These jerk chicken wings were so flavorful, so different, and so additively delicious, that I may have eaten my last Buffalo wing. Okay, I didn't mean that, but these really are amazing; a perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. I'm usually pretty casual about you changing my recipes, but I'm going to have to insist you not change any of the key ingredients, which are, every one of them.

Jerk Chicken Wings

½ yellow onion, chopped

green onions, sliced

garlic

habanero peppers, seeded and chopped

thyme leaves

salt

black pepper

allspice

thyme

cinnamon

cumin

nutmeg

vegetable oil

soy sauce

brown sugar

lime juice

chicken wing drumettes

cooking spray

Put yellow onion, green onions, garlic, habanero peppers, fresh thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, dried thyme, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, vegetable oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice, respectively, in a blender and blend until marinade is completely smooth.


Place chicken in a large bowl. Pour marinade over chicken and toss to coat completely. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.


Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.


Place chicken drumettes on prepared baking sheet and reserve marinade left in the bowl.


Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.


Brush 1/2 the reserved marinade onto chicken and turn wings over. Bake for 15 minutes.


Turn chicken and brush on remaining 1/2 the reserved marinade. Bake until tender and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Rest wings on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a serving platter.


I don't give out a five star rating for everything that comes along. I think that by doing so, it diminishes the effectiveness of the rating system. That said, I must say that I really liked this recipe! I made the marinade as the instructions said. It was soo good. Please don't tweak this, it doesn't need it. I have used this recipe to season boneless skinless chicken thighs, served over rice. It was great!

Somewhat labor intensive, but the flavor was well worth waiting for.  Served these at a "Jamaican Me Jerk" party, with Cocomojito's also from AR.  Fun trying to do the limbo after a couple of those....  AND as Chef John's says, don't leave a single thing out of this recipe as the finished product is fabulous!

I really loved this recipe. It is very spicy but that is what makes it taste good. I added some shadow beni since I did not have much thyme. It worked really well.

These wings are amazing. I used this recipe to go against one of my Jamaican coworkers in a jerk wing cook off. I already knew I was going to win since I had made the recipe several other times and I did! I follow the recipe as written.  I never deseed the peppers because I like the heat.  I put everything in my nutra bullet and marinate for at least 24 hours.  These wings will change your life!!!

Great recipe. This is the closest recipe I've tried that comes close to the real authentic jerk flavor.

This recipe was amazing!! The flavor was so delicious and there was just enough heat in there that it didn't scare me away and I'm not a spicy food kind of girl. I am recommending this recipe to everyone I know. It has given a new meaning to "wing night" in my house.

Another home run by Chef John!  Took his advice and followed his explicit instructions, only thing is that it marinated for 3 days. But my crowd went wild for it. 
The blend is a wonderful mix of flavor and spicy which if you don't like spicy, I don't recommend you try em but that's how jerk chicken characteristically is.  It's like you can't stop eating it even though your mouth is on fire and it's burning your lips off.  Went pretty well with Jamaican beans and rice from this site, for that one I recommend following others suggestions.

Delicious.. I am part West Indian and love Jerk Chicken. This recipe reminds me of my grandmother. I doubled the recipe the second time and added more habaneros the second time to make it spicier. Loved it.

Great recipe. I omitted the cinnamon and increased the cooking time by 25-30 mins. for crispier chicken. Everyone loved them.

Best recipe on this site! This marinade is the closest thing I've found to match the taste of authentic Caribbean jerk chicken. For those complaining that the recipe is too spicy, I think the simple answer is that you don't like jerk chicken. In fact, this recipe is not as spicy as the local variety. To make it even more authentic, cook these in a smoker or on a charcoal grill using an aluminum pan of wood chips. You will never go back to the oven.

So good. Made it with boneless chicken thighs and left out the pepper so my little ones would eat it.

I made the marinade exactly as listed in the ingredients (seriously, no need to tweak anything with this recipe) and instructions, used boneless/skinless chicken breasts (pounded so they were of even thickness), and cooked on the outdoor grill.  It was SO good and tasted almost exactly like the jerk chicken we get in Jamaica!  I only had 6 hours to let the meat marinate in the refrigerator but, it was plenty of time.  I will definitely let it marinate over night next time to get even more of the flavor into the meat.  So glad I read the review about handling the peppers with bare hands- I used gloves and had no problems there.  My only regret is that I didn't make more so we could have leftovers!

