Chicken rubbed or marinated in allspice and Scotch bonnet, then smoked or grilled until charred. Peppa's in Crown Heights sells a small order with festival for about $10.

Jerk is a Jamaican style of cooking in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet-marinated in a hot spice mixture whose main ingredients are allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers. The Taino cooked meat on a barbacoa with hot peppers and pimento, and the Maroons, who escaped into the Jamaican countryside during the 1655 invasion, adopted the practice. Brooklyn has the largest West Indian community outside the Caribbean, concentrated in Crown Heights and Flatbush. Peppa's has served jerk chicken in Brooklyn since 1995, and at the 2026 Labor Day carnival jerk came out of iron smokers on Eastern Parkway.

Where to eat Jerk chicken in Brooklyn

2 editor picks for Jerk chicken in Brooklyn, ranked by editorial score. All Brooklyn signature dishes · Jerk chicken across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves Serves 6 to 85 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 10 to 12 bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks (about 3 pounds), skin removed
  • 1 red onion, quartered
  • 1 bunch green onions, cut into chunks
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 2 to 3 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, stems removed
  • 1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
  • 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely ground allspice berries
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon each black pepper and onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg

Method

  1. Blend every marinade ingredient in a food processor until mostly smooth and pour over the chicken in a resealable bag.
  2. Marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 24 hours, then let the chicken sit at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes.
  3. To grill, heat to medium-high, 425 to 450 F (220 to 230 C), and grill with the lid closed 5 to 7 minutes per side until the thickest piece reaches 175 F (80 C).
  4. To bake, heat the oven to 400 F (200 C), set the pieces apart on a foil-lined sheet, and bake 35 to 45 minutes to 175 F (80 C).
  5. Rest the chicken 5 minutes before serving.

Editor tip. One Scotch bonnet gives medium heat, two medium-hot, three hot; removing the seeds cools it down. Wear gloves.

Common allergens: Soy.