Jerk Chicken

On our first ever vacation together, my husband and I went to a small resort on Montego Bay, Jamaica. We didn't have a ton of money to spend on the trip, but we found a deal on this place that offered all-inclusive food and drinks. It was our first trip of this kind, and it got us hooked on all-inclusive vacations from there on out. We would take turns ordering four or six (depending on how many we felt we could carry in one armful at that given time) small drinks, balancing them carefully back to our spot at our favorite hammock or on our room's balcony. The restaurants didn't offer a ton of variety, and after the fourth day of eating the same foods over and over for each meal, we weren't sure how much longer we could last.

Luckily, the jerk chicken saved us. Every day by the pool, they had a grill going, where we could get burgers or jerk chicken sandwiches. Being in Jamaica, you can probably guess that the jerk chicken was outstanding. We ended up eating so much of it throughout the rest of the week, I was sure that we'd never want it again! But instead, we ended up heading home with a big craving for the flavors, and we've tried to find a good replica ever since...

I can't really say that the jerk chicken I made this past weekend was that perfect replica. But it was definitely delicious, and a big step toward learning how to make the spicy goodness at home. I tried it first as a slow cooker recipe, and it made the chicken very tender and juicy. But I think the recipe I found had a little too much cinnamon and all spice to replicate the sandwiches we remember. So (as with several other recipes we've already tried this year), I'll have to put this on back on the list to try again. Less sweet next time, although not necessarily more spicy... I did use two whole habaneros!