Hands down authentic jerk chicken - this is the real deal.  Left recipe as it was written, I cooked mine in the air fryer at 385 for 20 mins turning 1/2 and basting. This tasted just like the jerk my husband and I had ate after visiting the falls in Jamaica.

When chicken is so good that you spend the next day happy because you get to eat the leftovers, five stars is an understatement. Husband isn't a wing kind of guy so after marinating, I added 2/3 cup chicken broth to the marinade and cooked bone in thighs at 425 degrees dunking twice in a one hour cooking time (see Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes). Served with mango coleslaw and some gussied up mashed yams.

Amazing!!! Made these for the Super Bowl and they were gone in minutes. Follow the recipe and keep them going, it's better crispy.

I made this dish for my family and my brother, mother and dad loved it! I didn't have any cumin so I made it w/o but it still turned out great. I also made a side of red beans and rice and it was a hit in our house!

I used all the ingredients listed.( i used light brown sugar and orange habaneros, as it wasnt specified. In convenience i used 1tbl dried thyme leaves instead of fresh thyme leaves, and used 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg)
I used the produce plastic bag to pick up the peppers at the store, and wore vinyl disposable gloves as i cleaned them up (extra precaution, and common sense.)
I used my ninja blender to make the marinade, smaller 'cup' was the perfect size
I could fit 9 drumsticks in a glass 9x13 casserole dish. I marinated at room temp for 2 hours, turning every 15 minutes.
In convenience, i left the chicken in the casserole dish, covered it with foil and cooked in the oven for 55m at 425 degrees, rotated chicken at half mark.
Turned out GREAT. Highly recommended, nice little spice kick, not overwhelming.
I made this with red potatoes au gratin using cream of chicken, sharp cheddar, milk, sour cream, and butter and it was a great pairing! Plan to roast asparagus for greens.

This recipe is so freaking amazing! I didn't get pictures because we ate all the wings before I  had a chance to. My friend asked for the recipe,and now her husband and my husband always ask,"what can we jerk next?!" Haha!

This was a great recipe.  I used jalapeños as I did not have any other peppers on hand.  I marinated chicken wings, thighs and drumsticks overnight.  I baked in the oven the next day.  Once the weather warms up, I plan using the recipe for grilling.

My wife and I love the heat, so this is one of my go to recipes for grilled chicken (unless I'm feeling extra lazy)! This has a phenomenal flavor profile for jerk, and is perfect for low and slow chicken. Like some have said you can stretch this marinade, especially if you use a ziplock with the air pressed out. Keep in mind that when using this on different proteins the flavor profile will change a bit because many of the spices are fat soluable, thus change the protien, change the recipe. If you want to use this for fish for instance, the flavors will come across totally differently.

This is so delicious!  I made the marinade exactly as written and marinated bone in, skin on chicken thighs over night. Then baked at 350 for an hour. The flavour is amazing!!!  I can't wait to try this on wings like the recipe says. It's a little spicy, but nothing too insane.

I did not make any changes very good recipe, I will make it again!

Loved this recipe so much I am making a batch, or should I say vat, for NYE.  I doubled the marinade because I had 4+ lbs of fresh chicken wings I cut into wings/drumettes, and reserved a cup of the marinade to offer as additional dipping sauce for my guests.  I cooked them on a rectangular cookie cooling rack nestled inside a large cookie/jelly roll pan to allow the wings to get crisp all around.  Chicken was wonderfully flavored and so tender the meat fell of the bones.  Delicious!

Absolutely delicious.  I made these with a Jamaican and he raved about the flavor.  Just remember to wash you hands WELL after handling those peppers  ;-) Well worth it.

These were great!  I only had 1 habanero on hand, so I added 3 jalapenos and 4 red chili peppers to the mix - just a personal preference but I would have liked it spicier so next time I'll make sure I have more habaneros.  This was a lot of ingredients, but worth the effort.  I will make these again.

Definitely better than bottled jerk sauce I've tried. Used 1 habanero pepper, not 3, and still has enough of a good kick.

LOVED it! and So did my husband , who is a 'wing guy'. Chef John  - you totally rock!   I've loved EVERYTHING I have tried of yours , so far. You never disappoint.

The best jerk chicken ever! This recipe pleased the whole family...even my tough to please 16 year old!

OMG, OMG, OMG! My exact words after my first 3 bites. Was on the search for the best baked wings and this takes the cake for sure.

