Ainsley Harriott Junkanoo Jerk-Spiced Chicken with Guava Glaze Recipe
Ainsley Harriott's Junkanoo Jerk-Spiced Chicken with Guava Glaze is a bold, festive Caribbean dish combining fiery jerk seasoning with a sweet tropical guava and rum glaze. Inspired by the legendary Junkanoo street carnival of Nassau, Bahamas — as seen on Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas on ITV.
Equipment
- Oven
- Wire Rack
- Roasting Tin
- Small Saucepan
- Sharp Knife
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
For the Jerk Spice Rub
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs scored deeply with a sharp knife
- 4 chicken drumsticks scored deeply with a sharp knife
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 Scotch bonnet chilli de-seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce use tamari for gluten-free
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lime juice only
- 1 tsp sea salt
For the Guava Glaze
- 4 tbsp guava jam or guava jelly Grace or Walkerswood brand recommended
- 1 tbsp dark rum
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp Caribbean hot pepper sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- pinch of sea salt
To Serve
- rice and peas
- fresh lime wedges
- sliced spring onions and red chilli to garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all the dry spices — allspice, smoked paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add the Scotch bonnet, dark soy sauce, olive oil, lime juice, and sea salt. Mix into a thick paste.
- Score the chicken pieces deeply with a sharp knife — 2 to 3 cuts per piece. Add to the spice paste and rub thoroughly into every cut and under the skin. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, ideally overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan / Gas 6).
- Place chicken pieces skin-side up on a wire rack over a roasting tin. Roast for 35–40 minutes until the skin is deeply charred and the juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced.
- While the chicken roasts, combine guava jam, dark rum, lime juice, hot pepper sauce, brown sugar, and a pinch of sea salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring for 3–4 minutes until smooth, glossy, and slightly thickened.
- In the last 8 minutes of cooking, brush the guava glaze generously over every piece of chicken. Return to the oven for the final 8 minutes until the glaze caramelises and turns sticky and deeply glossy.
- Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with sliced spring onions and red chilli. Serve over rice and peas with fresh lime wedges on the side.
Video
Notes
Score the chicken deeply — the deeper the cuts, the more the jerk marinade and guava glaze penetrate the flesh. Apply the guava glaze only in the last 8 minutes to prevent the sugar burning before the chicken is cooked through.
Gluten-free: Swap dark soy sauce for tamari and check your hot pepper sauce label.
No guava jam? Use mango chutney mixed with 1 tbsp apricot jam as a substitute.