It’s been a loooooong time.

I’ve been working two (at one point, three) jobs and going through some significant changes in my personal life, so I haven’t had too much time to cook. But things are slowing down now, so I’m back with one of my absolute favorite dinners: jerk chicken.

I avoided making jerk chicken for a long time because the ingredient list and process seemed daunting, but I promise it’s easier than you think. All the spices and herbs used below are pantry essentials, and you probably already have allspice/cinnamon/nutmeg that you bought during pumpkin spice season and need to get rid of.  If you have leftover marinade, save it for veggies, or to make more chicken down the road.

*If you want to get your spices whole, toast them, and grind them, by all means go for it. I’m sure it will taste delicious, but ain’t nobody in this house got time for that. 

You will need:

• 1 bundle of green onions
• 2 jalapeños (if you’re sensitive to spicy food, remove the seeds.)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 large lime (or 2 small ones), zest and juice
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs

To make your marinade, throw everything except for the chicken into a blender. Congratulations, you’re done!

Lay out your chicken into a baking dish in one single layer. Pour marinade over the chicken and let it hang out for at least a couple hours, preferably overnight.

When you’re ready to cook your chicken, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. For boneless thighs, bake them for 40 minutes and then broil for the last 5-7 minutes to get the top nice and brown. If you have bone-in thighs, add another 15 minutes to your cooking time.

Serve over rice and make sure to scoop some extra sauce on top!