Barbados Style Grilled Chicken Legs

Years ago my husband and I took a Caribbean cruise. One of our most memorable meals was a fragrant grilled chicken we enjoyed on the beach in Barbados. This recipe comes pretty close to recreating it. I hope you enjoy it!

Serve it with basmati rice with lemon and thyme, sautéed chard, or grilled plantains and sliced fresh pineapple.

12 chicken legs
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp fresh minced garlic
3 TB sweet onion (Vidalia, Texas) minced
1 large or 2 small jalapeño peppers minced, seeds and veins removed
1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 TB fresh thyme leaves
heaping 1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3 TB olive oil
juice of one lemon or lime (3 TB)

Place all the ingredients except chicken legs in a blender or food processor and pulse until finely chopped, almost a paste. If you would rather not use a blender or food processor, place the ginger, garlic, onion, parsley, thyme on a cutting board and run a knife through it until finely chopped. Add it to the the lemon or lime juice, allspice, salt, pepper and the olive oil. Coat the chicken with the mixture and let it marinate in a zippered bag or non-reactive bowl for at least 20 minutes, and up to 12 hours.

Meanwhile, preheat the grill. Oil the grate and grill the chicken legs over medium heat (@ 350 degrees) for about 35 minutes, turning the chicken every 4-5 minutes. The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Use an instant read digital thermometer to determine doneness.

Tip - If you like your food with more heat, substitute 1/2-1 habenero pepper for the jalapeño. But use rubber gloves to mince it!

Tip - Like Cilantro? Add a handful or two.

Tip - Make a double recipe, and put half or the uncooked chicken in the marinade in a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. Defrost in the refrigerator and grill as indicated above.