How to Make a Jamaican Fried Chicken Recipe (You’ll Love)
I had NO IDEA until recently that a Jamaican fried chicken recipe was a thing! Can I assume that there aren’t too many people around who don’t like eating fried chicken every now and then? What can be better than homemade fried chicken? Perhaps homemade Jamaican fried chicken? If you haven’t tried Jamaican fried chicken before, I HIGHLY recommend you consider the recipes below. Trust me… I think you’ll really like them 🙂
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Is Fried Chicken Unique to the United States?
No, fried chicken recipes are not unique to the United States! And no, Colonel Sanders of the famous Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants was not the inventor of fried chicken, either.
The fact is, many countries all over the world today have their own unique fried chicken recipes.
For example, here in the United States, we have southern fried chicken where we first brine the chicken pieces and then dredge them in flour and milk or buttermilk before frying them.
Koreans have their own versions of fried chicken, which are normally only thinly battered, unlike American fried chicken. AND… get this… a lot of Korean fried chicken recipes ask for the chicken to be fried TWICE!!
A couple of popular Korean fried chicken versions include huraideu-chicken (후라이드 치킨) and the spicy yangnyeom chicken (양념 치킨).
Now, what makes Jamaican fried chicken different from other fried chicken recipes is the seasoning.
Jamaican fried chicken recipes normally incorporate the following spices or ingredients:
- Allspice
- Thyme
- Scotch bonnet peppers
What a great spice and flavor combination, am I right?
Background of Fried Chicken Recipes
The first time the term fried chicken was recorded here in the United States was in the 1830s and it began appearing in cookbooks in the 1860s or 1870s.
Many historians believe that the Scottish and West African people were the first to introduce the American people to fried chicken.
In fact, they believe that the Scottish were the ones to come up with the concept of frying chicken (although it was originally unseasoned) while the West Africans were the ones who began seasoning their chicken before frying them.
Thus, African slaves in the American South were possibly the first people to make fried chicken here in the United States.
FYI, there are a few reasons why African slaves fried chicken. First, slaves were not allowed to eat with whites, but there were allowed to keep and eat their own chickens. Second, chickens did not require refrigeration (This information came from Yahoo News).
FAQs Related to Jamaican Fried Chicken Recipe
Here are some frequently asked questions for Jamaican-style fried chicken recipes.
What is the secret to making great fried chicken?
The secret to making great Jamaican-styled fried chicken is to let the chicken get to room temperature before frying it. The reason you want to do this is to limit the possibility of the hot oil’s temperature dropping, which would make your chicken soggy.
What is the best flour to fry chicken in?
The best flour to use for Jamaican fried chicken is all-purpose flour because it has a neutral flavor which you can easily season with whatever seasonings you choose.
Does cornstarch help fried chicken?
Yes, a 50:50 ratio of all-purpose flour and cornstarch results in crispier Jamaican fried chicken and a nice brown color, too.
What’s the best oil to fry chicken in?
The best oil for frying Jamaican-style fried chicken is one that has a high smoking point. Here is a list of oils that are great for frying chicken:
- Vegetable oil
- Peanut oil
- Corn oil
- Canola oil
- Avocado oil
Jamaican Fried Chicken Recipe #1
So, here’s the first recipe for how to make Jamaican fried chicken.
This recipe by Immaculate Bites is the one I used to make my own Jamaican fried chicken.
At the time of writing this, there are a total of about 220,000 shares and the ratings are 4.87 out of 5 stars for a total of 29 votes for this particular recipe.
Take a look at the comments… people REALLY like it!
My Personal Experience With This Recipe
I was SOOO happy with this recipe! It was very easy to follow and the chicken tastes SOOOO good!
The only problem I had, and this is a ME problem, not a recipe problem, is that I don’t know how to cut up a whole chicken.
BUT…. I made it work.
And next time I’ll just buy drumsticks 😉
Anyway, I paired this recipe with some Jamaican gungo peas and rice and some fried sweet ripe plantains.
Let me tell you… I’ll DEFINITELY be making this recipe AGAIN!
Jamaican Fried Chicken Recipe #2
Now, here’s the second recipe for how to make Jamaican fried chicken.
Ok, so many of us know that although fried chicken is super duper delicious, there may come a time when we want to try a healthier version.
Well, lucky for us, That Girl Cooks Healthy provides us with a healthier Jamaican fried chicken version.
This recipe is healthier because you will be using an air fryer (although she does have an oven-baked option further down the page).
Also, what makes this recipe healthier is that it doesn’t use flour and, of course, you’re not using any fatty oils.
But, if you’ve never used an air fryer before, I HIGHLY recommend you try it out!
It basically works by circulating hot air down and around your food. The hot air circulation is what makes the food nice and crispy, resulting in a deep-fried texture without the unhealthy oil.
At the time of this writing, this healthier Jamaican fried chicken recipe has about 1,710 shares and 5/5 stars from 7 votes.
This recipe is definitely worth considering, am I right?
Fry Chicken Jamaican Style #3
Now, for those of you who like gravy on your fried chicken, here’s a Jamaican fried chicken recipe with gravy.
This recipe is different from the ones above because they use sliced vegetables as opposed to just onion powder and garlic powder.
Also, this video shows you how to make a FULL Jamaican fried chicken meal!
Check out the YouTube video below by Jerene’s Eats to learn more:
Doesn’t that Jamaican fried chicken gravy sauce look SOOOO good???
What To Serve With Jamaican Fried Chicken
- Jamaican Gungo Peas and Rice
- Sweet Fried Plantains
- Jamaican style steamed cabbage
- Rice and peas
- Jamaican coleslaw
- Callaloo
- Jamaican turn cornmeal
- Mac and cheese Jamaican style
Related Articles:
- Spiced Jamaican Coconut Cake (Toto)
- How to Make Caribbean Fried Rice (You’ll Love)
- Jamaican Gungo Peas Recipes (You’ll Love)
Final Thoughts On Jamaican Fried Chicken Recipes
And that’s a wrap! I hope you seriously consider making at least one of these Jamaican fried chicken recipes. Did any of them stand out to you? Which ones? If so, please let me know in the comments below!
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