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Low-Carb Jerk Chicken

4.3 stars, average of 89 ratings

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Perfect for summer grilling this keto friendly Jerk Chicken is made low-carb by simply leaving out the traditional brown sugar that makes its way into the traditional seasoning. Don’t worry though, this Jerk Chicken is still packed with flavor from the spicy rub. You have a few options on how you would like to cook the chicken too!

My favorite way is over a charcoal grill but you can also use a grill pan on the stove, a regular propane grill, or even the oven with a few minutes under the broiler at the end to crisp up the skin and get that classic char that Jerk Chicken is famous for.

I like to serve this with cauliflower rice and some grilled vegetables for a complete meal. If you’re short on time you can switch out the bone-in chicken for chicken thighs since they’ll cook a lot faster. If you have the time I suggest still marinating the chicken for at least 30 minutes but you can even marinate overnight if you’d like.

Hands-on Overall

Allergy information for Low-Carb Jerk Chicken

✔  Gluten free
✔  Dairy free
✔  Egg free
✔  Nut free
✔  Pork free
✔  Avocado free
✔  Coconut free
✔  Fish free
✔  Shellfish free
✔  Beef free

Nutritional values (per serving)

Net carbs3.9 grams
Protein30.4 grams
Fat29.8 grams
Calories404 kcal
Calories from carbs 4%, protein 30%, fat 66%
Total carbs5 gramsFiber1.1 gramsSugars0.5 gramsSaturated fat7.6 gramsSodium500 mg(22% RDA)Magnesium43 mg(11% RDA)Potassium427 mg(21% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

  • 3.5 lbs bone-in chicken pieces (1.6 kg) - will yield about 60% meat, 960 g/ 2.1 lbs meat
  • 4 large garlic cloves (20 g/ 0.7 oz)
  • 1” piece fresh ginger (10 g/ 0.4 oz)
  • 3 green onions (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
  • 1 habanero pepper (4 g/ 0.1 oz)
  • 2 tbsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup lime juice (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (30 ml)
  • lime wedges, for serving
  • Optional: for a more authentic flavor, add a tablespoon of granulated Erythritol or Swerve to the seasoning
  • Optional: serve with cauli-rice and grilled low-carb vegetables

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients except for the chicken and lime wedges in a food processor and blend until smooth. Low-Carb Jerk Chicken
  2. Pat the chicken dry and place in a single layer in a large baking dish. Spread the spice mixture evenly over the chicken. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes but up to overnight.
  3. When ready to cook remove the chicken from the refrigerator and either preheat the oven to 175 °C/ 350 °F (conventional), or 155 °C/ 310 °F (fan assisted), or preheat your grill or grill pan to medium-high. Low-Carb Jerk Chicken
  4. If baking bake for 1 hour, and then broil for 5-10 minutes to char. If grilling, grill for 45-50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (74 °C/ 165 °F) and charred in multiple places. You’ll want to flip occasionally. Let rest 10 minutes after cooking. Serve with lime wedges and cauli-rice. Low-Carb Jerk Chicken

Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving)

Net carbsProteinFatCalories
Chicken, whole, raw
0 g29.8 g25 g344 kcal
Garlic, raw
1 g0.2 g0 g5 kcal
Ginger root, fresh
0.3 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Spring onion, scallion, green onion, fresh
0.5 g0.2 g0 g3 kcal
Peppers, Habaneros, fresh
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Allspice, dried, spices
1 g0.1 g0.2 g5 kcal
Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Cumin, ground
0.1 g0.1 g0.1 g1 kcal
Cloves, spices
0.1 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Nutmeg, spices
0.1 g0 g0.1 g1 kcal
Cinnamon, spices
0.1 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Lime juice, fresh
0.8 g0 g0 g3 kcal
Olive oil, extra virgin
0 g0 g4.5 g40 kcal
Total per serving
3.9 g30.4 g29.8 g404 kcal

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Lauren Lester
Creator of Healthful Creative

Lauren Lester

Lauren is a food photographer, recipe developer, and author.

She is the founder of the creative content agency, Healthful Creative. HC specializes in helping food centered brands share their story through recipe development + food photography.

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Comments (14)

This is hands down the most amazing chicken recipe I've ever tried! Wow! Not only the flavors are amazing, but the house also smells nice while and after baking. I didn't have the habanero pepper but I might try the next time. I'll be making this recipe many times, for sure!

Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed!

Thought it was more like a curry type flavor, not what I was expecting. Not bad though. Mine looked nothing like the photo.

I never comment on any recipe blog posts, but this was amazing! We used 1 habanero and 1 Carolina Reaper for heat. I smoked them on my grill over pecan wood. Unbelievable!

Thank you so much for your kind words!

Can I use boneless thighs or is it best to use bone-in?

Absolutely! If you use boneless you will need to reduce the baking time by 10-15 minutes.

How do you slow cook this??

I'll be just guessing - You could slow cook it in a crockpot (usually 3-4 hours on low for chicken), or in the oven (covered, about 140/ 285 F for ~ 2 hours).

I have tried a lot of jerk chicken in my life. I am happy to say that was one of the best recipes I have ever tried! Excellent flavours, spicy, easy to make. 5 stars!!!

Thank you for your lovely feedback!

Best meal I've had in a while (that I've made)! I paired it with your rutabaga fries and a kale salad. I'm so grateful for your recipes. I'm excited for leftovers to eat as I complete the summer Leto challenge.

Im excited to make this one for my husband! I don't see any way to add it to the planner in the app though... am I missing something, or is that function not allowed for this recipe? Thanks!

Thank you for noticing Anna, you are right, I forgot to add the option to this recipe when I posted it - I'll fix it now 😊