Jerk Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato Wedges by Daphne Oz
2
Points®
Total time: 1 hr • Prep: 25 min • Cook: 35 min • Serves: 8 • Difficulty: Easy
My senior year in college, a bunch of friends and I visited Jamaica. On the drive home after a trip we’d taken to hike up the side of a breathtaking waterfall, we discovered a little locals-only restaurant serving up the most insane jerk chicken, a recipe I just had to replicate at home. Jerk seasoning is heady with flavors you typically find in pumpkin pie–allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and brown sugar–but tempered with cumin, thyme, and garlic. You can take the spiciness up or down a notch, depending on what you love–the hellfire-hot Scotch bonnet pepper is traditional but that is for expert heat-eaters only.
Ingredients
Grapeseed oil
7 tsp, divided
Uncooked sweet potato
4 large, halved lengthwise, each half quartered into 4 wedges
Scallions
8 medium, ends trimmed but left whole
Kosher salt
1 Tbsp, divided
Unpacked light brown sugar
1 Tbsp
Ground allspice
2 tsp
Ground cinnamon
1 tsp
Dried thyme
1 tsp
Ground cumin
½ tsp
Ground ginger
½ tsp
Paprika
½ tsp, sweet variety
Garlic powder
½ tsp
Freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp
Cayenne pepper
¼ tsp, optional
Uncooked skinless boneless chicken thigh
8 thigh(s)
Sea salt
2 pinch(es)
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with 1 teaspoon oil.
2
In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes and scallions. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss to combine, then turn the mixture out onto the baking sheet, leaving room on one side for the chicken.
3
In the same bowl, combine the brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon, thyme, cumin, ginger, paprika, garlic powder, nutmeg, cayenne (if using), and remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine, then add the chicken and toss to coat well.
4
Arrange the chicken on the baking sheet next to the veggies and cover the pan with parchment paper. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes until the thickest part of a chicken thigh reads 160°F on an instant-read thermometer and the sweet potatoes are tender (the chicken will continue to cook out of the oven and reach a safe temperature of 165°F).
5
Transfer everything to a platter for serving. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve.
6
Serving size: 1 chicken thigh, 1 scallion, and half a potato
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