Caribbean jerk seasoning inspired this creamy, delicious air fryer jerk chicken pasta recipe, with subtle sweetness.
This satisfying jerk chicken pasta recipe can be an alternative to your regular pasta recipes. It is dairy-free, has full-on flavour, filling, comes together quickly and is easy to make. It tastes great, hot on the day or cold as packed-lunch the next day. What’s not to like?
What Is Jerk Seasoning?
Jerk seasoning is used in the jerk process, which is seasoning and then smoking food over pimento wood. This form of cooking originated in the Caribbean. Meat is typically used for the jerk, but you can also use fish and vegetables.
The method involves coating the meat in a dry jerk seasoning rub or wet jerk marinade for some time before slow cooking over the pimento wood, which gives the unique smokey flavours associated with authentic jerk seasoned food. Jerk seasoning is usually made up of scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, green onions (spring onions) and other Caribbean spices.
Of course, not everyone has access to open grills or pimento woods; so ovens, air fryers, slow cookers and other cooking methods can be used. I used air fryer to cook my jerk-seasoned chicken because it is more convenient.
Jerk Chicken Pasta Recipe
Here are the ingredients you need...
Jerk Seasoning Marinade
- Allspice
- Spring onions
- Garlic
- Scotch bonnet pepper
- Thyme
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Lime
- Soy sauce
- Sunflower oil
Jerk Chicken Pasta
- Chicken breast
- Jerk seasoning
- Pasta
- Cooking oil
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Spring onions
- Coconut milk
- Yellow bell pepper
- Red bell pepper
- Salt
Notes about the ingredients...
- Jerk Seasoning: I’m aware the ingredient list for the jerk marinade is long – I had most of the ingredients at home already, so it was easy for me. Home-made jerk marinade also meant I could adapt the recipe to taste. You can either make your own or buy a quality one; it is available in the ethnic aisle of most major supermarkets or on Amazon. Jerk seasoning can be very spicy. If you are buying, make sure to sample before you use it and adjust the quantity according to your heat tolerance.
- Pasta: Most pasta shapes work well for jerk chicken pasta – Penne, fusilli etc. Use what you already have.
- Chicken: You can substitute chicken breasts with other chicken parts – legs and thighs work well. Or you can use other protein sources like fish, prawns etc.
How to make it...
Jerk Seasoning Marinade
Remove the stalk from the scotch bonnet peppers and wash.
Wash the spring onions and cut into smaller pieces.
Add all the ingredients into a blender with the juice of the lime and liquidize.
Jerk Chicken Pasta
Add three tablespoons of jerk seasoning to the chicken and leave to marinate for at least 30 mins or longer (up to 24 hrs) for maximum flavour.
Cook the chicken breasts in the air fyer at 1800C for 18 – 20 mins, tuning over at 10 mins. Alternatively, cook in the oven at 200 0C for 20 – 25 mins. Cut into slices.
Cook the pasta with salt according to pack instructions. Remove from heat 5 mins early, drain, rinse under cold water and keep aside.
Wash the peppers, thyme and spring onions.
Remove the stalk from the peppers and slice. Strip the thyme and slice the spring onions
Peel and chop the garlic.
Add the oil into a pan under medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 30 secs.
Stir in the thyme and spring onions. Saute for 1 min.
Add two tablespoons of the jerk seasoning and coconut milk into the pan. Allow to roll-boil for 10 mins.
Stir the pasta in with a dash of salt. Add the jerk chicken slices, then reduce the heat.
Cook for 5 mins, stirring a few times.
Remove from heat and serve.
Related Recipes
Other pasta recipes to try...
Jerk Chicken Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
Jerk Seasoning Marinade
- 1 tablespoon Allspice
- 8 Spring onions
- 1 Onion
- 5 Garlic
- 2 Scotch bonnet pepper
- Thyme a few sprigs
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- Grated ginger thumb sized
- 1 Lime
- 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
- ½ cup Sunflower oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Jerk Chicken Pasta
- 2 Chicken breast big
- 5 tablespoon Jerk Seasoning
- 2 cups Pasta
- 1 cup Coconut milk
- 1 Green bell pepper
- 1 Red bell pepper
- 3 Spring onions
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Jerk Seasoning Marinade
- Remove the stalk from the scotch bonnet peppers and wash.
- Wash the spring onions and cut into smaller pieces.
- Add all the ingredients into a blender with the juice of the lime and liquidize.
Jerk Chicken Pasta
- Add three tablespoons of jerk seasoning to the chicken and leave to marinate for at least 30 mins or longer (up to 24 hrs) for maximum flavour.
- Cook the chicken breasts in the air fyer at 180°C for 18 – 20 mins, turning over at 10 mins. Alternatively, cook in the oven at 200°C for 20 – 25 mins.
- Cook the pasta with salt according to pack instructions. Remove from heat 5 mins early, drain, rinse under cold water and keep aside.
- Wash the peppers, thyme and spring onions.
- Remove the stalk from the peppers and slice. Strip the thyme and slice the spring onions
- Peel and chop the garlic.
- Add the oil into a pan under medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 30 secs.
- Stir in the thyme and spring onions. Saute for 1 min.
- Add two tablespoons of the jerk seasoning and coconut milk into the pan. Allow to roll-boil for 10 mins.
- Stir the pasta in with a dash of salt. Add the jerk chicken slices, then reduce the heat.
- Cook for 5 mins, stirring a few times.
- Remove from heat and serve.
Leave a Reply