Why is it called jerk chicken? Were these chickens mean? Did they give you a hard time in middle school? Nah, that’s not it. Jerk refers to a style of cooking in which the main ingredient—which most often is chicken but may also be beef, pork, goat, boar, seafood, or vegetables—is coated in spices and slow-cooked over a fire or grill traditionally composed of green pimento wood positioned over burning coals. The word jerk reportedly stems from the Spanish “charqui,” meaning dried strips of meat similar to the modern-day jerky. We don’t have green pimento grills, or burning coals, but we do get the marinade spot on, and roast in our workhorse convection ovens. The result is nothing close to “jerky,” but instead a plump, delicious chicken breast. Classic sides and a fresh salsa round off the whole dish. Super simple, super delicious. Enjoy!
What’s in your bag:
- Chicken breast
- Mango + pineapple chutney
- Beans + rice
- Braised greens
- Cucumber + tomato salad
What you’ll need from home:
- Aluminum foil-lined sheet tray
- Olive oil or butter
- Nonstick saute pan
Total prep time: 10 minutes
The Chicken
- Starting at the wing joint, slice into ½ inch strips. Keep all the pieces together, shingling them out on an aluminum foil-lined sheet tray, skin side up.
- Drizzle some olive oil or smack a pad of butter on top, and broil for 3-5 minutes, ‘til hot and toasty!
- Plate up the slices and cover liberally with mango + pineapple chutney.
The Rice + Beans
- Put the rice + beans in a nonstick sautee pan with a little oil and a splash of water over medium heat for 5 minutes.
The Braised Greens
Two options!
Option 1: Microwave them for 1 minute while the rice and beans are on.
Option 2: Wait for the rice + beans to finish up, move them to a serving bowl and place the same nonstick sautee pan with a bit of oil over high heat. Fry ‘em for 2 minutes.
The Cucumber + Tomato Salad
- Do nothing! It’s ready to go.
That’s it! Dinner solved, dinner served. #weareWECO