This recipe is definitely a keeper! One of the first things my husband said was "this recipe is a keeper!" 20 mins after eating, while watching the news he randomly said "those wings were good!" 

There is definitely some heat with these wings but the flavor is amazing and makes the heat so worth it!

Just a reminder to be carful with the habanero peppers! I used gloves and thought I was as careful as could be, but I think during cleanup I may have touched some habanero juice or something and then touched my nose/upper lip; it burned! It started out sort of mild and increased over the hour, my nose was running non-stop it was awful! I Googled how to stop the burn and found a site that suggested rubbing olive oil on it. So I grabbed a cotton ball and soaked it in olive oil and then rubbed it on the bottom of my nose/upper lip and then wiped it away with a wet paper towel; it worked like a charm! Within 20 mins the burning was gone! 

Definitely saving this recipe!!

Wow this was the best jerk marinade I've used and I've used a few! I doubled the marinade so I'd have extra to keep on hand and I'm glad I did. I generally followed the recipe as written except I used drumsticks and thighs (cut in 1/2). I also used scotch bonnet peppers for a more authentic taste and I used raw turbinado sugar. Instead of 6 peppers, I used 5 because it was all I had and I kept most of the seeds because I like spicy. It was very spicy but not unbearable for me. Finally I used ceylon cinnamon because I didn't have regular but it didn't seem to make a difference. I will try regular cinnamon next time and there will be a next time because this jerk marinade will now be a staple in my home. No more buying bottled jerk for me.

OMG! This is aaaaaaaawesome! Made this 2 weeks in a row. The marinade would make a good dip. Thanks for posting.

Absolutely delicious and I followed the recipe exactly although I only had the dried Thyme.  No fresh on hand.  Next time I will make sure I do!    I actually found making the marinade to be fun.  It was an interesting mix of ingredients.   I used my emersion blender and that worked beautifully and makes clean up so easy.  If you don't have on I believe it is a cook's must-have.    I marinated my wings for a full 24 hours and I think that helped keep them super tender during the cooking.  

The only "problem" I had that I will need to work with in the future was the temperature.   It seems, based on my oven, the 450F was too hot.   I didn't look at the wings at all during the first 25 minutes and when I opened the over they were absolutely black.  I was worried they were ruined but I pressed on as directed with the basting and turning.   For the next section of the roasting I only did 10 minutes and then just one last 5-10 minutes.  Had I gone any longer they would have been dry and overdone.  So, I think next time will try 400F.

Followed the recipe to the letter and it's absolutely amazing!

We found these too spicy, but that might be because I subbed a different kind of pepper. Will try again with fewer peppers.

I doubled the ingredients for my bbq wings and steak. Instead of measuring the lime juice  - I simply squeezed 2 limes. It tasted perfect when I tried the marinade but I was afraid I may not have used enough lime juice and squeezed 1/2 a lime in. Big mistake! The extra lime juice overpowers the other flavors now.
Should of listened to John and stayed true to the recipe. Only using it for the chicken wings instead of the steak. Otherwise, this recipe is amazing and it has convinced my picky eater mother to appreciate a different flavor to her typically seasoned meats. 
Thanks, John!

I have made these a dozen times already for various parties and events.  I am now known as the guy with great jerk wings. I have been to many Caribbean islands and I have had my share a authentic jerk meats.  This recipe is the closest I have come across to the real deal. in fact, I prefer it more than some jerk vendor's in the Caribbean. I usually make a double batch.  It seems like a single batch disappears too quickly. As other reviewers have indicated, use caution or use gloves when handling hot peppers like Habaneros. I learned my lesson the hard way... cleaned a bunch of Jalapenos without gloves and then went to the bathroom... I am a guy, standing up peeing...  I almost went to the ER since I was in so much pain.  I have worn gloves ever since.

I made these over the weekend and we absolutely loved them.  Sorry Chef John but I did make one tiny change - I used 1 Scotch Bonnet pepper (instead of the 3 peppers recommended) and that was enough heat for us.  I will definitely make them again.

Wow!  These are absolutely amazing!  I made them exactly as written with the exception of using jalapenos instead of habaneros.  I also used 4 instead of 3 since I was using peppers with less heat.  I do not have a huge tolerance for spicy food and these turned out great for me.  The balance of flavor and spice was perfect.  They also made the house smell fantastic while cooking.  My husband couldn't quite raving about them (although he did say they could have a little more heat).  Definitely give these a try.

