE: To store any leftovers, cut the chicken into pieces and add it to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. To reheat, add servings to an oven until
- SIZE OF CHICKEN:I used a smaller whole chicken (b/n 5-10 lbs, however, if you choose to use a larger size----simply double ingredients for the marinade + glaze).
- BEST COOKING TIP: I recommend cooking your chicken (regardless of size) for 20-25 minutes per pound. For much larger chickens, you can always "spatchcock" it, which flattens and opens it up for a better cook through.
- MAKE AHEAD: All ingredients can be made and individually stored as meal prep, including the marinade of the chicken and assembled and heated in the oven when ready to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2507IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg