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    Home » Instant Pot

    Grilled Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the disclosure.    

    Published: Jul 15, 2017 | Updated: Jul 27, 2021 | Author: Paint the Kitchen Red | 43 Comments

    JUMP TO RECIPE
    Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pinterest pin with drumsticks on white plate with hot peppers and fried bananas in background - Paint the Kitchen Red

    This Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken recipe features succulent bone-in chicken with boldly spiced Caribbean flavors, beautifully finished on the grill.

    Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken drumsticks on white plate with hot peppers and fried bananas in background - Paint the Kitchen Red
    Note: I’ve updated this recipe to pressure cook for 10 minutes.  I used to recommend 12 minutes, but the chicken can get overcooked especially if you’re grilling afterward.
    If you’re looking for a change from traditional barbecue chicken, you’re going to love this boldly spiced Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken recipe.
    Traditonal Jamaican jerk chicken has the perfect blend of spices (sweet, sour, hot), is grilled in the ‘jerk’ style and is sold at roadside stands throughout Jamaica.
    Jerk chicken is normally made with Scotch bonnet / Caribbean red peppers, which are a relative of the habanero pepper and are very spicy, with a slightly sweet touch. Another important flavor component in Jamaican jerk chicken recipes is allspice.
    In this recipe, I show you how to make my oven version of Jamaican Jerk Chicken  adapted for the Instant Pot. I don’t use chicken breasts in my cooking much –  I much prefer the taste of chicken thighs and drumsticks, which are especially well-suited for the Instant Pot.
    And I don’t marinate the chicken ahead of time – I just add the ingredients to the Instant Pot, cook the chicken, reduce the marinade and finish the chicken on the grill. It’s super easy.
    I find that meat cooked in the Instant Pot is perfectly tender with no babysitting required.  And I like the flavor and look of finishing the chicken on the grill.  It takes less than 5 minutes of grilling time – just enough to give the chicken a nice sear.
    Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken Plantains collage - raw sliced plantains in frying pan, fried, served on plate - Paint the Kitchen RedI love to serve Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken with fried ripe plantains, black beans and rice, and a peach or mango salsa. So good! To make the fried plantains, peel them, cut them on a bias, and fry them in a non-stick frying pan with a little bit of oil until both sides are a rich golden brown.
    Two ripe plantains for jerk chicken side dish
    Be sure to use plantains and not bananas, and they should be ripe.  A ripe plantain looks kind of over-ripe in the photo above.

    Tips and Substitutions

    This recipe uses Jamaican jerk seasoning that is not too spicy.

    If you want to make it spicier, you can add Scotch bonnet hot sauce or finely chopped Scotch bonnet peppers to your chicken marinade.

    Be sure to use a light touch, because they’re spicy peppers!  Alternately you could use a milder chili pepper.


    The recipe calls for Pickapeppa Sauce which is a Jamaican condiment containing tamarind.  I am able to find it in my regular grocery store where the barbecue sauces are sold.  You can also find it on amazon.


    When you’re reducing the sauce, watch for splatter.  I use a splatter screen.


    If you don’t have access to a grill you can finish it off in the oven on the broil setting, turning once until both sides are caramelized.


    If  you want to just grill chicken with a pre-made sauce, try the authentic Jamaican Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning.  I have not used this marinade in the Instant Pot; I’ve only grilled with it.  If using in the Instant Pot, you might need to thin it out with water.

    If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot  DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide or the Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make this Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken.

    GO DIRECTLY TO RECIPE

    Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe Ingredients

    Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken Ingredients - ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, jerk seasoning, salt, pickapeppa sauce, soy sauce, chicken drumsticks - Paint the Kitchen Red

    Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe Step-by-Step Instructions

    Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken Instructions collage - marinade ingredients in inner pot, stirred, chicken added - Paint the Kitchen Red

    • Add ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, Pickapeppa sauce, Jamaican jerk seasoning, salt to the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
    • Stir until mixed well.
    • Add chicken pieces and stir to coat.

    Instant Pot Duo Manual mode 10 minutes collage - close lid, press manual, press - or +, display shows 10- Paint the Kitchen Red

    • Close Instant Pot Lid, and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.
    • Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until display reads ‘10’ (10 minutes).

    Instant Pot Manual mode collage - Display reads On, float valve up, display reads L0:00

    • Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
    • Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
    • The display will count down from 10 to 0; it will switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’.

