Jerk Chicken with Fried Rice and Grilled Pineapple Salsa

| Tieghan Gerard
Serving size:4
Prep Time:
Total Time:
Jerk Chicken with Fried Rice and Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Ok, ok how about some jerk chicken? With a big old pile of grilled pineapple salsa? It’s jerktastic! No, seriously it is. I have no idea how this recipe came about. I mean I was set on making Greek and some how I ended up with a Jamaican style dish. Really, my brain is so wacked out. The things it tells me to do!

This is SO good. The chicken is covered in the a spicy sweet jerk sauce. It’s pretty much a jerk BBQ sauce and it’s lick the spoon good. I mixed a little bit of the sauce into some fried rice with red and orange peppers. And then there is the pineapple salsa. Oh man, I am in love with this salsa. It’s sweet, crunchy, just a teensy bit spicy and the perfect topper to this dish. It brings the whole thing together. You must make the salsa! You may end up eating it with a spoon. Maybe, I don’t know. That may be just me.

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  • 1 pineapple, peeled and cut into sticks
  • pinch of salt or to taste
  • 1/2 lime, juice
  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (if you like a little heat leave some of the seeds)
  • 1 pint cherry tomato, sliced
  • 1/4 red onion, finely chopped

Directions

  1. In a glass measuring cup or bowl combine the ketchup, soy sauce, orange juice, vinegar, molasses, curry powder, cayenne pepper, ginger and garlic. Whisk to combine.
  2. Add the chicken to a medium size bowl and toss with about 1/4 cup of the sauce. Place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes while you prep the veggies and make the salsa. Reserve the remaining sauce for later.
  3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. When hot add a tablespoon of peanut oil. Carefully add the chicken and its marinade, cook for about 2 minutes per side or until the chicken gets a nice caramalized crust. Remove from the pan.
  4. Add a tablespoon of peanut oil and the red pepper, orange pepper and banana pepper. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan.
  5. Add the last tablespoon of peanut oil and the rice. Stir fry until heated through, about 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and about 1 tablespoon of the reserved jerk sauce. Stir to combine and the add the peppers back in.
  6. To serve place a serving of the pepper fried rice on a plate and top with the chicken. Drizzle the chicken with the remaining jerk sauce, if desired, and then top the chicken with the grilled pineapple salsa.
  7. To make the salsa. Grill or broil the pineapple until charred. Allow to cool and chop into chunks. In a medium size bowl toss the grilled pineapple, red onion, tomatoes, jalapeño, garlic, ginger, lime juice and salt. Toss well and taste. Add more salt if need. Serve over the chicken and rice.

 

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