I brought these to a party and they got rave reviews.  

Because one of my friends has celiac disease, I made sure to use gluten free soy sauce.  And I used 2 instead of 3 habanero peppers (the ones from my garden were extra spicy so I was a little worried about using 3 of them).  Other than that, I made the recipe as presented.

Might be the tastiest thing I've made from Allrecipes.  I followed the recipe exactly, except that I used ground nutmeg instead of freshly grated nutmeg.

I made the wings exactly as the recipe was written. They were just okay for me. The flavor didn't match the effort I had to put into making these wings.

Delicious! It disappeared quickly at the party I brought it to. My husband loved it! If you don't like spicy food, then this may not be the recipe for you. The prep takes some time but its totally worth it.

This is the best jerk I have tried yet very flavorful. I used a whole chicken and smoked it with pimento wood there is a company in Minnetonka mn that you can get it from. I was nervous about three habaneros being too hot but it was perfect . My chicken ended up in marinade for two days.one day is plenty. I would definitely let it marinade over night at least. Good job chef John!

These aren't bad. If you're not a spice fan i would cost the cayenne in half for medium spice. My wife is a medium spice gal, and could not eat the recipe as is. I smoked the wings and put them on the grill for 5 minutes afterwards to crisp them up. I enjoyed them but just didn't have a wow factor.

I made this recipe last week not knowing what Jerk chicken was supposed to taste like. So I took a couple of pieces to work and got great reviews. My co workers are still talking about it. Super flavorful. I followed the recipe as directed except I usedjalapeño instead of habanero. If I would have used habaneros it would have been too much for my family. I will be making this again and again and again.

I had 4 pounds of chicken thighs in the fridge and decided to use this recipe for the marinade. Incredible flavor!!!! Will absolutely  be using this recipe again!!!!!

I followed the exact recipe and enjoyed every single flavorful bite. I’ll definitely make this again.

With the exception of using only 2 habaneros instead of 3, this recipe was a winner.  My family loved it.  Thank you!

Really good recipe. Marinade was quick and easy to make. Used 4 scotch bonnets since the local grocery didn't have habañeros. Lip tingling hot, but still tasty. Liked that these were baked, not fried. I will make these again and play around with the spice level. May even try the marinade on something besides wings.

One of the best chicken wings recipe I ever made. They were great hit on out Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone enjoyed them a lot.

OMG, amazing, delicious and spicy. can't get enough. made twice already and salivating thinking about them now. they do not disappoint. if you like spice don't be shy about adding and extra scotch bonnet with seeds.

Great recipe! Made marinade and cooked with chicken breasts.

My first time making Jerk Chicken and this recipe is great!!!! I used 6 large legs for my husband and I. I ate 1 and went to make him a plate for lunch the next day however he'd already eaten the other 5! Lol I paired it with the Jamaican Rice recipe on here and a salad.

This recipe was pretty straightforward to prep. Cooked it for myself and my girlfriend. We both agree it was tangy whilst not too spicy, very fresh-tasting, and also very filling! Had it with white rice and wine.

This definitely has repeat value. Thanks for the recipe Chef John!

Will definitely make again, and my guests requested the recipe'. Next time I'll add more spice since I adore hot..ghost pepper hot..foods.  But for those who only like a little spice, the recipe is great as is. Thank you!

I've made this recipe MANY times now and it is the BOMB!!! per John's instructions I stuck strictly to the recipe and EVERYBODY loves them! several people have asked for the recipe in which I pointed them in chef Johns direction and told them to stick to the recipe. I have never posted on here before cuz normally I am guilty of changing things up a bit but this recipe deserves more than 5 stars! I must add that since using this recipe I've only made them another way...once!

If there were six stars, I'd give it six stars! I've made this at least five times now and I highly recommend trying this! Thank you Chef John! You Guru!!

Made these for about 50 people and not one wing left!!! It was a hit!!

Followed the directions precisely, marinated for 24hrs and bbq'd for my Dad on Father's Day.  WE absolutely  loved these - 10/10.