    Instant Pot Duo release steam and open collage - move steam release handle to venting with help of a towel, float valve is down, Instant Pot Duo is open - Paint the Kitchen Red

    • Do a Quick Release: move the steam release handle to ‘Venting’. I like to place a folded towel over the steam release handle and move it to the venting position. Remove the towel after turning the knob. *
    • When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
    • It’s now safe to open the Instant Pot. (Press ‘Cancel’ to turn off Instant Pot.)

    *  You can choose to do a natural pressure release (NPR) if you’re not going to grill the chicken.

    Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken Instructions collage - cooked chicken, on plate, sauce in inner pot - Paint the Kitchen Red

    • Remove chicken pieces from the inner pot and set aside.

    Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken Instructions collage - arrow pointing to saute, spoon out marinade, chicken on grill - Paint the Kitchen Red

    • Press ‘Saute’ and reduce the marinade/sauce until thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
    • If necessary, use a splatter screen to prevent splatters.
    • Grill chicken for just enough time to get sear marks, and to give it a grilled look and flavor, about 2 minutes per side.
    • You can either baste each side while you grill, or coat the chicken in the sauce before placing on the grill.

    Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken L1 - Paint the Kitchen Red

    Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken

    Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken features succulent bone-in chicken with boldly spiced island flavors, beautifully finished on the grill.
    4.90 from 19 votes
    PRINT PIN RATE
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 pieces
    Calories: 209
    Author: Paint the Kitchen Red

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot
    • Grill

    Ingredients
      

    • 1/2 cup ketchup
    • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
    • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 Tbsp Pickapeppa sauce
    • 1 Tbsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 6 chicken thighs or drumsticks

    Instructions
     

    • Stir together ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, Pickapeppa sauce, Jamaican jerk seasoning, and salt in the Instant Pot.
    • Add chicken pieces and stir to coat.
    • Close Instant Pot Lid.
    • Pressure cook for 10 minutes on High Pressure.
    • Do a quick release of pressure and carefully open the Instant Pot.  [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods].
    • Remove chicken pieces and set aside.
    • Press Saute and reduce the sauce until thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Use a splatter screen if necessary, to prevent splatters.
    • Grill chicken for just enough time to get sear marks, and to give it a grilled look and flavor, about 2 minutes per side.  You can either baste each side while you grill, or coat the chicken in the sauce before placing on the grill.
    • Serve with peach salsa or fried plantains, and beans and rice.  Serve remaining sauce on the side.

    Notes

    • Adapted from Cuisine at Home magazine Weeknight Meals
    • If not finishing on the grill, increase pressure cooking time to 12 minutes.
    • Natural Pressure Release also works fine for this recipe
    • See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 piece of chicken | Calories: 209 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9 g | Protein: 11 g | Fat: 3 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 52 mg | Sodium: 1139 mg | Sugar: 10 g
    Course Main Dishes
    Cuisine Jamaican
    Main Ingredient chicken
    Have you made this recipe? I love seeing your photos! Tag me on Instagram @PaintTheKitchenRed or #PaintTheKitchenRed!

    Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!

    I am not a certified nutritionist.  I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers.  If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons,  I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.

    If you loved this recipe, please give it a 5 Star rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tracey

      March 22, 2021 at 5:38 pm

      5 stars
      While it didn’t quite taste like the Jerk Chicken i got when I was in Jamaica , it was absolutely delicious with a very unique flavor. We finished it on the charcoal grill and it was a hit with the whole family. So easy and the directions were very easy to follow and on point.

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        March 22, 2021 at 6:12 pm

        Thanks Tracey, I’m glad you liked the flavors anyway!

        Reply
    2. Devin

      March 03, 2021 at 2:39 pm

      5 stars
      Simply awesome! We seem to always have the ingredients available. We use the broiler on occasion when the grill is unavailable. Always finger-licking tasty either way! Thanks for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        March 05, 2021 at 10:42 am

        Hey Devin, thanks for the feedback. I haven’t made this in ages, I just forgot about it. I’m putting it on my list!

        Reply
    3. Devin Downing

      September 22, 2020 at 11:11 pm

      5 stars
      Super tasty, the sauce was very savory (in the most positive way) and the chicken was tender and juicy. Recommend 10 minutes in the instant pot, as per the chef’s recommendation and a couple minutes on each side on the grill at high temp. So good! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        September 23, 2020 at 11:53 am

        That’s so great to hear, Devin. Thank you for your comment and I’m very happy to hear you liked it!

