Jamaican Jerk Fried Chicken Sandwich

Jerk-seasoned fried chicken smothered with jerk BBQ sauce, garlic aioli, fried plantains, Island Pepper sauce, pickled red cabbage, and pineapple-jalapeño jam.

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Servings:
1 sandwich
Yield:
26 servings

Ingredients

  • 24 each
    King’s Hawaiian Original Little Island Bun
  • 12 tbsp
    Butter, softened
  • 24 each
    Jerk Fried Chicken (subrecipe)
  • 12 c
    Jerk BBQ Sauce (subrecipe)
  • 24 tbsp
    Garlic aioli
  • 12 each
    Butter lettuce, leaves
  • 48 each
    Sweet Plantains (subrecipe)
  • 24 oz
    Island Pepper Sauce (subrecipe)
  • 24 oz
    Pickled Red Cabbage (subrecipe)
  • 18 oz
    Pineapple-Jalapeño Jam (subrecipe)

Build It!

  1. Spread ¾ teaspoon softened butter on the top and bottom cut side of buns. Toast on a flattop until golden. Remove and set aside.

  2. Slather one piece of Jerk Fried Chicken in ½ cup Jerk BBQ Sauce and set aside.

  3. Spread ½ tablespoon garlic aioli on each half of toasted bun.

  4. On bottom bun, layer ½ piece of torn butter lettuce, 2 pieces of Sweet Plantains, and 1 piece of Jerk Fried Chicken.

  5. Top chicken with 1 ounce Island Pepper Sauce and 1 ounce Pickled Red Cabbage. Finish with ¾ ounce Pineapple-Jalapeño Jam.

  6. Place top bun on sandwich and serve.

Jerk Fried Chicken

Servings:
1 piece
Yield:
24

Ingredients

  • 3 c
    Soy sauce (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 15 oz
    Green onions, rough chopped (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 9 oz
    Worcestershire sauce (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 6 tbsp
    Maggi seasoning (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 6 tbsp
    Garlic, rough chopped (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 4 ½ tbsp
    Ginger, peeled and chopped (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 4 ½ tbsp
    Lime juice, fresh (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 6 tsp
    Allspice, ground (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 6 tsp
    Cinnamon, ground (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 6 tsp
    Light brown sugar (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 3 tsp
    Habanero pepper, chopped (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 1 ½ tsp
    Cloves, ground (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 24 each
    Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4.5–5 ounces each (for jerk chicken marinade)
  • 6 c
    AP flour (for jerk chicken dredge)
  • ¾ c
    Semolina flour (for jerk chicken dredge)
  • 6 tbsp
    Cornstarch (for jerk chicken dredge)
  • 1 ½ tbsp
    Onion powder (for jerk chicken dredge)
  • 1 ½ tbsp
    Garlic powder (for jerk chicken dredge)
  • 1 ½ tsp
    Kosher salt (for jerk chicken dredge)
  • ¾ tbsp
    Paprika (for jerk chicken dredge)
  • 3 tsp
    Cayenne pepper (for jerk chicken dredge)
  • 1 ½ tsp
    Cinnamon, ground (for jerk chicken dredge)
  • ¾ tsp
    Allspice, ground (for jerk chicken dredge)

Make It!

  1. Prepare marinade. Combine all ingredients except for chicken breasts in a blender until well combined. Reserve 24 ounces for use in Jerk BBQ Sauce.
  2. Pour remaining marinade over chicken breasts. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. Remove chicken from refrigerator 1 hour before frying.
  3. Prepare dredge. Combine all ingredients in a half hotel pan. Set aside.
  4. Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess marinade drip off before thoroughly coating each piece in the jerk chicken dredge.
  5. Fry chicken in a 350°F fryer until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Hold warm for service.

Jerk BBQ Sauce

Servings:
½ cup, plus more for dipping or serving alongside sandwich
Yield:
24

Ingredients

  • 24 oz
    Jerk Marinade (previous subrecipe)
  • 4 c
    Ketchup
  • 4 c
    Onion, diced
  • 2 c
    Light brown sugar
  • 6 tbsp
    Apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tbsp
    Garlic, chopped
  • 4 each
    Habanero

Make It!

  1. Add all ingredients to a large saucepan and cook on low until sauce has thickened, approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours.
  2. When thickened, let cool slightly, then use a high-powered immersion blender to process until combined.
  3. Reserve until ready to use for fried chicken.

Sweet Plantains

Servings:
2 pieces
Yield:
24

Ingredients

  • 6 each
    Plantains, very ripe
  • 2 c
    Canola oil
  • to taste
    Kosher salt

Make It!

  1. Peel plantains, and slice each into ¼” thick pieces on the bias.
  2. Add canola oil to a deep skillet and heat to 350°F.
  3. Add plantains to skillet and fry for 2 minutes per side until golden brown, working in batches as needed.
  4. Remove from oil and season with kosher salt. Set aside for service.

Island Pepper Sauce

Servings:
1 ounce
Yield:
24

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp
    Canola oil
  • ¾ c
    Carrot, diced
  • 15 each
    Scotch bonnet pepper (or habanero)
  • 7 ½ each
    Garlic cloves
  • 6 oz
    Yellow onion, diced
  • 1 ½ c
    Apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tsp
    Kosher salt
  • 1 ½ tsp
    Sugar

Make It!

  1. Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and sauté until tender. Add Scotch bonnet, garlic, and onion, and sauté an additional 2 minutes.
  2. Add vinegar, salt, and sugar and cook until all the vegetables have softened, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. Add sautéed vegetables to a blender and blend until smooth.
  4. Transfer to a storage container and hold chilled until service, up to 15 days.

Pickled Red Cabbage

Servings:
1 ounce
Yield:
24

Ingredients

  • 5 c
    Apple cider vinegar
  • 3 c
    Water
  • 5 tbsp
    Kosher salt
  • 5 tbsp
    Pickling spice, in a cheesecloth sachet
  • 2 ½ oz
    Sugar
  • 26 oz
    Red cabbage, thinly shaved
  • 12 each
    Pieces thinly sliced jalapeño
  • 8 each
    Garlic cloves

Make It!

  1. Prepare pickling liquid. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, water, salt, pickling spice sachet, and sugar. Heat gently until the sugar and salt have dissolved completely. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Remove pickling spice sachet.
  2. Place cabbage, jalapeño, and garlic in a large bowl, and pour pickling liquid over mixture making sure everything is completely submerged. Let mixture brine for at least one hour, preferably overnight, until service.

Pineapple-Jalapeño Jam

Servings:
1½ tablespoons
Yield:
24

Ingredients

  • 24 oz
    Pineapple, frozen
  • 1 ¼ c
    Sugar
  • 1 c
    Jalapeños, small-diced
  • 1 c
    Onions, small-diced
  • 1 c
    Apple cider vinegar
  • 2 ½ tbsp
    Ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 ½ tbsp
    Red pepper flakes
  • 1 ¼ tbsp
    Garlic, finely chopped

Make It!

  1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  2. Reduce heat and let simmer for an hour until mixture becomes a soft jam consistency. Remove from heat to let cool and continue to thicken.
  3. Transfer to a storage container and store chilled until service, up to 12 days.

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