I actually made this last week but didn't manage to get a pic of it. I doubled the recipe and it was excellent, I used 11 pods of garlic instead of 12 even though that probably didn't make much of a difference. I switched the dried thyme with the fresh thyme because we didn't have enough fresh thyme and I also did not have whole habenero peppers so I used a little bit of pepper that my mom had already chipped up. I was a little wary of the amount of salt that this recipe called for but I decided to do it and it was just right. I also did not let my chicken marinate overnight, I placed it in the fridge for about 4 hours and it still turned out amazing. The pic inserted is my marinade from today. I am doing this chicken again because it was sooooo amazing. Gonna let it marinate for about 6 hours today.  All in all, I rate this recipe a 5/5. I loved it and my family loved it. Please remember to add as little pepper and as much pepper as you want because what the recipe calls for can be a bit spicy.

I made this recipe with the exception that I smoked my wings using pecan wood chips. I enjoyed the way they turned out. I told my daughter about the recipe and told her to use less peppers since she doesn’t like spicy foods. This will be my go to recipe for jerk chicken.

After a mix up between drummettes and drum sticks, I decided to continue with the recipe which still turned out great. Flavor, spice and everything nice. Even my 2 year old who doesn’t like spicy, loved it.

Maybe one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. Perfect. Don’t change a thing.

Too spicy. Had to cool it down with ranch dressing. Won't be making it again!

This recipe was fan-freaking-tastic!  I have tried jerk recipes before and they just didn't taste like the real thing.  This recipe brought back great memories of our Jamaican vacation.  I made it with chicken legs instead of wings.

5 stars for the cooking instructions! I looked at several different recipes and decided to go with this one because I know it's better to cook chicken at a higher temperature for less amount of time.  I didn't make the sauce because I didn't have the time or all of the ingredients and I was using what I had on hand which was a bottle of Sweet and tangy BBQ sauce. Plus I have a 5 year old who doesn't appreciate a lot of heat! But the wings turned out amazing! Tender and juicy with a Char on the outside! And according to all the other reviews, I plan on making this sauce at some point! Thank You Chef John!

Made it exactly like the recipe. Not the best I have had. It was ok though.

My kids love them. They were too sweet for me. The brown sugar over power the other ingredients. It did not remind of the jerk chicken I had in Jamaica.

I did jerk turkey wings instead. Pretty good, just a tad too much lime juice for me. I would've liked just a little more of the Caribbean jerk kick. Good recipe tho. Will try again.

I made this and this was my first time making jerk chicken. I loved this recipe! I grilled my chicken instead of baking and they turned out perfectly! Also, because I decided at the last minute that I wanted jerk chicken I didn’t marinate but  the meat turned out very flavorful and crispy! next time I make this (which will be soon) I’m going to marinate!

I followed the recipe exactly has Chef John tells it. My guests who are themselves very good cooks were delighted with it. It was perfect, not too spicy, just right. This is a keeper and will make more for other events.

Made the recipe as noted except I did not have fresh thyme leaves so I added more dried thyme. I also used convection bake and lowered the temperature to 375 and shortened the cook time.  Turned out well.  Loved by the family!  Definitely a keeper

Lovely spice. I left out cinnamon but added everything else. This is very addictive. Thank you for posting this

I made these followed the recipe exactly. They were great. Best jerk wings I have ever made.

Incredible! Easy to prepare and delicious. I served with Caribbean Rice and a salad, accompanied by cold beer.

Followed the recipe to a tee...perfect!!!  Perfect heat and amazing on boneless skinless chicken breast!  Definitely one of my favs to make again!

I did not have habeneros. Substituted 4 massive jalapenos with seeds. Marinated for 24 hrs. Excellent! Thanks for the recipe :-)

Very good flavor and good amount if spice.  Cook until the excess marinated is well charred

These are amazing! My mom loves making these for house parties and I hadn’t tried making them myself until recently because I was craving them so bad and will happily be making them for many times to come! Make sure you get the glazed goodness off the pan too!! That’s where all the magic is

I made these tonight exactly as instructed except I used 6 peppers(we're chilli heads). I used non stick foil, but unfortunately they stuck on. I ended up having to switch new foil and spray with pam.. Wife loved em.. Not sure how many times I will make them again as it's a fair amount of work, and ingredients for a meal of wings.. Maybe when I have some spare time.. lol.. They were really tasty and tender though!

Make chicken wings marinated in spicy Jamaican jerk seasonings.

jerk chicken wings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total: 9 hours, 10 minutes

Servings: 6

Cost: $10.33 /serving

Author : Chef John

Ingredients

Instructions

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