We’ve always been reluctant to prepare Jamaican Jerk anything for these pages, mostly because it never seemed like we had the equipment and ingredients necessary for a truly “authentic” preparation. And if you can’t prepare something the right way, why prepare it at all? These tacos are the reason why. While they probably wouldn’t pass muster in Boston Bay, they’re just fine for a Wednesday night at home.
Sure, we may not have access to a scorching hot coal fire, seasoned pimento wood for smoking, or a limitless supply of allspice berries. But we found we could still recreate at least some of the flavors of the Caribbean, right at home, and in taco form. What’s more, the whole meal is ready from start to finish in about a half an hour, including the time needed to make our own jerk seasoning. Ready to get started? Here we go:
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 3 teaspoons dried parsley
- 3 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups pineapple, cubed
- 1/2 red onion, minced
- 1/2 fresh jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 1/4 lime juice
- 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage (red or green, or both)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 3 teaspoons Jamaican jerk seasoning
- 3 chicken breasts
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
- 8 corn tortillas
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Crumbled feta, for serving
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- First, make the slaw. Combine cabbage, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and sugar, plus salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to combine and set aside.
- Then, make the salsa. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Arrange pineapple on a sheet pan, and cook stirring and flipping occasionally, until pineapple starts to char. Remove from oven and finely chop, then combine with onion, jalapeño, and lime juice. Toss to combine.
- Season chicken on both sides with jerk seasoning (reserving two tablespoons, if desired...see note below), and cook in a skillet over medium heat until brown and cooked through. Remove from heat and cut into strips or chop.
- To assemble tacos, warm tortillas in dry skillet until pliable, then pile each with slaw, then sliced or chopped chicken, then pineapple salsa, then crumbled feta. Finish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
- To ramp up the jerk flavor even more, make your own Jamaican jerk crema: Combine 1/2 cup of sour cream with a squeeze of lime juice and two tablespoons of the jerk seasoning. Stir to combine, then serve with tacos.
