Crockpot Jerk Chicken
If you've been following for a while, you know I LOVE spicy food. You know that feeling when you eat something truly hot and you start to sweat, and suck air, and your nose is running, and you feel like your taste buds are raw...Yep, that's my preferred level of spiciness. It's a lot. When I was a kid, my dad loved hot sauces, and obviously I thought it was cool to try and be like him so even when I couldn't handle it, I would put hot sauce on my food.
Hot sauce became a way of life...and then I went to live in India for 6 months. So if I had a tolerance for spicy food before India, I took it to a whole new level after being there for so long. I've toned it down a bit, but I usually still dial down the amount of spice I use when I'm cooking for other people. (You're welcome, everyone I love).
This recipe though...this is FIRE. First of all, you make it in your slow cooker, so it's EASY and you can make a bunch at one time. This chicken has so much flavor, and it the spice mixture turns in to a crust when you broil it at the end. I've been adding this chicken to salads, to egg white omelets, and bowls of plain quinoa. It will add the kick you're missing to literally everything. You can customize the level of heat by adding more of less cayenne pepper. The amounts listed below will make about a 1/2 cup of seasoning. This is enough for either 3lbs of chicken, or 1.5lbs of chicken twice. I'd recommend making the whole amount of seasoning, but only making about a pound of chicken at a time. I'd suggest putting the chicken in one layer in your slow cooker to make the top crustable (that's a word, right?).
What You'll Need:
1-1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 TBSP garlic powder
1-3 tsp cayenne pepper (choose your own adventure!)
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 limes, juiced
1 TBSP brown sugar or coconut sugar (optional)
What I did:
Mix all the spices together in a bowl.
Add minced garlic and lime juice to the bowl of your slow cooker.
Add the chicken thighs in one layer to the bowl of your slow cooker Generously sprinkle the spice mixture on top, covering all areas.
Cook on low for 4 hours.
Heat oven to broil. (If you're using sugar, sprinkle it on top of the chicken before you put it in the broiler. If you're not, it will still get a crust, it just won't be quite as sticky). Broil chicken, spice side up, for 10 minutes. Keep your eyes on it here so it doesn't burn.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool before moving.