        Reply
    4. kt

      September 05, 2020 at 6:28 pm

      5 stars
      So amazing!! Serve with pidgeon peas and rice. Added a fresh jalapeno to the sauce. Really good!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        September 08, 2020 at 9:37 am

        I’m excited to hear you enjoyed the recipe – thanks for getting in touch!

        Reply
    5. Ricardo Gonzales

      May 26, 2020 at 2:01 pm

      Just found u and will try ur recipes. Thanks 4 sharing

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        May 28, 2020 at 10:28 am

        Hi Ricardo, thank you so much and I hope you enjoy the recipes!

        Reply
    6. Shanthini Jayanthan

      February 29, 2020 at 9:59 am

      5 stars
      I will make it one of these days. Are the legs skinless or with skin ? Like to make with skinless.

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        February 29, 2020 at 9:00 pm

        Hey Shantini, great to hear from you 🙂 I use skinless chicken. Hope you like it.

        Reply
    7. Caren

      February 17, 2020 at 11:05 am

      5 stars
      We love this recipe. My husband requests several times a month or whenever we have company. I just broil in my oven instead of on grill. Can make a head too.

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        February 22, 2020 at 7:41 am

        Caren, that’s so great to hear that your family loves the recipe so much <3 Thanks for your comment.

        Reply
    8. Janet Manswell

      January 28, 2020 at 11:00 am

      5 stars
      I sautéed chopped onions, garlic and 1/2 of a scotch bonnet pepper first then I added the rest of the ingredients. It was delicious!!!!!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        January 30, 2020 at 8:27 pm

        Awesome, Janet! Those scotch bonnets go a long way – must have added a nice spicy touch!

        Reply
    9. Enakshi

      January 19, 2020 at 1:51 am

      Hi, what would be the time if I used boneless thighs instead of bone-in thighs?

      Love all your recipes and have tried quite a few of them – always delicious!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        January 21, 2020 at 10:00 am

        Hi Enakshi, great question. If you’re going to be grilling the chicken afterward, cook for about 6 minutes. You can do 7 to 8 minutes if you’re not going to grill.

        Reply
    10. Joanne

      December 31, 2019 at 2:07 pm

      Hi! I’m new to the IP and am planning to make this in the coming days. I’m planning on using chicken legs but my brother in law only eats white meat. How can I manage to use both dark and white meat and adjust the cooking time accordingly? Suggestions please because I’m really anxious to try this recipe out!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        January 01, 2020 at 2:25 pm

        Joanne, the way you could make it work is to keep the white meat as a large piece. Do you normally cook chicken breast in the Instant Pot – I don’t really like to because it tends to be tricky to keep moist and can become chewy and tough.

        Reply
    11. edie alford

      July 17, 2019 at 2:35 pm

      5 stars
      Very good and easy to make with items found in most spice drawers. I did have the suggested Walkerswood Jamaican Jerk seasoning on hand. As mentioned I t is good on its own for quick seasoning. I used it through out this recipe and with basting before grilling . Loved this quick dish.

      Reply
    12. Debbie Loftus

      June 09, 2019 at 8:07 am

      5 stars
      Very delicious and super easy! I put everything together and set it in the frig several hours before cooking to let it marinade. Used 2 leg quarters for 12 minutes with NPR since I wasn’t grilling for final step. We both LOVED the flavors!

      In your notes you mention prep time doesn’t include skinning chicken, minced garlic etc. This recipe didn’t have garlic listed. Do you include garlic? I went ahead and tossed in a clove of minced.

      What I really love about your recipes is the included photo of ingredients! The visual of seeing everything needed is helpful and overall your recipes are easy to follow and well done!!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        June 10, 2019 at 11:38 am

        Debbie – sorry! It’s a cut and paste editing error. There is no garlic in the recipe. What did you think with the garlic?

        Reply
    13. Christina

      April 01, 2019 at 4:56 pm

      Hello, this looks delicious. I often cook for a crowd of people, and like to make things as simple as possible the day of cooking the meal. Can these be made in the instant pot A day before serving, and then grilled the day of? Have you ever tried that? I would love to know your thoughts.
      Thanks!
      Christina

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        April 03, 2019 at 1:32 pm

        Yes, you sure can prep it ahead of time. I do that often with food I plan on grilling for company. Pressure cook, remove meat, cool sauce and skim off fat. You can even store the sauce and chicken together and the flavors are stronger the next day.

