Fragrant, smoky and blazing hot – Grilled and Shredded Jerk Chicken with Pineapple-Kiwifruit Salsa is a favourite outdoor-inspired recipe. Although most people associate jerk chicken with the Caribbean, its influences are traced back hundreds of years to west Africa, where people applied techniques to sauce and pork preparation. But, Jerk Chicken unofficially belonged to Jamaica for the last 300-400 years!
Traditionally, jerk chicken is prepared over a pit fire or inside outdoor wood-fired ovens. More recently it’s become commonplace for “traditional jerk chicken” to be prepared in half barrels filled with charcoal and large chunks of wood. These methods of high heat and smoke-infusion perfectly carbonise and elevate the flavour of the spices, which are dry-rubbed on the chicken. This recipe enables you to choose your favourite pre-made jerk spice blend. If you’d like to prepare your own, though, you can do so with a combination of allspice and ground scotch bonnet peppers, cloves, cinnamon, spring onions, nutmeg, thyme, garlic, brown sugar, ginger and finely-ground sea salt.
This recipe leverages Char-Broil’s® TRU-Infrared™ technology and its capacity for high, intense and even heat, along with the ability to establish and control a multi-zone cooking surface to prepare juicy shredded chicken every time. Also, this recipe pairs the jerk chicken with a fresh, sweet and tangy pineapple-kiwifruit salsa that cuts through the spicy seasoning brilliantly. All loaded atop a toasted poppy seed bun, this grilled and shredded jerk chicken sandwich is the perfect centrepiece for your next backyard barbecue or tailgate party.
