Active time: 25 minutes Total time: 25 minutes, plus marinating time
Jerk seasoning is a blend of toasty spices often used for grilled meats in the Caribbean, and it can be found in the spice section of the grocery store. The spiciness of the chicken is mitigated by the sweetness of sautéed spiralized sweet potatoes. If you don’t have a spiralizer, buy already spiralized sweet potatoes from a well-stocked produce department.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken With Sweet Potato Zoodles
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade
- 3/4 cup (170g) ketchup
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Jamaican jerk seasoning
- 1/2–1 whole habañero chili pepper, stem removed
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds/680g)
For the spiralized sweet potatoes
- 2 medium (10 ounces each/283g) sweet potatoes, peeled and spiralized
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium (82g) red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 lime, cut into quarters
Directions
Combine the ketchup, green onions, lime juice, ginger, jerk seasoning and habañero pepper in a blender or food processor until smooth. Set aside 1/3 cup of the marinade for basting, refrigerate until needed. In a non-reactive bowl, combine the remaining marinade with the chicken. Refrigerate the chicken for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade; discard marinade. Add the chicken thighs to the pan and grill, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. (Reduce heat if the chicken begins to burn.)
While the chicken cooks, make the zoodles. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the zoodles, bell pepper, salt and pepper and cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of water, and continue to cook, shaking the pan now and then, until the noodles start to soften, 5 minutes. Do not stir too much or overcook, or the noodles will fall apart. They should not be totally soft; a little bite is good.
Divide the sweet potatoes among four bowls. Place the chicken on top, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with the lime wedges.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 2 chicken thighs, 2/3 cups sweet potatoes
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 382; Total Fat: 10g; Saturated Fat: 2.2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4.5g; Cholesterol: 139mg; Sodium: 442mg; Carbohydrate: 36g; Dietary Fiber: 5.2g; Sugar: 11g; Protein: 36g