        Reply
    14. Susan C

      March 13, 2019 at 2:05 pm

      Two questions. I will try this recipe tonight, I am using thighs but doubling the quantity. Have you had any issues with doubling the recipe?
      I will broil after, will using thighs make a difference in timing? Should I still try cooking for 10 min?

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        March 13, 2019 at 2:42 pm

        Susan, thighs may require about 1 minute less time. Regarding doubling, it can be hit-or-miss with doubling some recipes with bone-in chicken. You can have issues with sealing if the chicken is too packed in. I think I’ve added a couple of more pieces and been fine. And adding more liquid can dilute the recipe. You could give it a try and just keep an eye on it. Good luck.

        Reply
    15. rob

      December 26, 2018 at 7:29 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent, I could not find the pickapepper sauce, I used Scotch bonnet sauce instead. I would absolutely recommend this recipe. Can’t wait to make it again. thank you

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        December 27, 2018 at 7:45 am

        Thank you, Rob! I’m glad you liked the recipe. The pickapeppa sauce reminds me of A-1 steak sauce or even Worcestershire sauce. A tangy, sweet combination. In case you wanted to try and add a few drops next time.

        Reply
    16. Shannon

      August 13, 2018 at 4:04 pm

      What if I don’t have a grill? Should I leave it in the IP longer?

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        August 13, 2018 at 4:08 pm

        Shannon, if you can broil it in the oven for a couple of minutes, that’ll give you a similar result. If you can’t broil it either, then cook the chicken for one more minute.

        Reply
    17. Greg

      July 10, 2018 at 7:18 pm

      4 stars
      Enjoyed this. I tried Worcestershire as a substitute for pikapepper sauce, and it came out OK. Perhaps the final product tended towards BBQ rather than jerk chicken, but the flavor was still good (could also have to do with the 1 T of dark soy sauce I had to use because I ran out of the light stuff.

      I should add, however, that the 12 minutes for the chicken in the IP seemed a bit excessive. Mine came out well after 10 minutes. I’ve been finding most IP recipes have way too long of a cook time, and the meat is actually getting rubbery because of it.

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        July 11, 2018 at 12:24 pm

        Hi Greg, thanks for your comment. Hope you get to try it out again 🙂 I think you’re right, I have been meaning to update the recipe to say that you can use less time especially if you’re grilling afterwards. You’ve reminded me to make that change, thanks!

        Reply
    18. Monica

      March 21, 2018 at 7:25 pm

      5 stars
      If I could give this 6 stars I would! This is so flavorful. This dinner in the instapot is a snap, so quick and easy. Great weekday dinner. I roasted some broccoli and cooked up some quinoa, dinner in 30 minutes. I used my 8 quart instapot and did not change the recipe as it turned out great. Well, I did leave out the brown sugar, since we are trying to cut down on sugar in our home, but it still tasted wonderful.Thanks Ms. Neena.

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        March 25, 2018 at 7:12 pm

        Monica – you’re so sweet! Thanks for sharing and I’m always happy to hear that your family liked a recipe!

        Reply
    19. Cecile

      January 04, 2018 at 12:58 pm

      4 stars
      what is a good substitute for pikapeppa sauce?

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        January 04, 2018 at 1:59 pm

        Hi Cecile! Pickapeppa sauce has a very unique flavor because of all the ingredients in it: cane vinegar, sugar, tomatoes, onions, raisins, sea salt, ginger, peppers, garlic, cloves, black pepper, thyme, mangoes, and orange peel. It tastes kind of like a spicy worcestershire, which might be a good substitute. You could add some extra spice with a chopped chili pepper or some cayenne powder.

        Reply
    20. Lea

      July 20, 2017 at 9:10 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! used boneless chicken breasts and cooked them for 6 minutes and grilled for a couple of minutes. Thanks for the detailed instructions, perfect for newbs!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        July 24, 2017 at 3:26 pm

        Lea, I tend to use thighs and legs so I’m glad you were able to modify the recipe for your needs. Thanks for the feedback and good luck with your new IP!

        Reply
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