Jerk Chicken with Coconut Rice & Peas

Rating: 4.67 stars
6 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 5
  • 4 star values: 0
  • 3 star values: 1
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0

Add some flavor of the Caribbean to your weeknight dinners with this healthy and easy jerk chicken recipe. The chicken is cooked on a grill pan rather than an outdoor grill--make sure the pan is well-heated before adding the chicken to achieve the crisp char you would get from an outdoor grill. A simple side of coconut rice and peas completes this satisfying and nutritious meal.

Liz Mervosh
Source: EatingWell Magazine, May 2019

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Recipe Summary

active:
30 mins
total:
50 mins
Servings:
4
Nutrition Profile:
Low-Calorie
Dairy-Free
Egg Free
Soy-Free
Healthy Aging
Healthy Immunity
Low Added Sugars
Nutrition Info
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice and stir to coat. Add coconut milk and water; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 40 to 50 minutes.

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  • Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Mix thyme, garlic powder, allspice, cayenne, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Grill the chicken, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, about 12 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let rest.

  • When the rice is done, stir in peas, cilantro, lime juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt with a fork. Cover and let stand for 3 minutes.

  • Serve the chicken with the rice and more cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.

Tips

Tip: Canned light coconut milk has more water and only about one-third of the fat and calories of "whole" coconut milk. Look for it, sometimes labeled "lite," in the Asian section of your supermarket.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh plus 1 cup rice & peas
Per Serving:
524 calories; protein 36.6g 73% DV; carbohydrates 48.3g 16% DV; dietary fiber 4.1g 16% DV; sugars 3.5g; fat 19.7g 30% DV; saturated fat 8.3g 41% DV; cholesterol 156.1mg 52% DV; vitamin a iu 954IU 19% DV; vitamin c 10.1mg 17% DV; folate 40.5mcg 10% DV; calcium 38.1mg 4% DV; iron 2.7mg 15% DV; magnesium 96.8mg 35% DV; potassium 556.5mg 16% DV; sodium 686.9mg 28% DV.
Exchanges:

4 1/2 lean protein, 2 1/2 fat, 2 1/2 starch, 1/2 vegetable
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Reviews (6)

Read More Reviews
6 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 5
  • 4 star values: 0
  • 3 star values: 1
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
Francine Brissey
Rating: 5 stars
05/28/2019
I loved this recipe it was absolutely amazing just as it is. I will definitely add this to the rotation. It will be easy to make a big batch of the jerk spice for dinners on the fly.:-) perfect weeknight meal. Read More
pndra
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2020
The chicken was fantastic- I decreased the cayenne (for kids) and my whole family ate it up. I seasoned the chicken and let it sit for flavors to sink in and get more to room temp before cooking in grill pan. The coconut rice was good- I used brown basmati so the ratio of liquid seemed a bit off- I don't think I needed as much coconut milk to still get creamy; I added lime zest and extra cilantro for more flavor to the rice. This was pretty easy and will definitely become a go-to especially the chicken! Read More
gitchie
Rating: 5 stars
04/29/2019
I only made the chicken. Delish. Even my husband liked it. Read More
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Terri
Rating: 5 stars
05/03/2019
I made this recipe just as it is written. I loved it! The level of spice is just right. The chicken and rice are each good on their own and together - yum. The serving size is generous for the calorie count. I'm saving this recipe to make again. Read More
Lisa in Garnet Valley
Rating: 5 stars
08/07/2019
I have made this dish several times and it is now one of our favorites. My modifications: increase spices by rounding up to the next tsp or tbsp (gives you more than enough to really coat the chicken). Cook chicken by putting coated room temp meat in a cold iron skillet coated with olive oil. Put on medium heat and cook about 6 minutes per side. This cold start method gives it a nice seal to keep the chicken juicy. I use a full cup of chopped onion. Rice will take about 60 minutes to fully cook and will be creamy. I skip the lime and cilantro. Love it! Read More
Cat Herder
Rating: 3 stars
06/28/2019
Followed the recipe as written though we did use the outdoor grill. The chicken was very good and we both loved the spice blend. The rice however was just meh. It lacked the depth other coconut rice recipes have and was rather bland. I found this surprising given the can of coconut milk and green curry paste. The flavor simply isn t worth the calorie count. So 4 stars on the chicken but only 2 on the rice. Read More
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